One thousand newly-minted microrobots created in EPFL labs will soon be deployed at two large-scale telescopes in Chile and the United States. These high-precision instruments, capable of positioning optical fibers to within a micron, will vastly increase the quantity of astrophysics data that can be gathered – and expand our understanding of the Universe.

Technology used by Nasa for studying faint stars and galaxies could be used to trap poachers in a rare collaboration between astronomers and ecologists. The system combines flying drones, infra-red thermal imaging, and artificial intelligence to monitor animals at night when most poaching occurs. In an early field trial in South Africa, it was used to detect elusive riverine rabbits, one of the most endangered mammals in the world. Researchers hope in future the heat-sensitive drones will make it easier to track animals such as rhinos and spot poachers hunting them under cover of darkness. Technology for studying faint stars and galaxies could be used to trap poachers in a rare collaboration between astronomers and ecologists.