Scientists have developed a low-cost, durable, highly-sensitive robotic ‘skin’ that can be added to robotic hands like a glove, enabling robots to detect information about their surroundings in a way that’s similar to humans.

Milk protein and cellulose derived from plants may be the next big thing in sustainability, thanks to a first-of-its-kind advancement made by researchers at Penn State. Accomplished via electrospinning, which involves using a voltage to force a liquid solution into a cone shape that stretches and morphs into tiny fibers as the solution jets from an ejector, the team combined the milk protein casein with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, a compound also known as hypromellose and derived from plant material, to create nanofibers 1,000 times thinner than a human hair. They then manipulated those fibers into mats that hold promise for a variety of products, like biodegradable — and even edible — food packaging.

For the first time, the remarkable features of Australia’s unique wildlife – from platypus, bilby, kangaroo, koala and emu to mammals gone extinct – are available for all to see, via their bones and skeletons in a new free online collection.

Using 3D imaging technology, Flinders University and partners have launched the ‘Ozboneviz’ virtual database,  which goes ‘inside’ the anatomy of dozens of Australia’s most famous animals for the public, schools, researchers, artists, nature-lovers and others to access.