Robotics news

Robotics

Robots pour cocktails and run marathons, but still can't multitask

They can mix cocktails, run marathons and fold laundry. But humanoid robots are still a long way from doing lots of different jobs on command, whatever the marketing says.

Robotics

Upsampling method sharpens AI vision with up to 16 times less GPU memory

From facial recognition on smartphones to humanoid robots, computer vision technology, which serves as the eyes of artificial intelligence (AI), is widely used in daily life. A joint research team from KAIST and international ...

Robotics

Elephant trunk skin reveals design that could reshape soft robotics

An elephant's trunk is both strong and capable of extremely fine motor movements. With this muscular, boneless structure, an elephant can carry heavy logs—or deftly peel a banana. Lucia Beccai and colleagues studied the skin ...

Robotics

Simple color cue helps people master prosthetic devices faster

Controlling a robotic arm, a prosthetic hand or a rehabilitation device is harder than it looks. Picking up an egg, for example, requires just the right amount of force: too little and it falls, too much and it breaks.

Robotics

Four-legged detection robots for safe firefighting operations

A detection robot developed under the leadership of TU Graz can "sniff out" hazardous substances and support high-risk fire service operations as a remote-controlled advance guard. A recent study shows how fire services can ...

Robotics

Sonar–camera system sees through murky waters

For remotely operated underwater vehicles, cloudy and turbulent waters are often a no-go. When vehicles settle on the seafloor or dig through a sand bed, they can kick up clouds of sediment that make it tough for onboard ...

Robotics

Drone rescue highlights US Navy's autonomous push

The use of a sea drone to rescue two U.S. Army aviators apparently shot down by Iran underscores the growing importance of such vessels in Washington's naval operations, analysts said Wednesday.

Consumer & Gadgets

Can Pepper the robot be a good playmate?

What's it like to play a physical game with or against a robot that both looks and behaves like a person? That's what NTNU researchers wanted to find out when they conducted a controlled laboratory experiment with Pepper, ...

Robotics

AI-equipped aerial robots help track and model wildfire smoke

Researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities have developed aerial robots equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) to detect, track and analyze wildfire smoke plumes. This innovation could lead to more accurate ...

Robotics

Developing self-deploying material for next-gen robotics

The field of robotics has transformed drastically in this century, with a special focus on soft robotics. In this context, origami-inspired deployable structures with compact storage and efficient deployment features have ...

Robotics

Smarter navigation: AI helps robots stay on track without a map

Navigating without a map is a difficult task for robots, especially when they can't reliably determine where they are. A new AI-powered solution helps robots overcome this challenge by training them to make movement decisions ...

Robotics

Video: Playing badminton against a robot

A research team from ETH Zurich has taught the four-legged robot ANYmal to play badminton. The system features precise arm movements, quick reflexes and nimble footwork.

Robotics

Robots can now learn to use tools—just by watching us

Despite decades of progress, most robots are still programmed for specific, repetitive tasks. They struggle with the unexpected and can't adapt to new situations without painstaking reprogramming. But what if they could learn ...

Robotics

Smart microrobots learn to communicate and collaborate in water

In a major step toward intelligent and collaborative microrobotic systems, researchers at the Research Center for Materials, Architectures and Integration of Nanomembranes (MAIN) at Chemnitz University of Technology have ...