Weekend Edition: A bricklaying bot, the latest Leatherman, and some snake-on-snake action

[New Atlas logo]( Welcome to our weekly wrap of the best stories to grace the pages of New Atlas over the last seven days. Sit back, relax and enjoy our Weekend Edition. Darren Quick Editor-in-Chief Robotics [Bricklaying robots can now build tennis-court-sized walls in 4 hours]( [FBR's Next Gen Hadrian X bricklaying robot has set a new speed record in testing]( The extraordinary Hadrian X bricklaying robot rocks up to a building site looking like a regular truck, then extends a 32-m (105-ft) boom arm and starts precisely laying up to 300 large masonry blocks an hour. It's pretty remarkable to watch. [Read more]( Outdoors [Leatherman pulls out all stops in creating its "best multitool ever"]( [The highlight of the new Arc, the MagnaCut steel blade is a first for a full-production Leatherman multitool]( Leatherman calls the new Arc the best multitool it's ever made – hyperbole, sure, but a big declaration from a brand with many multitools to sell. The Arc brings together prized features like a MagnaCut steel blade and one-handed magnetic operation. [Read more]( Biology [Snake's worst day captured in very rare sighting of unusual animal behavior]( [Quite a confronting example of survival of the fittest in nature]( While we all know it's a dog-eat-dog world, so to speak, an Australian snake species has taken the suggestion of cannibalism very literally and has been captured consuming a smaller, and very unlucky, version of itself. [Read more]( Robotics [Figure's humanoid is already walking and performing autonomous tasks]( [The Figure 01 prototype's hip and knee joints each put out over 200 Nm of electric torque]( After a year of development, Figure has released video footage of its humanoid robot walking – and it's looking pretty sprightly compared to its commercial competition. It's our first look at a prototype that should be doing useful work within months. [Read more]( Architecture [Earthquake-resistant house 3D printed in just 26 hours]( [The 3D-printed house is located in a seismic area of Guatemala and has been designed to withstand earthquakes]( Cement company Progreso has completed Guatemala's first 3D-printed building. It's designed to withstand local seismic activity and combines modern 3D-printing construction techniques with traditional local craftsmanship in the form of a thatched roof. [Read more]( Computers [First mini-PC with solid-state active cooling system launches]( [The Zbox PI430AJ is billed as "the world's first solid-state active-cooled mini-PC"]( Back in late 2022, Frore Systems emerged from stealth with two solid-state active cooling chips for computers called the AirJet Pro and AirJet Mini. Now Chinese multinational Zotac has announced the rollout of the first mini-PC built around the latter. [Read more]( Computers [Microsoft's glass data storage system saves terabytes for 10,000 years]( [This drink coaster-sized piece of glass, which could be the future of archival data, contains the 1978 Warner Bros. film Superman]( 10,000 years in the future, explorers could end up getting rickrolled, thanks to a Global Music Vault due to be built in Norway. It features Microsoft’s Project Silica, a tough new data storage medium that’s never gonna give you up. [Read more]( Bicycles [Yamaha presents ebikes with 2WD and ... power steering?]( [Yamaha has been working on powering both wheels of its motorcycles for 25 years, and now it's ]( Yamaha has been building eBikes for three decades and experimenting with 2WD motorcycles since 1992. A new concept to be shown at the Japan Mobility Show later this month suggests a lightweight AWD e-bike is on the cards. [Read more]( Outdoors [Expandable pickup camper canopy spreads its wings to sleep the family]( [Far Out Camping puts a new twist on an old-school pickup camper design]( Nearly every pickup camping topper out there expands upward for more interior space. Far Out Camping has flipped that idea on its side, designing an aluminum topper that expands out to the sides of the truck, doubling sleeping capacity. [Read more]( Science [‘Green living paint’ produces oxygen and captures carbon dioxide]( [Researchers have created a biocoating containing cyanobacteria (green) that produces oxygen and can capture carbon dioxide]( Researchers have created a paint containing living cyanobacteria that produces oxygen and can capture carbon dioxide. The bacteria’s ability to withstand extreme environments means the paint could even be used in outer space. [Read more]( Materials [Bizarre new electronic state discovered in five-layer graphene]( [An artist's impression of electrons in a five-layer stack of graphene exhibiting a strange new multiferroic state]( Everybody’s favorite wonder material, graphene, continues to surprise. MIT physicists have discovered yet another brand new electronic state hiding in this overachieving little material – something they give the bizarre name of “ferro-valleytricity.” [Read more]( Medical [10-second voice test shown to detect type 2 diabetes]( [A new study suggests that type 2 diabetes causes a person's voice to change in a subtle but consistent manner]( Currently, if someone wants to see if they have type 2 diabetes, they have to travel to a clinic for blood tests. According to a recent study, however, a 10-second smartphone voice recording may soon deliver on-the-spot results immediately. [Read more]( Outdoors [Magnetic EDC titanium flashlight blazes bright on Kickstarter]( [The Wayfinder is small but also finger friendly]( These days, thanks to a booming everyday carry trend, there are lots of pocket-sized tools that pack mighty features into mini packages. Thus is the case with the new Wayfinder titanium flashlight now charging through its Kickstarter run. [Read more]( Technology [Adobe launches the first material that changes patterns in real time]( [Project Primrose signals the start of a new way of packaging fashion]( The company that pioneered digital image editing is taking design to a new level with Project Primrose, centered around a material that changes color and pattern in real time, redefining 'fashion statement.' Adobe, though, says it's just the beginning. [Read more]( Medical [Virtual reality proves effective at helping hoarders declutter]( [A study found that using virtual reality to help people declutter their homes is an effective treatment for hoarding disorder]( A study found that incorporating VR into therapy for hoarding disorder, where people virtually dispose of clutter, reduced symptoms and increased real-life discarding of objects. Use of the technology could be an effective treatment for the condition. [Read more]( Photography ["Digital film roll" brings analog cameras out of retirement]( [The latest iteration of the I'm Back system sees a digital sensor on a film-like roll paired with a slim box of processing tech and a wide-angle lens attachment]( Back in 2018, Italy's Samuel Mello Medeiros hit Kickstarter with a big ol' digital back for classic film cameras, followed by the next generation in 2020. Now the team has returned with a slicker proposition, a "high-quality digital film roll." [Read more]( Medical [Acid reflux medication use and dementia linked in people aged 60-69]( [Scientists have linked dementia and acid-reflux medicine use, but are yet to work out precisely how they're connected]( Another large study has found a correlation between proton pump inhibitors (PPI) and an increased risk of dementia, particularly for those aged 60-69 years. But frustratingly, scientists still don’t understand exactly what that connection is. [Read more]( Outdoors [Aero Cabin camping trailer slides out & pops up into spacious mini-pad]( [At camp, the Aero Cabin explodes in size with a slide-out front, pop-up roof and indoor/outdoor kitchen]( Many a camping trailer pops up to increase headroom after packing low for towing. Some expand out to the side, back or front to add living space. The new Aero Cabin One does both, providing roomy, modern living inside a small car-compatible shell. [Read more]( Physics ["Pseudogravity" in crystals can bend light like black holes]( [An artist's impression of a black hole and the way its gravity affects light – which has now been emulated in a crystal]( Scientists have manipulated light as though it was being influenced by gravity. By carefully distorting a photonic crystal, the team was able to invoke “pseudogravity” to bend a beam of light, which could have useful applications in optics systems. [Read more]( Urban Transport [Sporty two-seat electric will zip you around the city in retro style]( [The Patak Rodster merges modern electric micro-mobility with classic roadster vibes from the 1930s]( Slovakia's Patak Motors has opened the order books for an electric roadster billed as the "reinvention of the gentleman's car." The stylish microcar has a top speed of 130 km/h and a per-charge range of up to 250 km. [Read more]( Biology [Thousands of Fanzor DNA cutters that may outperform CRISPR identified]( [Harnessing programmable DNA cutters in complex cells like amoebas could be a game-changer for medicine]( Following on from the discovery of programmable DNA-cutting enzymes Fanzors, scientists have identified more than 3,600 Fanzors in a broad set of species. It presents a massive opportunity in the development of new medicines, gene therapy and biotech. [Read more]( Aircraft [World's first type-certified eVTOL aircraft is ready for service]( [China has accelerated the type certification process to make this the world's first commercial eVTOL air taxi – and the first fully certified autonomous manned eVTOL]( Way back at CES 2016, eHang stunned the world with a little autonomous passenger-carrying octacopter concept. Seven years later, that concept has evolved into the world's first fully certified eVTOL air taxi, cleared for commercial air taxi work. [Read more]( Military [Ramjet-powered artillery shell sets new range record]( [The Ramjet 155-mm shell in action]( Boeing and defense company Nammo partnering with the US Army have set a new range record during an indirect fire test of a ramjet-powered artillery shell when a Ramjet 155-mm round was fired from a 58-caliber Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA). [Read more]( Environment [C-Crete hailed as a planet-friendly alternative to cement]( [In a pilot project, concrete containing C-Crete is used to retrofit a 120 year-old Seattle building's foundation]( According to some estimates, the generation of the heat used to produce traditional portland cement is responsible for 5% to 8% of all human-made CO2 emissions. A new substance known as C-Crete, however, is claimed to be a much greener alternative. [Read more]( You are receiving this email because you signed up for our daily newsletter at [newatlas.com]( (or [gizmag.com]( before August 2016). 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