🦾 Robotic arm lifts 6,460 lbs weight, air-powered method recycles 94% plastic, titanium heart patient walks free

Rise Robotics, a Massachusetts-based firm, is gearing up to challenge a decade-old record and make history in the Guinness Book of World Records.

The company is developing the world’s strongest non-hydraulic robotic arm to challenge a record set by the Fanuc M-2000iA/2300, which broke new ground in the bar by lifting an incredible 5,070 lbs (2,300 kg).

But instead of relying on traditional hydraulics, Rise Robotics is taking a different approach by using belts and pulleys. “We are thrilled to showcase how RISE Robotics is transforming industrial automation,” said Hiten Sonpal, CEO at RISE Robotics. Let's take a closer look at this Must-Read

Reading Time: 4 mins

Did a friend forward this e-mail to you? Subscribe here.

MUST-READ

🦾 World's strongest non-hydraulic robotic arm lifts 6,460 lbs weight

In the video posted by Rise on Tuesday, the Superjammer robotic arm showed off its immense strength, lifting a claimed 6,460 lbs (2,930 kg) about 15 ft (4.6 m) of weight in the air before effortlessly articulating the load forward and backward.

This remarkable feat surpasses record-holding Fanuc by approximately 1,400 lb (635 kg), positioning the Superjammer as a formidable challenger ahead of its official world record attempt.

Operating entirely on electricity, Beltdraulics is both emission-free and environmentally friendly.

🥤 Air-powered method recycles 94% of plastic in 4 hours using moisture

In what could be a fix to the world’s plastic problem, researchers have developed a simple new method of harnessing air moisture to break down waste.

The process begins with an inexpensive catalyst that breaks down the bonds in polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the most widely used plastic in the polyester family.

Once broken, the material is simply exposed to ambient air to transfer PET into monomers—the essential building blocks of plastics. Researchers believe these monomers could be recycled or upcycled into more valuable materials.

🫀Australian patient with artificial heart discharged after 100+ days

Australia has marked a historic moment in medical innovation with the successful implantation of the BiVACOR Total Artificial Heart.

A man who received the device in a six-hour surgery last November has become the first patient in the world to be discharged from the hospital with it. He lived with the high-tech heart for over 100 days before receiving a donor transplant.

The procedure was performed at St Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, where cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Paul Jansz led the surgery. The BiVACOR heart, made from titanium, was implanted as a temporary solution until a donor heart became available.

Love what you're reading, but too many emails? Sign up to IE+ to get Blueprint Weekly, our exclusive weekly premium newsletter that gives all the insights you love in a more digestible weekly format– plus, enjoy an Ad-Free experience on our website. Try IE+ today for just $1 in the first month. Subscribe here

HOT TOPICS OF THE DAY

SCIENCE

> Some of the compounds responsible for weed’s signature scent might actually offer some serious pain relief. (More)

> A recently uncovered fossil location in China’s Turpan-Hami Basin suggests that some terrestrial ecosystems were only marginally affected by the most cataclysmic extinction event in Earth’s history, the end-Permian mass extinction. (More)

> Researchers have discovered that some animals, like the fat-tailed dwarf lemur of Madagascar, have a remarkable ability to temporarily reverse aspects of cellular aging. (More)

ENERGY

> In a bid to address rising energy demand, researchers have come up with an unconventional way to produce electricity by using tiny plastic beads. (More)

> In a global first, Richmond, Canada-headquartered fusion energy company General Fusion achieved the first-ever plasma in a reactor driven by steam. (More)

> China’s Farasis Energy has developed a new ultra-fast-charging technology that can charge an EV battery from 10% to 80% in under 10 minutes. (More)

INNOVATION

> Researchers from the Institute of Physics (IOP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a new manufacturing technique for developing 2D metals. (More)

> Green14, a Swedish startup, has announced it is on track to achieve stable production of 5 kg/h of high-purity silicon and silane by the end of this year, matching its pilot reactor’s 100 kW plasma capacity. (More)

> US electric aviation company magniX has revealed its new line of HeliStorm electric engines designed for helicopters. (More)

VIDEO

> The EA-18G Growler jams radar, disrupts communications, and protects forces without firing a missile. (More)

> Harley-Davidson unveils the CVO Road Glide RR, its priciest bike yet, honoring bagger racing. (More)

FROM THE WEB

> 'Odd' objects excel at navigating challenging terrains without central control

> Eight miles of Amazon rainforest cut down to build four-lane highway for COP 30 climate summit

> Quantum-inspired cameras capture the start of life

> New computer code could lead to simpler, less costly stellarators for fusion power

> Swirling sound waves used to rip apart kidney stones

> Google’s new robot AI can fold delicate origami, close zipper bags without damage