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Even without a brain, metal-eating robots can search for food When it comes to powering mobile robots, batteries present a problematic paradox: the more energy they contain, the more they weigh, and thus the more energy the robot needs to move. Energy harvesters, like solar panels, might work for some applications, but they don’t deliver power quickly or consistently enough for sustained travel. The “metal-eating” robot can follow a metal path without using a computer or needing a battery. By wiring the power-supplying units to the wheels on the opposite s...

New campus buildings to house centers for innovation and collaboration Several new facilities, including Tangen Hall and the Academic Research Building, have finished construction and the University is eyeing opening dates. Penn Today provides an overview. The glass exterior of Tangen Hall, which crews began construction on in summer 2018 and completed in December 2020. It was designed as a space for innovation and collaboration in entrepreneurship. In its 281-year history, Penn has seen several campus evolutions. From the openin...

The study outlines how complicated behavior can be achieved without a central processor.

Advanced Intelligent Systems, the Penn State team describes how the left and right wheels of the robot are powered by different ECVS units. This enables a basic form of navigation and foraging where the robot will automatically steer toward metal surfaces it can harvest power from, without assistance from a computer. The rudimentary form of navigation takes inspiration from the natural world, according to the team. “Bacteria are able to autonomously navigate toward nutrients through a process called chemotaxis, where they sense and respond to changes in chemical concentrations,” said Jame...

Penn researchers are working to engineer nanoscale features on ultra-lightweight materials, finding the ideal combination that will allow those materials to lift themselves into the air using the energy provided by light.