Scientists turned simple knots into tiny robots that jump, spin, and plant seeds, offering a new tool for ecosystem restoration.

When a knot lets go, it doesn't just fall apart. It snaps. That simple observation led Penn Engineers to rethink what a knot can do. Instead of treating it as something that holds tension, they asked ...

“It should be more like pancake batter,” says Nastasia Winey, as she prepares a seed mix solution for Grasshopper - a seagrass-planting robot. Winey is a robotics engineer with ReefGen, a company that ...

Thermally actuated robots with maple leaf-inspired wings jump up and land vertically in the soil, showcasing their ability to penetrate earth and plant seeds. The final clip shows germination of ...

A robot that can grow around trees or rocks like a vine could be used to make buildings or measure pollution in hard-to-reach natural environments. Vine-like robots aren’t new, but they are often ...

Plant robotics shows how living movement and sensing can power biodegradable machines that work with natural environments, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional robotic materials and ...