Robotics news
Robotics
Chinese humanoid robots smash human records in 100m sprint and high jump at Beijing robot games
Chinese humanoid robots broke records set by humans, including beating Usain Bolt's 100-meter sprint world record, on the opening day of the Olympics-like World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on Saturday.
Aug 23, 2026
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Robotics
AI-powered terrain recognition helps cyborg cockroaches navigate faster
Cyborg insects combine the mobility of living organisms with miniature electronic devices, offering potential applications in search-and-rescue operations, infrastructure inspection and exploration of environments that are ...
Aug 21, 2026
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Robots learn new skills from a single video—in just 29 seconds
To operate reliably in dynamic real-world settings, robots should be able to acquire new skills quickly without undergoing extensive additional training. Most existing robotic systems, however, primarily perform well on the ...
Robots sort packages and serve fast food at Beijing showcase
Robots sorting parcels and serving fried chicken enthralled visitors at a robotics expo in Beijing on Wednesday, where hundreds of companies set out their pitches for a future labor market transformed by artificial intelligence.
Aug 19, 2026
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Humanoid resources: China's robots search for workforce breakthrough
A horde of schoolchildren watched excitedly as a diminutive humanoid tour guide named Wuji welcomed them to a robot school in eastern China, gesticulating theatrically as it described the institute's aspiration to train the ...
Aug 19, 2026
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Robotics
Shares in Chinese humanoid robot maker Unitree soar in its Shanghai trading debut
Shares of Unitree, one of China's largest humanoid robot makers, initially soared as much as 629% in its public stock trading debut Wednesday in Shanghai, in the latest highlight of investor optimism over China's technological ...
Aug 19, 2026
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Robotics
Virtual rewards train evading drones to outmaneuver pursuers and reach base in high-speed game of tag
The rules of tag are simple enough for a playground: catch or be caught. But when the players are autonomous drones, the game becomes a test of machine learning, split-second decision-making and cooperative strategy.
Aug 18, 2026
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Robotics
Bee-inspired algorithm helps robot swarms reach consensus
From searching disaster zones and responding to chemical spills to monitoring fragile ecosystems, future robot swarms may have to act in places where direct human control is difficult or dangerous. To operate autonomously, ...
Aug 18, 2026
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Robotics
Better communication could improve human-robot teamwork across real-world tasks
A new paper from Monash University and Australia's national science agency, CSIRO, argues that effective human–robot teams depend on alignment: a shared and up-to-date understanding of each teammate's capabilities and limitations, ...
Aug 14, 2026
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Robotics
Simple robot design exceeds human hand in some core motions
The human hand is a dexterous and versatile machine. Scientists have conventionally tried to replicate these traits in robots by copying the biological mechanics of the hand, resulting in complex and difficult-to-control ...
Aug 13, 2026
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Robotics
Butterfly-inspired ceramic microscrolls unroll with magnets to power tiny robots
Researchers at the University of Stuttgart and the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research have developed tiny rolls that can be unrolled and rolled up in a controlled manner using a magnet. The model for this was the ...
Aug 12, 2026
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Robotics
Scientists develop 'RoboDojo,' a unified platform to evaluate embodied AI
The Multimedia Laboratory (MMLab) at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has spearheaded the development of "RoboDojo," a unified benchmarking platform designed to evaluate robotic manipulation across simulated and physical ...
Aug 12, 2026
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Robotics
Electronic skin enables tunable touch and proximity sensing for robots and prosthetics
Recent advances in miniaturized and portable electronics, particularly wearable and flexible devices, have increased the demand for self-powered sensing technologies. Among these, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have ...
Aug 10, 2026
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Consumer & Gadgets
When expressive humanoid robots are awkward, people become wary
People become more suspicious of a humanoid robot that makes errors, especially when the robot is an expressive conversation partner.
Aug 8, 2026
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Robotics
Human-aware robots adapt to partners, reducing back strain during team lifting
When people work in pairs or teams, they can often solve a wider range of problems, completing some tasks faster and more efficiently than they would alone. To assist users similarly to how other humans would, robots should ...
Robotics
RL-100 framework helps robots refine learned tasks amid real-world disruptions
Robots are gradually making their way into a variety of settings, ranging from households to public spaces, offices, factories and health care facilities. Despite their potential, however, many existing robots do not perform ...
Robotics
Control advance improves flapping-wing robot stability amid wind-like disturbances
Flapping-wing micro aerial vehicles (FW-MAVs) are small, lightweight robots inspired by the flight mechanisms of birds and insects. By using rapidly moving wings instead of propellers, these robots can achieve unique flight ...
Aug 4, 2026
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Robotics
Porous 3D-printed feet cut quadruped robot power use
Quadruped robots, which walk on four legs, are increasingly used for tasks such as inspection, transportation and search-and-rescue operations. However, their repeated leg movements consume far more energy than the rolling ...
Jul 31, 2026
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Robotics
Muscle radar unlocks potential for future robotic limbs
University of Queensland researchers have developed new noninvasive sensors that measure muscle forces, unlocking new possibilities for wearable robotic mobility devices. Ultra-wideband radar sensors measure electromagnetic ...
Jul 30, 2026
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Robotics
Legged robots raise surveillance, job and battlefield accountability concerns
Legged robots have recently transitioned from science fiction to engineering fact, with modern humanoid and quadrupedal machines now capable of delivering packages to front doors and taking on dangerous military missions. ...
Jul 30, 2026
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Robotics
This robot can snuff out wildfires with a cryogenic spray
About 20 years ago, Yiannis Levendis, a professor of mechanical and industrial engineering at Northeastern University, was working on an experiment to find an alternative to coal—grinding up old car and truck tires and burning ...
Jul 30, 2026
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Business
US bans foreign-made humanoid robots, targeting China over national security
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is banning imports of new foreign-made humanoid robots and power inverters, citing national security risks, in a move that targets China. Beijing quickly accused the U.S. of protectionism.
Jul 29, 2026
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Robotics
Future-aware AI doubles robot speed in pick-and-place tasks
A new method developed by MIT researchers makes robots better at thinking ahead while they are acting, leading to smoother motions and quicker reactions. The research is published on the arXiv preprint server.
Jul 28, 2026
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Robotics
AI underwater robots can now track diver stress via exhaled bubbles
University of Minnesota Twin Cities researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind AI system that allows underwater companion robots to monitor a diver's health in real time simply by "watching" their exhaled bubbles.
Jul 27, 2026
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Robotics
A spider-inspired robotic boat could track and rescue people in water
Rescue teams in coastal cities and towns often need to rescue people who are at risk of drowning. These operations often require emergency teams to locate and reach people in distress as quickly as possible, as even a short ...