"In the field of robotics or mechanical engineering, the ability to create a moving part without any welding removes a lot of the barriers to prototyping, " Martins said.

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Morgan are mechanical failures that can be quickly fixed or avoided with engineering and tinkering.

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"Based on our analysis, the performance of A123's new Nanophosphate EXT at high temperatures is unlike anything we've ever seen from lead acid, lithium ion or any other battery technology, " said Dr. Yann Guezennec, senior fellow at CAR and professor of mechanical engineering at the Ohio State University.

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