Coconuts are renowned for their hard shells, which are vital to ensure their seeds successfully germinate. But the specialised structure of coconut walls could help to design buildings that can withstand earthquakes and other natural disasters. Coconut palms can grow 30 m high, meaning that when the ripe fruits fall to the ground their walls…
Teaching Drones About the Birds and the Bees
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) of the future will be able to visually coordinate their flight and navigation just like birds and flying insects do, without needing human input, radar or even GPS satellite navigation. A research group at the University of Queensland, Australia is trying to make this future a reality by uncovering flying techniques…