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Cornell and Max Planck Create Swarming Microrobots That Manipulate Their Surroundings

Modern Mechanics 24 News Desk March 1, 2026

Cornell University and Max Planck Institute researchers have developed swarming microrobots that manipulate objects using only fluid forces. The tiny spinning discs, controlled by magnetic fields, work together to turn gears and move items without touching them. The collective behavior opens possibilities for gentle microscale tasks and future biomedical procedures requiring contactless handling.

Geely-backed Horse Powertrain unveils hybrid engine with 40% fuel cut

Modern Mechanics 24 News Desk February 24, 2026

Geely-backed Horse Powertrain, owned jointly with Renault Group and Aramco, has unveiled a new hybrid engine concept developed with Repsol that runs on 100% renewable gasoline. The H12 system achieves 44.2% thermal efficiency and cuts fuel consumption by 40% to below 3.3 L/100km. Two prototypes are已完成, with a demonstrator vehicle due in early 2026, offering a near-term solution for reducing transport emissions alongside electrification.

MIT Engineers Create Stretchable Polymer That Switches Heat Flow in 0.22 Seconds

Modern Mechanics 24 News Desk February 18, 2026

MIT engineers have created a stretchable polymer that switches heat flow in 0.22 seconds—the fastest thermal switching ever observed. The material more than doubles its heat conduction when stretched, then returns to insulating when relaxed. Smart fabrics, self-cooling electronics, and adaptive building materials could soon follow.

How NYC Merchant House Hid 200-Year-Old Secret Railroad Stop

MM 24 Newsroom February 18, 2026

For the first time in more than 100 years, historians have identified a newly confirmed Underground Railroad site in New

Wide shot of a large tournament arena with multiple drone soccer cages

Ablefly Drone Soccer Finals in Chengdu Draw 10,000+ Participants in World’s Largest Aerial Sport Event

Modern Mechanics 24 News Desk February 12, 2026

Chengdu just hosted the world’s largest drone soccer event, the Ablefly National Drone Soccer Championship Finals, with over 10,000 participants from 1,116 teams. Dubbed real-life “quidditch,” the sport features pilots maneuvering caged drones through aerial goals, highlighting China’s push to merge the low-altitude economy with mass-participation competitive tech.

University of Illinois Team Engineers E. coli to Manufacture Molecules Using Light-Activated Enzymes

Ritambhara K February 2, 2026

University of Illinois scientists, led by Professor Huimin Zhao, have successfully engineered E. coli bacteria to produce molecules using light-driven enzymatic reactions. This first-of-its-kind photobiocatalysis platform inside living cells enables six new-to-nature chemical transformations, expanding the future of sustainable biomanufacturing.

US Firm Successfully Demonstrates Ship-Based Sea Launcher for Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Operations

Modern Mechanics 24 Multimedia Desk February 1, 2026

HII successfully demonstrated a ship-based Sea Launcher system for autonomous underwater vehicle operations. The system automatically launched and recovered a

Skid AI Raises $1.4B to Advance Robotics Platform

Modern Mechanics 24 Multimedia Desk February 1, 2026

Skild AI has raised a massive 1.4 billion dollars to accelerate development of its robotics intelligence platform. The company is

Chinese Academy of Sciences Team Achieves 10-Fold Boost in CO2-to-Starch Conversion

Ritambhara K January 28, 2026

Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have boosted the yield of their CO2-to-starch conversion by over 10 times, moving closer to industrial production. Led by Professor Cai Tao, the method promises starch without the environmental cost of corn agriculture.

The Humanoid HMND 01 Alpha robot, a humanoid research platform, stands in a development lab.

London Startup Humanoid Builds Functional Alpha Robot in Just Seven Months Using NVIDIA Tech

Ritambhara K January 15, 2026

London startup Humanoid has built a functional alpha robot in just seven months, shattering the typical 18-24 month development cycle. Leveraging NVIDIA’s full-stack platform for simulation and AI, the HMND 01 Alpha is in field testing with 20,500 pre-orders, aiming to set a new standard for rapid robotics innovation.

Modern Mechanics 24

Modern Mechanics 24

Modern Mechanics 24

Modern Mechanics 24

Cornell and Max Planck Create Swarming Microrobots That Manipulate Their Surroundings

Geely-backed Horse Powertrain unveils hybrid engine with 40% fuel cut

MIT Engineers Create Stretchable Polymer That Switches Heat Flow in 0.22 Seconds

How NYC Merchant House Hid 200-Year-Old Secret Railroad Stop

Ablefly Drone Soccer Finals in Chengdu Draw 10,000+ Participants in World’s Largest Aerial Sport Event

University of Illinois Team Engineers E. coli to Manufacture Molecules Using Light-Activated Enzymes

US Firm Successfully Demonstrates Ship-Based Sea Launcher for Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Operations

Skid AI Raises $1.4B to Advance Robotics Platform

Chinese Academy of Sciences Team Achieves 10-Fold Boost in CO2-to-Starch Conversion

London Startup Humanoid Builds Functional Alpha Robot in Just Seven Months Using NVIDIA Tech

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