Robotics news

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. ...

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.

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.

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 ...

Robotics

Morphing robot turns challenging terrain to its advantage

From mountain goats that run up near-vertical rock faces to armadillos that roll into a protective ball, animals have evolved to adapt effortlessly to changes in their environment. In contrast, when an autonomous robot is ...

Robotics

Robots learn how to move by watching themselves

By watching their own motions with a camera, robots can teach themselves about the structure of their own bodies and how they move, a new study by researchers at Columbia Engineering now reveals. Equipped with this knowledge, ...

Robotics

Low-cost drone system aids indoor search and rescue missions

Indoor search and rescue operations are some of the most dangerous tasks that law enforcement and first responders must face, but drone technology has revolutionized how they approach these intense situations, according to ...

Robotics

Turning robotic ensembles into smart materials that mimic life

Researchers have engineered groups of robots that behave as smart materials with tunable shape and strength, mimicking living systems. "We've figured out a way for robots to behave more like a material," said Matthew Devlin, ...

Robotics

Assessing permanent damage to self-healing polymers in soft robots

A new study assesses the maximum number of damage and healing cycles a self-healing actuator can endure. The study, which presents a method to automatically and autonomously assess the repeatable healability of a soft self-healing ...

Robotics

Robot space maintenance based on human arm dynamics

On-orbit assembly has become a crucial aspect of space operations, where the manipulator frequently and directly interacts with objects in a complex assembly process. The traditional manipulator control has limitations in ...

Robotics

Robot maker dreams of turning sci-fi into reality

Ryo Yoshida has monster-sized dreams for his drivable, "Gundam"-like robot, even though its huge size makes it hard to park and the $3-million price tag will crush most wallets.

Robotics

Engineers develop breakthrough 'robot skin'

Smart, stretchable and highly sensitive, a new soft sensor developed by UBC and Honda researchers opens the door to a wide range of applications in robotics and prosthetics.

Robotics

Robots learn faster with AI boost from Eureka

Intelligent robots are reshaping our universe. In New Jersey's Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, AI-assisted robots are bringing a new level of security to doctors and patients by scanning every inch of the premises ...

Robotics

A review of energy supply for biomachine hybrid robots

Bio-machine hybrid robots (BHRs) represent a new generation of micro-aerial vehicles that be controlled by building an interface between biological and artificial systems. In contrast to conventional bionic robots, they are ...

Robotics

Do humans get lazier when robots help with tasks?

Now that improvements in technology mean that some robots work alongside humans, there is evidence that those humans have learned to see them as team-mates—and teamwork can have negative as well as positive effects on people's ...

Robotics

Robotic prosthetic ankles improve 'natural' movement, stability

Robotic prosthetic ankles that are controlled by nerve impulses allow amputees to move more "naturally," improving their stability, according to a new study from North Carolina State University and the University of North ...

Robotics

Choosing exoskeleton settings like a Pandora radio station

Taking inspiration from music streaming services, a team of engineers at the University of Michigan, Google and Georgia Tech has designed the simplest way for users to program their own exoskeleton assistance settings.