Many practical applications can make use of robot collectives that can manipulate objects and construct structures. Examples include applications in warehousing, truck loading and unloading, transporting large objects in industrial environments, and assembly of large-scale structures. Creating such systems, however, can be challenging. When collective robots work together to manipulate physical...

Ground source heat pumps are receiving increasing interest in North America and in some countries in Europe. The technology is well established with over 400 000 units (80% of which are domestic) installed worldwide and about 45 000 installed annually although most systems in the United States are of the reversible type. Very few systems have been installed in the UK. Efficiencies for ground so...

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is a main determinant of global health and mortality. Despite significant advances in therapeutic options, many patients complain with persistent symptoms and/or signs of myocardial ischemia (ie, refractory angina). Main therapeutic strategies used in angina patients aim at either reducing the effects of coronary stenosis on coronary blood flow or at removing the co...

We used videography to investigate direct lateral maneuvers, i.e. ‘sideslips’, of the hawkmoth Manduca sexta. M. sexta sideslip by rolling their entire body and wings to reorient their net force vector. During sideslip they increase net aerodynamic force by flapping with greater amplitude, (in both wing elevation and sweep), allowing them to continue to support body weight while rolled. To exec...