How the amphibians got their vertebrae

A group of ancient amphibians called temnospondyls evolved stiffer spinal columns to adapt to aquatic life, contrary to previous hypotheses, according to a study published June 9, 2021 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE ...

Siemens lands 466-million-dollar order from US rail

German engineering group Siemens said Thursday it has been awarded a 466-million-dollar contract to build 70 electric locomotives for US rail company Amtrak's busy northeastern routes.

'Chaotic' way to create insectlike gaits for robots

Researchers in Japan and Italy are embracing chaos and nonlinear physics to create insectlike gaits for tiny robots—complete with a locomotion controller to provide a brain-machine interface.

3-legged dogs boost robot research

The new research looked at walking and running techniques in dogs with fore-limb or hind-limb amputations, using a treadmill and a set of high-tech infra-red cameras.

Gut bacteria influence movement in flies

Warm, protected, and full of nutrients—the tiny intestines of a fruit fly are a perfect habitat for some bacteria. These bacteria, in turn, help the fly break down and digest food, keeping the insect's metabolism running ...

Rio Tinto plans world-first driverless rail network

Miner Rio Tinto will use driverless trains to deliver its iron ore to ports in Western Australia in what it said Monday will be the world's first automated, long-distance, heavy-haul rail network.

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