NASA may be gearing up to send people back to the moon. But we don’t live in the Apollo days anymore and new technologies are starting to radically redefine exploration.
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.