Robotics news
Robotics
New understanding of insect flight points way to stable flapping-wing robots
The way bugs and birds flap their wings may look effortless, but the dynamics that keep them aloft are dizzyingly complex and difficult to quantify. Cornell researchers have created a computational model that shows the effect ...
14 hours ago
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Robotics
Table tennis robot defeats some of world's best players. Why this has major implications for robotics
A table tennis robot has outperformed elite players in recent evaluations. The robot, called Ace, marks a significant step toward artificial intelligence (AI) systems that can operate in fast, uncertain, real-world environments.
May 3, 2026
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Robots can run a marathon and play ping pong. But will they ever achieve true sporting greatness?
A humanoid robot recently made headlines around the world for running a half-marathon and beating the human world record. Around the same time, an AI-powered robot defeated an elite human player in table tennis. What the ...
May 2, 2026
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How to avoid supply chain issues as drone and robot production increases exponentially
Production of drones and autonomous robots is expected to explode by the late 2030s—by up to 10× for commercial drones and 100× for humanoid and quadruped robots. Publishing in Chem Circularity, researchers estimate how this ...
May 1, 2026
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For autonomous robots, not all rules are equal
From driving cars to flying drones, as autonomous robots take on more responsibility, they also face more human-like dilemmas—including what to do when rules collide.
May 1, 2026
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Robotics
What will it take to make AI-enabled robots safer?
The effort to "align" AI with human values is falling dangerously short in robotic systems, according to researchers from Penn Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and the University of Oxford. In a new paper appearing ...
Apr 29, 2026
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Robotics
FingerEye bridges touch and vision to improve robot handling before and after contact
To reliably complete various manual tasks, robots should be able to handle a variety of objects, ranging from items found in households to tools used in specific professional settings. While many existing robotic systems ...
Apr 28, 2026
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Robotics
Robotically assembled building blocks could make construction more efficient and sustainable
Robotically assembled building blocks could be a more environmentally friendly method for erecting large-scale structures than some existing construction techniques, according to a new study by MIT researchers published in ...
Apr 28, 2026
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Robotics
Bananas, cups and peelers: Robots learn how to handle curved objects like fruits and tools
It does not take much to confuse some robots. A machine might be great at handling a simple object like a box, yet when it tries to work with a more irregular shape like a banana, it often fails.
Robotics
How fish muscles became blueprints for smarter underwater robots
Researchers at the Intelligent Biomimetic Design Lab at Peking University have developed a bio-signal framework showing that fish muscles do far more than generate swimming motion. In a series of studies led by Xie Guangming, ...
Apr 27, 2026
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Robotics
Tiny, knotted robots jump, fly and plant seeds
When a knot lets go, it doesn't just fall apart. It snaps. That simple observation led Penn Engineers to rethink what a knot can do. Instead of treating it as something that holds tension, they asked a different question: ...
Apr 23, 2026
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Robotics
Researchers develop navigation system for underground rescue teams
Operations underground, for example in underground stations, tunnels or mines, are risky and difficult for rescue teams. This is especially true if the technical infrastructure has collapsed due to explosions or fire, and ...
Apr 23, 2026
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Robotics
AI-powered table tennis robot now challenges human pros and hints at faster, more adaptive machines
A paddle-wielding robot is so adept at playing table tennis that it is posing a tough challenge to elite human players and sometimes defeating them, according to a new study that shows how advances in artificial intelligence ...
Apr 22, 2026
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Robotics
AI-powered robots offer new hope to German factories
A blue-eyed humanoid robot carefully opens a box and places a tool inside as a crowd of visitors watch the demonstration of "physical AI" skills at a major industrial trade fair in Germany.
Apr 22, 2026
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Robotics
Handle with care: Soft robot gripper picks ripe fruit without bruising
When assessing the ripeness of fruit, sight and smell can tell you a lot, but the best indicator is often how the fruit feels. Cornell researchers used stretchable fiber-optic sensors to create a soft robot gripper that can ...
Apr 20, 2026
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Robotics
A humanoid robot sprints past the human half-marathon world record in Beijing race
A humanoid robot that won a half-marathon race for robots in Beijing on Sunday ran faster than the human world record in a show of China's technological leaps.
Apr 19, 2026
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Robotics
Slime-like artificial muscle reshapes on command, heals after damage and turns one robot into many
Breaking away from conventional robots that perform only predefined functions once fabricated, researchers have developed a next-generation artificial muscle that can change its shape in real time, recover from damage, and ...
Apr 17, 2026
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Robotics
Simple robots inspired by ants collectively build and excavate
When it comes to teamwork, we could all learn something from ants. These relatively simple, small-brained animals are famous for their ability to collectively build massive, intricate, climate-controlled structures, despite ...
Apr 17, 2026
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Robotics
Kinematic intelligence lets three different robots learn the same task safely
In today's manufacturing environments, upgrading a robot fleet often means starting from scratch—not only replacing hardware, but also reprogramming tasks. Even when two robots are built to perform similar jobs, different ...
Apr 15, 2026
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Robotics
AI-guided snakebot unlocks rolling move that doubles speed per unit power
Snake-like robots represent the future of rescue. Their slender bodies allow them to navigate narrow spaces, uneven terrain, and water surfaces, entering places that would be hazardous for humans. This could potentially save ...
Apr 15, 2026
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Robotics
This robot sees danger, decides its route and powers over obstacles while carrying loads
A KAIST research team has developed quadrupedal robot technology that not only enables walking by estimating terrain without visual information, but also allows the robot to perceive its surroundings through cameras and LiDAR ...
Apr 13, 2026
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Robotics
Humanoid robots show off their language and boxing skills in Hong Kong
A humanoid robot about the size of a primary school student had something to share in Hong Kong—it sang songs and spoke to people in Mandarin and English, answering whatever questions they posed and delighting the audience ...
Apr 13, 2026
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Robotics
Origami-inspired robot built from printable polymers uses electric current to move
With their ability to shapeshift and manipulate delicate objects, soft robots could work as medical implants, deliver drugs inside the body and help explore dangerous environments. But the squishy machines are often limited ...
Apr 9, 2026
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Robotics
Electrofluidic fiber muscles could enable silent robotic systems
Muscles are remarkably effective systems for generating controlled force, and engineers developing hardware for robots or prosthetics have long struggled to create analogs that can approach their unique combination of strength, ...
Apr 9, 2026
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Robotics
These AI-powered guide dogs don't just lead, they talk
Guide dogs are powerful allies, leading the visually impaired safely to their destinations, but they can't talk with their owners—until now. Using large language models, a team of researchers at Binghamton University, State ...
Apr 8, 2026
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