Researchers using 3D modeling, printing to test dinosaur hypothesesFebruary 21, 2012 - 14:35 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Researchers at Drexel University are using 3D modeling and 3D printing to test hypotheses about how dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals moved and lived in their environments, TG Daily reported. "Technology in paleontology hasn't changed in about 150 years," says paleontologist Dr Kenneth Lacovara. "We use shovels and pickaxes and burlap and plaster. It hasn't changed - until right now." Using 3-D printing can not only create exact-size replicas for museum display, but also test possible movements of extinct species. "We don’t know a lot about the way dinosaurs move," says Lacovara. "How did they stand? How did they ambulate? Did they run or trot? How did they reproduce? It’s all a bit mysterious." When working with enormous dinosaur fossils, Lacovara said, it’s simply physically impossible to manipulate the bones to test theories about mechanics and movement - which is why scaled-down replicas that preserve the exact shape and proportion of the bones can help. Researchers can also digitally reshape the models to correct for changes that may have occurred over millions of years of fossilization and compression. Lacovara's team is now working on robotic models of giant sauropod dinosaurs, attaching artificial muscles and tendons to perform comprehensive tests of how the animal’s body could have handled physical stresses of the environment. Lacovara predicts that they'll have a working robotic dinosaur limb constructed by the end of this year, with a complete robotic dinosaur replica in a year or two. Top stories Yerevan will host the 2024 edition of the World Congress On Information Technology (WCIT). Rustam Badasyan said due to the lack of such regulation, the state budget is deprived of VAT revenues. Krisp’s smart noise suppression tech silences ambient sounds and isolates your voice for calls. Gurgen Khachatryan claimed that the "illegalities have been taking place in 2020." Partner news Most popular in the section | Armenia, Russia discuss life extension of Metsamor nuclear plant Issues regarding the extension of life of the 2nd power unit of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant were discussed in Yerevan. Armenians stage more campaigns against territorial concessions to Azerbaijan Protesters blocked more roads across Armenia on Friday, April 26 in continuing attempts to scuttle territorial concessions to Azerbaijan. Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. |