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NASA to develop gecko-inspired gripping tools

Published

10 years ago

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Washington:  NASA scientists are working on adhesive gripping tools that could tackle objects such as orbital debris or defunct satellites that would otherwise be hard to handle.

“Orbital debris is a serious risk to spacecraft including the International Space Station (ISS). This is definitely a problem we are going to have to deal with. Our system might one day contribute to a solution,” said Aaron Parness, robotics researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

The gecko gripper project was selected for a test flight through the Flight Opportunities Programme of NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate.

As a test, researchers used the grippers in brief periods of weightlessness aboard NASA’s C-9B parabolic flight aircraft.

The gripping system developed by Parness and colleagues was inspired by geckos, lizards that cling to walls with ease.

Geckos’ feet have branching arrays of tiny hairs, the smallest of which are hundreds of times thinner than a human hair.

This system of hairs can conform to a rough surface without a lot of force.

Although researchers cannot make a perfect replica of the gecko foot, they have put “hair” structures on the adhesive pads of the grippers.

The synthetic hairs, also called stalks, are wedge-shaped and have a slanted, mushroom-shaped cap.

When the gripping pad lightly touches part of an object, only the very tips of the hairs make contact with that surface.

“The stickiness of the grippers can be turned on and off, by changing the direction in which you pull the hair,” Parness added.

Besides grappling orbital debris, the grippers could help inspect spacecraft or assist small satellites in docking to the ISS, the US space agency said in a statement.

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Apple is giving a huge discount on its gadgets: Details inside

Published

3 years ago

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May 5, 2022

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If you want to buy an iPhone and were waiting for a nice offer, then we have a piece of good news for you! Amazon Summer Sale May 2022 has begun and they are offering major discounts on various smartphones, laptops, and smart TVs, among others.

The sale is live now on the e-commerce platform with no-cost EMI options and exchange discounts on various products. In addition to this, Amazon has also partnered with several banks including ICICI, Kotak Bank, and RBL so that customers get instant discounts of up to 10% using their cards and EMI transactions.

Customers can easily enjoy this summer sale and get massive discounts on iPhones. They can also compare prices on Flipkart Big Saving Days Sale 2022 before making a purchase.

 

Amazon Summer Sale May 2022: Discount offer on iPhone 13 

Apple’s coveted phone model iPhone 13 in the 128 GB storage model will be available during the Amazon Summer Sale May 2022 for Rs 64,900. The MRP of the phone is Rs 79,900. This means that the customers will be able to enjoy a discount of up to Rs 15,000 on the purchase of the iPhone 13.

If you have an old iPhone in working condition then you will also be eligible to receive another additional discount worth up to Rs 17,000 on the iPhone 13.

Buy at Rs. 64,900 (MRP – Rs. 79,900)

Features of Apple iPhone 13 

The iPhone is powered by an A15 Bionic processor with 6 core CPU. Apart from this, it has 16 core neural engines. With the iPhone 13, up to 512 GB of storage will be available. The iPhone 13 has a 6.1-inch Retina XDR display with 1000 nits brightness.

The iPhone 13 has a 12-megapixel dual rear camera setup. This time a new wide-angle camera has been given, whose aperture is f/1.6. With this, there is support for sensor optical stabilisation. Night mode has been made better than before. The second lens is also 12 megapixels ultra-wide and has an aperture of f/2.4.

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