Robo-squirrel takes to the trees
Will animatronic wildlife replicas populate our nature areas after this era of mass extinction? I hope not. Anyway, that's not exactly the point of the convincingly realistic-looking robotic squirrel that scientists have developed at Hampshire College. Instead, they plan to use "Rocky" the robo-squirrel to study the behaviors and communications of the squirrels that inhabit the nut-bearing trees around the campus. It may seem like science fiction, but researchers around the world are developing robotic versions of their animal subjects in order to interact with them in their natural habitat. Right now, fake lizards and cockroaches equipped with tiny cameras are helping scientists understand the survival instincts of various species and how they are being interrupted. At a university in Brussels, for example, researchers found that by dipping their robo-roach in a sex hormone, they could lure real roaches out of the shadows and into the light. Of course, who wants cockroaches to come out into the light?
The race for the world's first "green" island
Tommy Lee's green makeover_thumbnail.jpg)
Transportation Alternatives: Designing a "post-automobile" street
_thumbnail.jpg "Green superheroes")
