Small finlets on owl feathers point the way to less aircraft noise

A recent research study conducted by City, University of London's Professor Christoph Bruecker and his team has revealed how micro-structured finlets on owl feathers enable silent flight and may show the way forward in reducing ...

Quantum physics and origami for the ultimate get-well card

Paper-based diagnostic tests are cheap, convenient and biodegradable. However, their use is limited by conventional dyes—which are not bright enough to show trace amounts of analyte, are prone to fading, and can be environmentally ...

Trembling aspen leaves could save future Mars rovers

Researchers at the University of Warwick have been inspired by the unique movement of trembling aspen leaves, to devise an energy harvesting mechanism that could power weather sensors in hostile environments and could even ...

Butterfly effect can double travel of virus-laden droplets

Computer simulations have been used with great success in recent months to visualize the spread of the COVID-19 virus in a variety of situations. In Physics of Fluids, researchers explain how turbulence in the air can create ...

Smart helicopter thanks to active rotor blades

Active systems in helicopter rotor blades can adapt the blades' aerodynamic properties to local airflow conditions. The use of such systems leads to lower fuel consumption, increased maximum speed and reduced noise and vibration. ...

Robotic fish navigate flowscapes

The EU funded European research project FILOSE has developed robots with a new sense - lateral line sensing. All fish have this sensing organ but so far it had no technological counterpart on man-made underwater vehicles.

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