Tiny hybrid robots made using stem cells from frog embryos could one day be used to swim around human bodies to specific areas requiring medicine, or to gather microplastic in the oceans.“These are novel living machines,” said Joshua Bongard, a computer scientist and robotics expert at the University of Vermont, who co-developed the millimetre-wide bots, known as xenobots.“They’re neither a traditional robot nor a known species of animal. It’s a new class of artefact: a living, programmable organism

Scientists of University of Colorado Boulder have developed what they call living concrete by using sand, gel and bacteria.Researchers said this building material has structural load-bearing function, is capable of self-healing and is more environmentally friendly than concrete – which is the second most-consumed material on Earth after water.The team from the University of Colorado Boulder believe their work paves the way for future building structures that could “heal their own cracks, suck up dangerous toxins from the air or even glow on command”.

Invented by doctor Donglei Fan, from the University of Texas it is a 3D-printed polyurethane By making use of the sunlight, it can achieve high-rate steaming with an 88% energy efficiency. 

Otherlab, a San Francisco-based engineering research and development lab, developed what it calls the world's most advanced industrial paper airplane. The cardboard gliders are made with a biodegradable material and equipped with GPS and other electronics, allowing them to be dropped by a plane and deliver two pounds of life-saving materials without needing to be retrieved.