No battery needed: Robot skin harvests power as it walks
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Updates every hour. Last Updated: 21-Oct-2026 12:16 ET (21-Oct-2026 16:16 GMT/UTC)
Researchers at Fudan University have developed a crosslinked potassium polyacrylate skin membrane that lets microrobots generate electricity by walking on metal or silicon surfaces. The membrane uses atmospheric moisture and oxygen to convert environmental chemical energy into power, achieving 133 mW cm−2 on zinc. It also senses substrate material and roughness, enabling active energy pursuit. The system powered over 10,000 walking steps and remained stable after 1,000,000 steps.
Rock weathering is an important process regulating atmospheric CO2 concentrations and long-term climate evolution, yet how enhanced erosion affects rock weathering and its carbon effects remains poorly understood. Focusing on the Lancang River basin on the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, the authors quantitatively reveal the differential responses of silicate, carbonate, and sulfide weathering to changes in erosion. The results show that, as erosion intensifies, silicate weathering rates decrease while sulfide oxidation rates increase, causing weathering in the basin to tend toward a net carbon source. The related findings have now been published in Science China Earth Sciences.
First report of whole virome profiling of Naemorhedus griseus, identifying diverse viruses across multiple organ tissues. Identification and characterization of multiple mammalian viruses: including parvoviruses, picobirnaviruses, phenuivirus. Furthermore, this study provides insights into genetic diversity of Naemorhedus griseus-borne viruses and their cross-species transmission dynamics.
In the review, researchers summarize the latest advances in triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG) fibers for self-powered sensing in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). These fiber- and fabric-based sensors are flexible, breathable, and comfortable, converting the wearer's movements and physiological signals directly into electrical signals that drive immersive human–computer interaction. The authors survey TENG fiber structures, scalable production and integration methods, strategies to boost electrical output, and key VR/AR applications—from wearable virtual buttons to gesture recognition and virtual-character control—while outlining the remaining challenges on the path to practical, commercializable products.
A review traces One Health from historical disease-control lessons to today’s interconnected threats and proposes an “interface-resilience” model. The model links spillover pressure, microbial community stability and governance connectivity to systemic health risk, offering a framework for earlier warning, cross-sector surveillance and preventive, data-driven health governance.