Bill Schweber discusses the other side of the drone proliferation. How to detect them, either singly or in swarms, which is an essential precursor to their destruction, if that is what is required…
Robots clean rivers and sort waste, monitor ecosystems, and inspect renewable-energy infrastructure. But even the greenest robot has an environmental footprint.
EPFL engineers have designed acoustic cavities that convert sound waves into thrust, propelling small robots and ultralight aerial vehicles without on-board actuators or electronics.