Synergistic function of abscisic acid and β-amylase contributed to relatively high biomass accumulation in wild ancestral green foxtail under water deficit.

Wild and weedy relatives of domesticated plants contain genetic variants that can be beneficial for crop improvement through agricultural biotechnology. Through comparisons of the responses of wild ancestors and cultivars to abiotic stress, important information for targeted plant breeding can be obtained. Here, wild ancestral green foxtail (GWC) and two foxtail millet cultivars (landrace Qitoubai, QG, and modern cultivar Jingu21, G21) were selected to detect different responses to drought stress at the 6-leaf stage.

Analysis of Cushioned Landing Strategies of Cats Based on Posture Estimation.

This article addresses the challenge of minimizing landing impacts for legged space robots during on-orbit operations. Inspired by the agility of cats, we investigate the role of forelimbs in the landing process. By identifying the kinematic chain of the cat skeleton and tracking it using animal posture estimation, we derive the cushioning strategy that cats use to handle landing impacts.

Bionic Robot with Multifunctional Leg-Arm Mechanism for In-Orbit Assembly of Space Trusses.

This article aims to address the in-orbit assembly needs of truss structures in space missions by designing a robot capable of moving on trusses and manipulating parts. To enhance the stability of the robot during movement and part manipulation, inspiration was drawn from the Dynastes Hercules beetle. Building upon detailed research on the Dynastes Hercules beetle, a biomimetic structure was designed for the robot system.

Design and Simulation of On-Orbit Assembly System Based on Insect-Inspired Transportation.

In response to the requirements of large-scale space in-orbit assembly and the special environment of low gravity in space, this paper proposes a small robot structure with the integration of assembly, connection, and vibration reduction functionalities. Each robot consists of a body and three composite mechanical arms-legs, which can dock and transfer assembly units with the transport spacecraft unit, and also crawl along the edge truss of the assembly unit to a designated location to complete in-orbit assembly while ensuring precision. A theoretical model of robot motion was established for simulation studies, and in the research process, the vibration of the assembly unit was studied, and preliminary adjustments were made to address the vibration issue.

Research on the Undulatory Motion Mechanism of Seahorse Based on Dynamic Mesh.

The seahorse relies on the undulatory motion of the dorsal fin to generate thrust, which makes it possess quite high maneuverability and efficiency, and due to its low volume of the dorsal fin, it is conducive to the study of miniaturization of the driving mechanism. This paper carried out a study on the undulatory motion mechanism of the seahorse's dorsal fin and proposed a dynamic model of the interaction between the seahorse's dorsal fin and seawater based on the hydrodynamic properties of seawater and the theory of fluid-structure coupling. A simulation model was established using the Fluent software, and the 3D fluid dynamic mesh was used to study the undulatory motion mechanism of the seahorse's dorsal fin.

Triboelectric nanogenerator sensors for soft robotics aiming at digital twin applications.

Designing efficient sensors for soft robotics aiming at human machine interaction remains a challenge. Here, we report a smart soft-robotic gripper system based on triboelectric nanogenerator sensors to capture the continuous motion and tactile information for soft gripper. With the special distributed electrodes, the tactile sensor can perceive the contact position and area of external stimuli.