Now, robot moves things without touch

Geneva: Scientists have designed a robotic gripper that uses sound waves to move small and fragile objects, without touching them. The prototype robot developed by researchers from ETH Zurich in Switzerland comprises two semi-spheres, and resembles a pair of headphones. “This phenomenon is known as acoustic levitation,” said Marcel Schuck, a fellow at ETH Zurich. PTI

Medical hero of B’desh liberation war dead

Agartala: Famous surgeon and Padma Shri awardee Rathin Datta, 89, who played a pivotal role in the 1971 Bangladesh liberation war, died in Kolkata after a prolonged illness on Monday. Born in Assam’s Mangaldoi in 1931, he tirelessly took care of ‘Mukti Yoddhas’ (freedom fighters) of Bangladesh as well as Indian soldiers during the nine-month war for Bangladesh’s independence in 1971 and saved countless lives. IANS