Search results
54 Results for 'Environment'
- Technologies (10)
- Team (0)
- News (28)
- Events (1)
- Multimedia (15)
- Publications (0)
- Jobs (0)
Technologies 10
-
Sponge-Inspired Architecture for Stronger Buildings
From bridges to skyscrapers to roller coasters, many of the structures city-dwellers see on a daily basis are built using square grid-like frames reinforced with a series of diagonal beams. This design, invented in the 1800s, has changed little over the last 200 years because it is cheap, strong, and lightweight – but not optimal.... -
Circe: Transforming Greenhouse Gases into Biodegradable Products
Our society is built upon cheap, widely available petrochemicals. Beyond gasoline and other fuels, petrochemicals are primary components of many of the objects in our everyday lives, including clothing, cosmetics, electronics, packaging, paint, floors, cars, and furniture. The vast majority of these products do not biodegrade in the environment and are not recycled, and the... -
cold-SNAP: Eco-Friendly Air Conditioning
As average global temperatures steadily climb, the worldwide demand for air conditioning is expected to triple by 2050. Conventional air conditioners, while now cheap to manufacture, still rely on low-efficiency mechanical vapor compression to cool and dehumidify air, making them one of the largest consumers of energy in industrialized countries. An alternative cooling method called... -
RAPID: Testing for Food Contaminants
Contamination of food by microorganisms such as certain bacteria, viruses and fungi is a constant concern, with even miniscule amounts of certain species posing a risk for foods to become unsafe and spoiled during storage. Current safety and quality tests are often not sensitive enough to detect rare species, and because they first require the... -
milliDelta: Millimeter-Scale Delta Robot
Delta robots are deployed in many industrial processes, including pick-and-place assemblies, machining, welding, and food packaging. Three individually controlled lightweight arms enable fast and accurate motion of an output platform in three directions. Roboticists have reduced the size of Delta robots for tasks in limited workspaces, but so far, using conventional manufacturing techniques and components,... -
HAMR: Versatile Crawling Microrobot
Small or difficult-to-access spaces such as areas covered with rubble, or narrow pipes and engines can pose obstacles to search-and-rescue missions, repair works, or environmental and industrial monitoring. One solution for these problems could be small-sized robots that are able to navigate such spaces, transport payload, sense, and communicate. Wyss Institute researchers have developed a...
News 28
Events 1
Multimedia 15
-
Video/AnimationCirce: Using Microbes to Make Biodegradable ProductsCurrent manufacturing methods release harmful greenhouse gases and pollution, and many of the products produced do not biodegrade, damaging our ecosystems even further. What if we could turn greenhouse gases into biodegradable products? Researchers at the Wyss Institute are using synthetic biology to make this a reality. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University
-
Video/AnimationSoft Robotic Gripper for Jellyfish 2.0Scientists from the Wyss Institute at Harvard University and CUNY have created ultra-soft robotic grippers that resemble fettuccini noodles to safely catch and release delicate underwater creatures like jellyfish without harm. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University
-
Video/AnimationRomu: A Robot for Environmental ProtectionResearchers at the Wyss Institute have developed a robot designed to drive interlocking sheet piles into the ground to help stabilize soil. Teams of such robots could help combat erosion, restore damaged landscapes, and facilitate sustainable land management in a variety of settings. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard
-
Video/AnimationSoft Robotic Arms: Giving Biologists a Delicate, Deep-sea ReachWhat good is a soft robotic hand without a soft robotic arm to move it? Wyss researchers have now created a soft, modular underwater arm that can help marine biologists study hard-to-reach organisms in the deep sea. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University
-
Audio/PodcastDisruptive: Soft Robotics for Deep Sea ExplorationThe deep ocean is the least explored environment on Earth, and scientists estimate that many thousands of species are yet to be encountered. Marine researchers depend on tools primarily developed for the military or the oil and gas industry to study and capture undersea organisms. Many of them are extremely fragile, some thousands of years...
-
Video/Animation3D-Printed Soft GrippersWhat’s the easiest way to pick up soft-bodied sea creatures? 3D-printed soft robots. Watch as an interdisciplinary team of marine biologists, engineers, and roboticists create custom-made soft grippers on-board the Schmidt Ocean Institute’s R/V Falkor, allowing them to safely sample many types of delicate sea life in the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA). Credit: Wyss Institute...