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Blog – Page 27

Researchers at Cornell University on Monday showcased a pair of bio-inspired robotics running on a hydraulic fluid-powered battery. The redox flow battery (RFB) also mimics biological functions, as it releases electrolytic fluids, which dissolve to create energy through chemical reaction.

The first two robots on display are a modular worm and a jellyfish, designed by the Cornell Engineering labs. The batteries powering these systems utilize embodied energy, “an approach that incorporates power sources into the body of a machine, to reduce its weight and cost,” according to the school.

Mechanical and aerospace engineering Professor Rob Shepherd describes the underlying technology thusly: “There are a lot of robots that are powered hydraulically, and we’re the first to use hydraulic fluid as the battery, which reduces the overall weight of the robot, because the battery serves two purposes, providing the energy for the system and providing the force to get it to move.”

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3D printing news News NASA and Rocket Lab Enter a New Era With the Neutron Rocket.

Published on January 27, 2025 by Madeleine P.

With the goal of further expanding its reach in space missions, NASA has signed an agreement with Rocket Lab USA, Inc. to integrate the Neutron rocket into the VADR program. This is a program to procure launch services at competitive prices and reduce mission requirements for spacecraft that have not yet been launched into orbit. Neutron is a medium-range launch vehicle manufactured by Rocket Lab USA that is partially reusable and powered by nine 3D-printed Archimedes engines designed to increase the efficiency and flexibility of space launches.

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Harnessing The Power Of The Crowd To Solve Important Problems — Steve Rader — Program Manager — Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation & Tournament Lab, NASA.

Steve Rader (https://www.nasa.gov/people/steve-rader /) serves as the Program Manager of NASA’s Center of Excellence for Collaborative Innovation (CoECI — https://www.nasa.gov/coeci/) and the NASA Tournament Lab (NTL — https://www.nasa.gov/general/nasa-tou…), which are working to infuse challenge and crowdsourcing innovation approaches at NASA and across the federal government. CoECI focuses on the study and use of curated, crowdsourcing communities that utilize prize and challenge-based methods to deliver innovative solutions for NASA and the U.S. government.

In 2015, Steve was named as one of 20 Challenge Mentors for U.S. Government Services Administration’s (GSA) Prizes and Challenges government-wide community of practice. Steve has worked with various projects and organizations to develop and execute over 100 different challenges. He speaks regularly about NASA’s work in crowd-based challenges and the future of work both publicly and internally to the NASA workforce to promote the use of open innovation tools.

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A writing system developed by one of the world’s earliest urban societies has given linguists nothing but grief since it was first discovered on an unintelligible stone seal in the ancient city of Harappa, in what is now Pakistan, 150 years ago. Hoping to finally crack the code, authorities have now announced a $1 million prize to anyone who manages to decipher the so-called Indus Valley Script (IVS).

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Also known as the Harappan Script, the IVS was invented by the Indus Valley Civilization which emerged in the region encompassed by northern India and Pakistan some 5,300 years ago. Known for its walled cities, the Bronze Age culture thrived for several centuries before mysteriously vanishing, leaving archaeologists with few clues as to how these ancient people lived.

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