Japanese scientists from Ritsumeikan University in Kusatsu, Japan, have built wheel-shaped robots that propel themselves along by continuously altering their shape.

The rim of the wheel is made of an elastic polymer, while the spokes are made of a smart material known as a shape memory alloy, which becomes shorter when heated.

Shortening the spokes towards the front of the wheel changes its shape, causing the rim’s point of contact with the ground to move backwards, behind the centre of gravity. As the wheel then tips forwards, other spokes are heated to deform the rim again and keep the robot rolling along.

Shape memory alloys store energy in the form of stresses in their crystalline structure. Passing an electric current through the spokes heats them up, releasing this energy and making them shorter. Allowing them to cool then returns the spokes to their original state.

Fascinating!!

These robots demonstrate that deformability can be a method of locomotion.

“I threw the kitchen sink at him but he went to the bathroom and got his tub.”

That was Andy Roddick describing his match with Roger Federer at the Wimbledon men’s singles finals.

It surely should go down as a memorable sports quote! And if you saw the match, you’ll realize how true it was!!

Authorities in China have begun to monitor and censor SMS messages. The move is allegedly to check the spread of pornographic messages and illicit news in addition to preventing deceptive advertising. But the real reason behind this blatant attack on personal freedom is to prevent the cell phone from being a tool for voicing dissent against the government’s one-party rule.

This move comes after last year’s exposure of the Chinese government’s cover-up of the true extent of the SARS epidemic in China. It was partly due to the text messages exchanged by China’s cell phone users that the cover-up by the government was exposed to the world.

With text messages coming under the microscope, will voice communication stay unmonitored for long?