Horse-like machines make lab product news

The latest lab product news from the University of California's Riverside (UCR) campus focuses on horse-like molecular machines.

Bipedal molecular machines have already been created by scientists at the educational institution.

These are capable of carrying molecules of carbon dioxide in a straight line, literally by taking one step at a time.

In order to increase the maximum load that can be carried, the researchers are now looking at quadrupedal alternatives.

Drawing on human-scale nature, they are looking into synthesising horse-like machines at the nanometre scale.

These equine molecular machines could ultimately carry substances by gliding, pacing or trotting.

"If a species has more than two legs, how will it organise their motion?" asks team leader and professor of chemistry Ludwig Bartels.

Ultimately the scientists found a bipedal style of walking, with the legs on each side of the machine moving in unison, creates the least distortion and maintains a straight route.

The UCR campus is one of ten in the University of California and is the only one to be found in inland southern California.