Robotics news
Robotics
AI agents create virtual playgrounds to help robots get crucial training data
Robots walking down the street, surrounded by astounded onlookers, are an increasingly common sight. But these machines aren't yet the do-it-all assistants you'd want working in a kitchen or factory, and a major bottleneck ...
Jul 14, 2026
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New soft sensor can turn touch into robotic action without electronics
Built from flexible, compliant materials, soft robots are gaining relevance for tasks ranging from minimally invasive surgery to deep-sea exploration but remain held back by a fundamental constraint. To sense their surroundings ...
Jul 12, 2026
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New test measures how well humanoid robots handle real-world forces
As technology advances, more is expected from humanoid robots. What were once seen as gimmicks that could walk, if not like us, then close to it, are now pulling their weight and doing more work in places like factories. ...
Researchers build missing infrastructure to move AI between robots
Robotics researchers often spend weeks, or even months, simply getting a new robot up and running before they can begin testing new behaviors. Researchers in the Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science have ...
Jul 10, 2026
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Robotics
Birdlike robot swims underwater, then flaps into flight without paddling
Loons, gulls, puffins and petrels are some of the 100 species of birds that can both fly and swim. These diving birds can plunge into water to swim after prey, and leap back into the air to fly away.
Jul 9, 2026
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Robotics
Small aquatic robots that assemble into reconfigurable structures on the water
Most people think of the waterfront as the edge of the city. A team of MIT researchers sees it as a dynamic, Lego-like construction site. Their new system, called "FloatForm," is a swarm of small square robotic boats that ...
Jul 9, 2026
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Robotics
A soft exoskeleton could restore hand function in people with motor impairments
Recent technological advances have opened valuable possibilities for supporting people with motor impairments or who are recovering from injuries to the brain, spinal cord or nerves. Millions of people worldwide currently ...
Robotics
EleTac: An elephant-inspired soft robotic gripper with a sophisticated sense of touch
Soft grippers, which are built from flexible materials that can bend and deform, are attracting a lot of attention from robotics researchers worldwide. Unlike conventional robots made from rigid metal or plastic, soft grippers ...
Jul 7, 2026
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Robotics
An AI-powered control system for robots with legs
Walking robots, such as quadruped robotic dogs, must be able to move safely through rough, often changing environments. Today, there are two main ways to program these walking, or legged, robots. The first is called model ...
Jul 7, 2026
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Robotics
Robots can now 'see' touch thanks to a new color-changing tactile sensor
Engineers at Queen Mary University of London have built a new color-changing tactile sensor, which allows robots to "see" and touch in real-time. The novel idea was invented by Giacomo Sasso, a postdoctoral researcher at ...
Jul 3, 2026
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Robotics
Giving drones a sense of 'pain' could help them predict instability before it happens
Imagine you're running and you sprain your ankle. The pain makes you gingerly limp the rest of the way home. This is a great example of how nature adapts to failures in a system. The pain tells you: "If you continue running ...
Jul 2, 2026
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Robotics
Dutch launch humanoid robot center to 'kickstart' race with China
In a squat building on a drab business park just outside Rotterdam, sleek white humanoid robots scuttle around, accompanied by a gray robotic dog performing various canine tricks.
Jul 2, 2026
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Robotics
Horror-movie cue inspires wearable that turns robot movements into warning music
In horror movies, music is a dead giveaway. Tension builds with each note, and you brace for the inevitable jump scare. The same sense of anticipation has taken a leading role in an unlikely venue: a Georgia Tech robotics ...
Jul 1, 2026
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Robotics
Chinese firm sells hyper-real, 'always loyal' humanoid robots
Their metallic frames covered in supple, lifelike skin, a posse of new Chinese robots meant for companionship can offer users AI-generated conversation or a hand to hold, complete with manicured nails.
Jul 1, 2026
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Robotics
A diving suit for cyborg cockroaches could enhance search-and-rescue operations
Scientists from NTU Singapore and Waseda University have developed a flexible "diving suit" for cyborg cockroaches, enabling the insects to survive and move underwater and in low-oxygen environments for up to three hours. ...
Jun 29, 2026
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Robotics
Designed to tempt: How mini AI lines up carrots to look their best
The researchers teach the packaging machine what is up and down on a snack carrot. The program runs on a small, local PC—not on huge servers in some faraway cloud. The goal: to pack quickly, cheaply and attractively—so that ...
Jun 29, 2026
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Robotics
Artificial skin enables robots to simultaneously sense temperature and pressure like humans
A research team led by Prof. Seung Hwan Ko of Seoul National University College of Engineering's Department of Mechanical Engineering has developed an artificial skin technology that enables robots to sense temperature and ...
Jun 26, 2026
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Consumer & Gadgets
Sony discontinues Japan sales of robot puppy 'aibo'
Sony is halting sales of its robotic puppy "aibo" in Japan, the company said, eight years after the latest model of its interactive android pet became an instant hit.
Jun 26, 2026
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Robotics
Underwater robots that are always on call pave the way for pipeline and cable security
Growing economic activity in the ocean space is increasing the need for more regular monitoring and inspection of underwater infrastructure and its surroundings. Autonomous underwater vehicles capable of monitoring and inspecting ...
Jun 25, 2026
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Robotics
Swarm robots inspired by bees and ants could transform the future of mining
Researchers at Adelaide University have developed a new type of robotic system inspired by bees and ants that could make mining safer, more efficient and more sustainable.
Jun 25, 2026
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Robotics
Robots that can identify materials and map unknown environments could aid nuclear and defense sectors
Robots that can see beyond human vision, build live 3D maps of unknown environments and identify what objects are made of are being developed by researchers at the University of Surrey, opening new possibilities for applications ...
Jun 25, 2026
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Business
Exoskeleton and robotic arm reduce factory lifting strain by up to 65%
More and more robots are assisting workers in factories. However, human-robot collaboration is still far from seamless. Researchers from Prof. Lorenzo Masia's team at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have now developed ...
Jun 24, 2026
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Robotics
Friendly social robots may help ease a child's anxiety at the doctor's office
When 3-year-old Cameron arrived at the UC Davis MIND Institute for a recent medical appointment, she was in for a surprise: cuddly, social AI robots visiting from Japan were in the waiting room. "We both melted when we saw ...
Jun 24, 2026
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Robotics
Inchworm-inspired robot that crawls without rigid parts could enable remote exploration
An inchworm has provided the inspiration for a robot that can move without any rigid parts. The robot mimics a flexing muscle and can be used to inspect sewer pipes or as an explorer on the planet Mars, according to a thesis ...
Jun 24, 2026
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