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Researchers at Tsinghua University and Beihang University have developed a new type of microrobot that can continuously transform into different shapes and safely lock into precise forms. This technology holds the potential to transform operations executed in intricate, dangerous, and cramped environments. The innovation is a big step for soft robotics, the field where multifunctionality and adaptability are primary challenges. Through the combination of advanced materials engineering and precision control, the researchers have unveiled new avenues for robotic applications.

The Heart of the Innovation: A Miniature Actuator

According to the study published in Nature Machine Intelligence, the key to this shape-shifting ability lies in a newly developed thin-film small-scale actuator. This actuator serves as the “heart” of the microrobot, allowing its flexible and dynamic movements. The process of fabrication is complex: it starts with the deposition of a silicone coating on a silicon wafer, followed by transfer-printing a polyimide film onto the substrate. A copper layer is deposited through electron beam evaporation for accurate thin-film deposition. Photolithography and wet-etching define the copper circuitry and structures, while laser cutting finalises the actuator’s shape and size.

Professor Zhang Yihui, who led the research at Tsinghua University’s School of Aerospace Engineering and the State Key Laboratory of Flexible Electronics Technology, emphasised that previous small-scale actuators (typically under five centimetres) struggled to achieve continuous transformation and stable locking. The new actuator fixes this by enabling highly accurate electric control over deformation, allowing the microrobot to shift into any desired shape and lock firmly into place. This breakthrough greatly expands the microrobot’s operational versatility, allowing it to easily walk, run, jump, fly, and climb.

Building the Microrobot: A Lego-Inspired Approach

The researchers used a “Lego-inspired” modular architecture to build the microrobot. By integrating the new actuators with other functional elements—such as rotors for flight, motors for ground locomotion, control modules, and a small lithium battery for wireless power—the researchers developed a microrobot only nine centimetres long and weighing 25 grams. It can move consecutively between ground and air travel, reaching ground speeds of up to 1.6 meters per second. The researchers say this is the lightest and smallest untethered robot that can move on both land and in the air.

Diverse Applications

This microrobot’s capability of morphing into rolling and flying shapes opens different applications. Its application in fault diagnosis and repair in narrow or hazardous environments, archaeological excavation, and search missions is proposed by Zhang. Its actuator technology also has great potential for applications in bioelectronic devices like shape-adaptive vascular stents and improved virtual and augmented reality haptic feedback systems. The innovations of the team provide new paths for next-generation mini-robots, combining strength, flexibility, and innovative design in a groundbreaking fashion.

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New Study Reveals How Jupiter’s Storms Hide Ammonia

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May 1, 2025

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New Study Reveals How Jupiter’s Storms Hide Ammonia

Jupiter’s weather just got even stranger. A new study published in the Journal Science Advances revealed that the gas giant’s turbulent thunderstorms create massive, softball-sized hailstones called “mushballs,” made of ammonia and water ice. These violent storms churn Jupiter’s atmosphere so deeply that they may explain a long-standing mystery among the scientists: the missing ammonia in the planet’s upper layers. For years, scientists were puzzled over why deep pockets of ammonia seemed absent across Jupiter’s atmosphere.

Mushballs Shake Up Old Assumptions

As per a report by LiveScience, Scientists believed Jupiter’s atmosphere was well mixed, much like a pot of boiling water. However, after analysing a massive 2017 storm captured by Juno, researchers found that even local storms can punch ammonia deep into the planet, shattering the old assumption. “The top of the atmosphere is actually a pretty poor representation of what the whole planet looks like,” explained study lead author Chris Moeckel from the University of California, Berkeley, told the publication. On April 15, 2025, as per EarthSky, his team’s findings suggest that the atmosphere becomes well-mixed only much deeper down than previously thought.

Ammonia as a Tracer Beneath the Clouds

Jupiter’s thick cloud cover blocks direct observation, and ammonia acts as a critical tracer to understand the hidden activity beneath the clouds. Scientists theorised in 2020 that Jupiter’s powerful storms lift ammonia-rich ice particles to high altitudes, where they combine with water ice to create a mushy, slushy hailstone. These mushballs then grow larger and heavier, cycling up and down in the atmosphere before plunging deep, carrying ammonia and water with them. This process leaves the upper atmosphere depleted, matching observations from Juno.

Confirmation came during Juno’s February 2017 flyby. While passing over a storm zone, the spacecraft detected an unexpected deep signal rich in ammonia and water beneath the storm clouds. Moeckel recalled spotting the discovery while casually running data on his laptop at a dentist’s office, describing the moment he realised the mushball theory must be true.

A Universal Phenomenon Beyond Jupiter

Researchers now believe that Jupiter might not be unique. Gas giants across the universe and even newly forming planets could experience similar mushball processes. “I won’t be surprised if this is happening throughout the universe,” Moeckel told to LiveScience, suggesting that Jupiter’s stormy secrets may echo far beyond our solar system.

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Archaeologists Discover 4,400-Year-Old Tomb of Egyptian Prince in Saqqara

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May 1, 2025

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Archaeologists Discover 4,400-Year-Old Tomb of Egyptian Prince in Saqqara

Archaeologists have unearthed a stunning 4,400-year-old tomb of an unknown Egyptian prince while digging at the old cemetery of Saqqara (roughly 30 km south of Cairo). The tomb is said to belong to Userefre (or Waser-If-Re) and is now recognised as a son of King Userkaf, Egypt’s Fifth Dynasty founder (c. 2465–2458 B.C.). The tomb’s most impressive element is its colossal pink granite false door—some 4.5 meters (14.8 feet) high and 1.2 meters (3.8 feet) wide—representing a gateway for the soul during and after death. The first of its kind to be discovered at Saqqara, this monumental pink granite false door indicates the prince’s elevated rank, excavation director Zahi Hawass told Live Science in an email. The expensive Aswan granite, generally reserved for the elite class, emphasises the prince’s exalted rank.

Tomb Architecture and Inscriptions

As per a report by LiveScience, Userefre’s tomb entrance was lavishly decorated in pink granite, and hieroglyphs on the false door enumerate his high-ranking titles, such as “Hereditary Prince,” “Governor of Buto and Nekheb,” “Vizier,” and “Royal Scribe.” The report further highlighted that there was no prior historical trace of Prince Userefre before this discovery. His name probably signifies “Re is powerful,” calling on the sun god. A red granite offering table was also found close to the door, evidencing ancient Egyptian mortuary practices of magically accepting food offerings, the report further added.

Within the tomb, scholars discovered artifacts dating to the early Fifth Dynasty. Thirteen stone stools were found, each of which once held a pink granite statue thought to represent Userefre’s wives, though two of the statues lacked heads. A secondary pink granite doorway featuring the cartouche of King Neferirkare, Userkaf’s successor, and a black granite statue, which had been knocked over among the ruins, were discovered.

Later Reuse and Historical Significance

Evidence shows the tomb was later reused during the 26th Dynasty (c. 688–525 B.C.). Archaeologists also uncovered sculptures from King Djoser’s Third Dynasty (c. 2630–2611 B.C.), including a sandstone statue showing Djoser seated with his wife and ten daughters—a rare depiction of royal women. A standing black granite figure from the 26th Dynasty was also discovered, verifying the tomb’s extended reuse.

Work continues on the site, and the prince’s real burial chamber remains to be discovered. Egyptologist Lara Weiss told LiveScience in a statement the discovery’s significance, saying it “adds to the growing evidence that Saqqara remained a prestigious burial site during the Fifth Dynasty” and sheds light on Egypt’s evolution from a centralised monarchy to a more dispersed elite system.

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NASA’s Lunar Space Station Module Enters Final Phase Before Artemis Gateway Launch

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NASA’s Lunar Space Station Module Enters Final Phase Before Artemis Gateway Launch

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May 1, 2025

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NASA’s Lunar Space Station Module Enters Final Phase Before Artemis Gateway Launch

NASA’s Artemis program has passed a significant milestone in the development of the agency’s “Gateway” in the orbit of the Moon with the delivery of the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) module to Northrop Grumman’s facility in Gilbert, Arizona. Part of the moon-orbiting Gateway facility, HALO will serve as a habitat and office to astronauts and researchers travelling to and from the lunar surface under NASA’s Artemis moon program. Critical systems for power, data, life support, and temperature control are being attached to the module. Once finished, HALO will permit NASA and associates to conduct long-term missions and experiments in deep space as part of humanity’s lunar return.

NASA’s HALO Module Begins Final Outfitting for Artemis Lunar Gateway

As per the NASA report, the HALO module was shipped from Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy, on April 1, and the spacecraft was greeted during an April 24 viewing milestone. The gathering included remarks from NASA’s Lori Glaze, Gateway Program Manager Jon Olansen, and astronaut Randy Bresnik. Attendees such as NASA Administrator Senior Advisor Todd Ericson and local officials viewed the module and engaged in virtual reality tours showcasing its future role in lunar exploration. The event underscored HALO’s strategic importance to NASA’s lunar infrastructure.

At Northrop Grumman, engineers will install the core systems hardware into HALO, including propellant lines, thermal-control radiators, electric wiring, racks for avionics and other electronics, as well as the hardware to support the spacecraft’s life-support systems. Integration would also be designed for docking with Orion spacecraft, lunar landings and other visiting vehicles. This phase marks HALO’s transition from a basic structure to an operational habitat ready for rigorous space conditions.

ESA’s Lunar Link system will be installed on HALO for communication between lunar missions and Earth and will undergo rigorous environmental testing before launch. NASA is assembling the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE), a solar electric propulsion system, to support the Gateway station in lunar orbit. The 12-kilowatt thruster is currently being tested at Glenn Research Centre.

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