China Scientist Awards Blog

  Chinese firm unveils world’s first ride-on robot dog for all-terrain adventures A Chinese company has unveiled the world’s first  robot dog  to feature the precise motor control required to carry a person safely across the most rugged terrain, making it suitable for a range of military and civilian uses, according to online commenters. B2-W, a four-legged, wheeled robot that features precision posture control and advanced acrobatics, was showcased in a video posted by developer Unitree to its social media account on Monday. In the video, B2-W performs mid-air flips, rotations and handstands while also demonstrating remarkable stability as it descends a nearly 60-degree gravel slope, navigates streams, climbs waterfalls and speeds across a range of terrains. The robot is also shown temporarily retracting its hind legs, performing inverted landings, and jumping from a height of 1.9 metres (6.23ft). In standard four-legged mode, it can leap from 3 metres, absorbing the imp...

  China approves new lunar sample research applications from institutions BEIJING -- China's space agency has released the approved list for the eighth batch of lunar sample research applications, allowing applicants to borrow samples returned by both the Chang'e 5 and Chang'e 6 missions. A total of 8,550.4 milligrams of lunar samples will be lent to 18 researchers from 16 research institutions, the Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center under the China National Space Administration said Friday. The institutions include the China University of Geosciences (Beijing), the University of Hong Kong, the Macau University of Science and Technology, Beihang University and Wuhan University, among others. China's Chang'e 6 mission collected 1,935.3 grams of samples from the far side of the moon for the first time in human history. Meanwhile, the Chang'e 5 mission retrieved about 1,731 grams of lunar samples. China has maintained a positive and open attitude and we...

  Chinese scientists show animal brain changes while awake through neural imaging Chinese researchers have developed a microscopy technique to take imagery of neurons in animals that are awake, a method they say allowed them to capture the rapidly changing dynamics in the neurons of mice running on wheels. The new technique extends the capabilities of super-resolution microscopy, which has previously been limited to imaging cultured cells, tissue sections or anaesthetised animals. “Neurons are best studied in their native states in which their functional and morphological dynamics support animals’ natural behaviours,” the team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences said in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Methods last month. Neurons – nerve cells that send signals throughout the body which allow us to carry out functions such as eating, walking and talking – have specialised structures to support necessary functions such as communication and information integrati...

  Smart robotic arm inspired by elephant nose, octopus tentacle HEFEI -- Inspired by the agility of elephant trunks and octopus tentacles, a team of scientists from a Chinese university has developed a highly dexterous spiral soft robot's arm comparable to the human hand in multiple grabbing tasks. Demonstration videos have showcased the tentacle-like robotic arm's impressive capabilities: it can effortlessly grasp delicate objects like eggs, strawberries and USB cables, securely catch a speeding tennis ball, and swiftly punch a ping-pong ball with precision. The researchers, led by Nikolaos Freris from the University of Science and Technology of China, employed reverse engineering techniques to simulate the logarithmic spiral-shaped flexible structures found in nature. The bioinspired robotic system, SpiRobs, has demonstrated sophisticated gripping maneuvers through a series of movements, including reeling, extending, winding and grasping, with a near 95 percent success rate, ...

  China approves Tibet mega dam that could generate 3 times more power than Three Gorges China has approved the construction of a colossal hydropower project on Tibet’s longest river that could generate three times more energy than the  Three Gorges Dam , state news agency Xinhua reported on Wednesday. The mega  hydropower  project, set to be built on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in  Tibet autonomous region , presents unprecedented engineering challenges.  Total investment in the dam could exceed 1 trillion yuan (US$137 billion), which would dwarf any other single  infrastructure  project on the planet. The Yarlung Tsangpo flows across the Tibetan Plateau, carving out the deepest canyon on Earth and covering a staggering vertical difference of 7,667 metres (25,154 feet), before reaching India, where it is known as the Brahmaputra River.  The dam will be built in one of the rainiest parts of mainland China.  The  project  is expect...