This study presents a bio-inspired linear-to-torsion vibration isolator mimicking the square tail exoskeleton of seahorses. The seahorse-exoskeleton-inspired structure (SES) uses two oblique rods, two springs, and a rotational disc to convert incoming linear motion into disc torsion, creating tunable nonlinear stiffness, equivalent mass, and damping. A full geometric and dynamic model (via Lagrange formulation and harmonic balance) guides design across devices and loading conditions. Experimental validation showed that the SES achieved a peak frequency as low as 1.48 Hz and exhibited anti-resonance due to torsional inertia; its nonlinear damping increases with input amplitude, yielding stronger isolation under larger excitations. Together these results point to compact, adjustable isolators for precision machines and other low-frequency environments.

A team from the University of California San Diego and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has invented a scalable technology that enables faster and more reliable 5G and 6G wireless communication. 

A recent study offers new insight into the air quality and health benefits of switching household cooking fuels from charcoal to biofuel briquettes made from sawdust. Published in Carbon Research, the comparative assessment led by Junior Maimou Nganko and collaborators examines the emissions of harmful pollutants from these popular fuels and their implications for domestic energy choices in Africa and other developing regions.

QUT researchers have uncovered critical biological processes that allow corals attach to a reef in a finding that could significantly improve coral restoration efforts worldwide.

Restoring vegetation is widely promoted as a natural way to fight climate change, but new research shows that its effects on soil carbon are not always straightforward. A study published in Carbon Research by scientists Lei Deng and Zhouping Shangguan from Northwest A&F University, China, reveals that soil organic carbon (SOC) can either rise or fall in the early stages of vegetation restoration, depending largely on the soil’s initial carbon content.

A new study has revealed that the lasting effects of biochar depend strongly on the material it is made from, with straw-derived biochar offering clear advantages for maize productivity under limited-water conditions. The research, published in Biochar, shows that combining wheat-straw biochar with an alternate partial root-zone drying irrigation system can boost crop yield and resource efficiency for at least two growing seasons after a single biochar application.