Daniel Strain

Daniel Strain, science writer and beat contact, University of Colorado Boulder

Articles

Robotics September 4, 2023

Tiny, shape-shifting robot can squish itself into tight spaces

CU Boulder researchers have developed the Compliant Legged Articulated Robotic Insect (CLARI), which is designed to passively change its shape to work in tight environments, which could make it useful in emergency situations.

By Daniel Strain
Robotics January 24, 2023

Grasshopper-like material designed to leap 200 times its own thickness

The material developed by University of Colorado researchers uses elastic instability to store energy that can be released upon exposure to heat.

By Daniel Strain
Courtesy: Vernerey Researcher Group, CU Boulder
Robotics March 17, 2022

How fire ant rafts could help engineers design swarming robots

A study by CU Boulder researchers lays out the simple physics-based rules that govern how these ant rafts morph over time, which could help engineers design robots that work together in swarms.

By Daniel Strain
Courtesy: Steven Burrows, JILA
Electrical September 25, 2021

Nanoscale discovery could help prevent overheating in electronics

Researchers at CU Boulder have learned why some nano sources cool when bunched together, which could help companies develop electronics that overheat less.

By Daniel Strain
AI and Machine Learning July 2, 2021

How AI can predict electronics failure

Engineers at CU Boulder have combined advanced computer simulations with artificial intelligence (AI) to try to predict how electronics, like the transistors in a cell phone, will fail.

By Daniel Strain
Robotics November 6, 2020

Robot inspired by pufferfish could improve drone safety

A team of engineers have designed a robot called PufferBot, which blows up like a pufferfish and is designed to make flying drones safer.

By Daniel Strain
Discrete Manufacturing July 31, 2020

Ultraviolet lasers used to examine tiny nanomaterials

CU Boulder researchers have used ultra-fast extreme ultraviolet lasers to measure the properties of materials just 5 nm thick, which they hope can help scientists design tinier and more efficient computer circuits, semiconductors and other technologies.

By Daniel Strain
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