Engineers develop hybrid robot that balances strength and flexibility—and can screw in a lightbulb
How many robots does it take to screw in a lightbulb? The answer is more complicated than you might think. New research from Northeastern University upends the riddle by making a robot that is both flexible and sensitive ...
Mar 24, 2025
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The search for missing plane MH370 is back on: An underwater robotics expert explains what's involved
More than 11 years after the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, the Malaysian government has approved a new search for the missing debris of the aircraft.
Mar 22, 2025
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Legged robots skateboard successfully with reinforcement learning framework
Legged robots, which are often inspired by animals and insects, could help humans to complete various real-world tasks, for instance delivering parcels or monitoring specific environments. In recent years, computer scientists ...
Robotics
A marine robot that can swim, crawl and glide untethered in the deepest parts of the ocean
A team of mechanical engineers at Beihang University, working with a deep-sea diving specialist from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a mechanic from Zhejiang University, all in China, have designed, built, and tested ...
Mar 20, 2025
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Robotics
A squirrel-inspired robot that can leap from limb to limb
Engineers have designed robots that crawl, swim, fly and even slither like a snake, but no robot can hold a candle to a squirrel, which can parkour through a thicket of branches, leap across perilous gaps and execute pinpoint ...
Mar 19, 2025
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Robotics
From robot swarms to human societies, good decisions rely on the right mix of perspectives
When groups make decisions—whether it's humans aligning on a shared idea, robots coordinating tasks, or fish deciding where to swim—not everyone contributes equally. Some individuals have more reliable information, whereas ...
Mar 19, 2025
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Robotics
Coffee-making robot breaks new ground for AI machines
An AI-powered robot that can prepare cups of coffee in a busy kitchen could usher in the next generation of intelligent machines, a study suggests.
Mar 18, 2025
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Robotics
Artificial muscle flexes in multiple directions, offering a path to soft, wiggly robots
We move thanks to coordination among many skeletal muscle fibers, all twitching and pulling in sync. While some muscles align in one direction, others form intricate patterns, helping parts of the body move in multiple ways.
Mar 17, 2025
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Robotics
An evolving robotics encyclopedia characterizes robots based on their performance
Over the past decades, roboticists have introduced a wide range of systems with distinct body structures and varying capabilities. As the number of developed robots continuously grows, being able to easily learn about these ...
Business
When a robot becomes the boss: Exploring authority, obedience and relationships with machines
How does a robot perform as a boss at work? The results of research by Polish scientists published in Cognition, Technology & Work suggest that while robots can command obedience, they are not as proficient at it as humans. ...
Mar 14, 2025
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Consumer & Gadgets
Co-design empowers inclusive tech for individuals with intellectual disabilities
A series of QUT research studies have shed light on the importance of involving individuals with intellectual disabilities in the development of assistive technologies.
Mar 13, 2025
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Robotics
'Odd' objects excel at navigating challenging terrains without central control
Locomotion, the ability to move from one place to another, is an essential survival strategy for virtually every organism. Adapting to the unpredictable terrain they run into, cells, fungi and microorganisms autonomously ...
Mar 12, 2025
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25
Robotics
Developing 3D-printed soft material actuators that can mimic real muscles
Empa researchers are working on producing artificial muscles that can keep up with the real thing. They have now developed a method of producing the soft and elastic yet powerful structures using 3D printing.
Mar 11, 2025
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Robotics
Framework allows a person to correct a robot's actions using the kind of feedback they'd give another human
Imagine that a robot is helping you clean the dishes. You ask it to grab a soapy bowl out of the sink, but its gripper slightly misses the mark.
Mar 7, 2025
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Robotics
Silk-inspired in situ web spinning for situated robots
Researchers at the Institute of Technology, University of Tartu, present a robotics concept in which temporary robot embodiments and movement pathways are spun in situ from a polymer solution. They demonstrate an ad hoc gripper ...
Mar 7, 2025
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Robotics
Tiny 'rhinoceros beetle' robot does micro-scale manipulation in extreme conditions
Engineers have designed a tiny, low-weight and cordless robot that can act independently and with ultra-high precision in all directions in some of the most extreme conditions. The robot, which the designers call "Holonomic ...
Mar 6, 2025
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Robotics
Innovative biorobotic arm uses artificial muscles to combat tremors, paving way for wearable solutions
It is estimated that about 80 million people worldwide live with a tremor. For example, those who live with Parkinson's disease. The involuntary periodic movements sometimes strongly affect how patients are able to perform ...
Mar 6, 2025
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Robotics
Engineers develop smart, energy-efficient robot grippers that cut production costs
Energy remains a significant factor in industrial production processes. High levels of energy consumption make production more expensive and exacerbate the climate crisis.
Mar 6, 2025
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Robotics
Feeling is believing: Bionic hand 'knows' what it's touching, grasps like a human
Johns Hopkins University engineers have developed a pioneering prosthetic hand that can grip plush toys, water bottles, and other everyday objects like a human, carefully conforming and adjusting its grasp to avoid damaging ...
Mar 5, 2025
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Robotics
Sony's aibo dog could soon walk quietly and perform elaborate dance routines
Aibo, the cute-looking robot puppy developed by Sony, was designed to be a household companion. The robot can already emulate many of the movements and behaviors of real dogs, such as walking on four legs, responding when ...
Consumer & Gadgets
Robots with eyes more likely to be perceived as having a 'mind'
Over the past few years, engineers have developed increasingly advanced robotic systems already introduced in some public spaces and could soon be deployed in home environments. Many of these robots are humanoids, meaning ...
Robotics
A robot nearly headbutted a festival spectator in China. Here are four urgent steps to make the tech safer
Humanoid robots are supposed to be our loyal assistants, but we saw another side to them the other day. Chinese robot manufacturer Unitree was demonstrating its latest H1 robots at a lantern festival in the city of Taishan, ...
Feb 27, 2025
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Robotics
Soft actuators, smart sensors: Innovative sensor allows real-time monitoring of complex systems
Fluidic elastomer actuators (FEAs) are pressurized tubes or membranes that can be easily rearranged into complex mechanical devices. They have gained significant attention for their lightweight, flexible nature, making them ...
Feb 27, 2025
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