China creates a light-driven bullet-like robot, self-driving cars with level-4 automation hit Hong Kong roads for testing, world's largest 3D-printed neighborhood almost complete

Plus: Boost EV safety with one spray? Breakthrough coating enhances battery protection                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 August 12, 2024 | [Read Online]( A team of researchers led by Chinese scientists has developed a light-driven launch system for tiny robots. The new development is expected to transform the ballistics and aerospace industry. The light-driven hydrogel launcher is inspired by squirting cucumber plants. Claimed to release energy in only 0.3 milliseconds, the launcher can take off from any kind of surface. For more on this development, check out today’s [Must-Read]([.]( 🔥Today’s job of the day as featured on [jobs.interestingengineering.com](: >[Â]([Staff Software Engineer, Machine Learning I]( > [Senior Network Security Engineer (FortiGate & Azure)]( Reading Time: 4 mins Did a friend forward this e-mail to you? [Subscribe here.]( MUST-READ 🤖 [China’s robot with light-driven system can be used like bullet, transform ballistics]( Researchers published their findings in the journal Nature. They developed a light-driven hydrogel launcher that harnesses [fast liquid vapourization]( triggered by the photothermal response of an embedded graphene suspension. “This vapourization leads to appreciable elastic energy storage within the surrounding hydrogel network, followed by rapid elastic energy release within 0.3 ms. These soft hydrogel robots achieve [controlled launching at high velocity]( with a predictable trajectory,” said researchers. The study claimed that robotic tasks that require [robust propulsion abilities](, such as jumping, ejecting, or catapulting, require power-amplification strategies where kinetic energy is generated from pre-stored energy. To solve this issue, researchers introduced their game-changing method. 🚙 [Self-driving cars with level-4 automation hit Hong Kong roads for testing]( Hong Kong is testing eight autonomous vehicles as part of a [$16.3 million]( effort to advance driverless technology. The initiative’s progress is on par with developments in mainland China and abroad. People are expected to have more chances to experience these vehicles soon, reported South China Morning Post. The ongoing tests of eight autonomous vehicles in Hong Kong have shown promising results, with the technology reaching level four of [“highly automated driving,”]( according to Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung. 🖨️ [US: World’s largest 3D-printed neighborhood to provide strong insulation from heat]( ICON’s Vulcan printer is finalizing the [world’s largest 3D-printed neighborhood](, completing 100 homes in Georgetown, Texas. The printer, which is over 45 feet wide and weighs 4.75 tons, is finishing the last of homes, [building them layer by layer]( like a desktop 3D printer but on a much larger scale. According to ICON senior project manager Conner Jenkins, 3D printing brings [significant efficiency]( to the trade market by replacing the need for multiple crews to build a wall system with just one crew and one robot, Reuters reported. Love what you're reading, but too many emails? Sign up to IE+ to get Blueprint Weekly, our exclusive weekly premium newsletter that gives all the insights you love in a more digestible weekly format– plus, enjoy an Ad-Free experience on our website. Try IE+ today for just $1 in the first month. [Subscribe here]( HOT TOPICS OF THE DAY SCIENCE > China’s new wing design with holes could tackle sonic booms and boost aviation. The team’s solution involves holes in the wings that only open when the aircraft exceeds the speed of sound. ([More]() > The University of Nottingham has launched a £5.3 million ($6.76 million) research program to develop a cutting-edge cryogenic hydrogen-electric propulsion system. ([More]() > A planet orbiting extremely close to a white dwarf may have formed inside its star – this could be the origin of some of the most promising worlds beyond our solar system to search for life. ([More]() ENERGY > A Dutch multinational company has introduced a powder coating technology to provide improved electrical protection for EV batteries. The newly developed solution increases the battery’s safety in just one spray. ([More]() > The R&D 100 awards, hailed as the “Nobel Prize” for engineers and innovators, recently recognized General Atomics as the R&D Team of the Year. They were selected because of their 4Pi system that contributed to the world’s first successful controlled fusion ignition. ([More]() > Scientists at Oxford University Physics Department have developed a revolutionary approach that could generate increasing amounts of solar electricity without the need for silicon-based solar panels. ([More]() INNOVATION > Michael Green Architects, a Vancouver-based studio, has released plans for what might seem to be the tallest timber skyscraper in the world if it’s completed. The studio intends to carry out this plan in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. ([More]() > Chinese smartphone giant Realme is preparing to unveil a significant development in smartphone charging technology. It intends to present the fastest charging solution globally at its annual 828 Fan Festival. ([More]() > NATO and Cornell University have unveiled a project to reroute allied communication from undersea to space in the event of disruption. ([More]() VIDEO > AI is being used to colorise and revive footage from the Paris 1924 Olympics. Created by Alibaba, these films give viewers a chance to reflect and celebrate social progress, as a hundred years later, this year's Olympics became the first in history to reach full gender parity. ([More]() > The world's largest 3D-printed neighborhood is nearing completion in Texas. ([More]() IE QUIZ: THE RESULTS In yesterday’s quiz, we asked, There are 5 squares. The area of the smallest square is 1. Find ‘h’. The answer is: 4 Ready for more brainy challenges? Gear up for future IE quizzes by following us on [Instagram]( and [Facebook!]( FROM THE WEB > A new study suggests that the cooling potential of greenery is reduced in sweltering [conditions]( > Bacteria encode hidden genes outside their genome; do [we?]( > Donald Trump suggests he's open to banning abortion pill [mifepristone]( > A private company has received funding from the U.S. government to build the first-ever "streetlights" on the moon — towering, Statue of Liberty-sized structures that could withstand the brutal lunar [night]( > Mark Zuckerberg said social media on phones can be 'anti-social,' which is part of why he cares about Ray-Ban [smartglasses]( > Chemical engineers at UNSW have used sunlight, a common chemical with a solvent, and the air around us to reduce tough polymers into reusable, raw [materials]( Additional Reads --------------------------------------------------------------- [⚙️ Mechanical:](Explore the wonders of mechanical engineering. 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