UK-based startup JoiPaw specializes in developing video games for dogs to help stimulate their minds and hopefully, stave off dementia. Your pets wear an Apple Health-inspired tracker that measures their health and sends alerts to their owners if any abnormal behavior is detected. If they play games on the console, a treat is dispensed when successful.
YouTuber Mark Rober has built machines to defeat scammy arcade machines, and most recently, Squirrel Maze 3.0 for his backyard Squirrelympics event. This definitely made use of his skills acquired as a former NASA engineer, as it consists of seven different events, such as a spinning balance beam as well as the long jump.
Scientists from the Curtin School of Molecular and Life Sciences have discovered a new bee species that has a dog-like snout, called leioproctus zephyr. Author of the research paper, Dr Kit Prendergast, named it after her own dog Zephyr. It’s a part of the genus Leioproctus, which consists of over 300 species of bees located across Australasia and South America.
No, these aren’t robotic insects, just real bumble bees that were recorded playing with and manipulating wooden balls. This new study placed 45 bumble bees in a flight arena where they were given the option of either walking through a clear path to reach their reward or into a colored chamber with the wooden balls.
Scientists have discovered that green tree frogs in Chernobyl are turning black to better handle radiation left from the nuclear power plant accident in 1986. Melanin is a dark brown to black pigment that naturally protects organisms from UV as well as ionizing radiation by absorbing it and dissipating the radiation energy.
Photo credit: Hemant Dabi
A camouflaged leopard typically isn’t anything to scoff at, that is unless…you’re looking at wildlife photographer Hemant Dabi’s image of one hiding in a rock and dirt mound. This defense mechanism is used to blend in with their surroundings, so much so that Dabi almost missed the animal himself if it wasn’t giving off an alarm call.
It may not be as flashy as this nuclear-powered Sky Hotel, but the mystery of fire ant rafts and why they form may have been solved by scientists at Georgia Tech. The team, led by Ko, conducted 72 experiments with groups ranging from 72-158 ants, each placed on the surface of a small laboratory aquarium.
Scientists at Japan’s RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research (CPR) have created giant cyborg cockroaches equipped with solar-powered backpacks. The team used Madagascar cockroaches with a special backpack attached that was modeled specially to fit perfectly and allow complete freedom of movement. This backpack consists of a lithium polymer battery and the wireless control module.
Axolotls, or aquatic salamanders, have the unique ability of begin able to regenerate any limb as well as parts of their brains. Scientists at ETH Zurich’s Treutlein Lab and the Tanaka Lab at the Institute of Molecular Pathology in Vienna decided to dive deeper and see if they are able to regenerate all the different cell types in their brain, including the connections linking one brain region to another.
Inventor Allen Pan is a fan of snakes and wanted to do more than just observe them. So, he decided to turn one of them into a cyborg of sorts with four robotic legs, with each one consisting of three joints and two servos. The latter enables the foot to freely pivot and allow it to climb up rugged terrain, while its gait resembles that of a lizard.