Robotics news

Robotics

A new robotic hand capable of switching between multiple grippers using a single motor

For robots to be used in various settings, such as factories, logistics, service industries and households, they must be able to stably handle a diverse range of objects differing in shape, size, weight and rigidity. However, ...

Robotics

Engineers develop robot that judges its surroundings and walks, runs, and jumps like an animal

An era in which robots decide "how to walk" on their own has arrived. A four-legged robot has been developed that, much like a person or an animal, autonomously chooses the appropriate gait strategy for its surroundings—changing ...

Robotics

New soft sensor can turn touch into robotic action without electronics

Built from flexible, compliant materials, soft robots are gaining relevance for tasks ranging from minimally invasive surgery to deep-sea exploration but remain held back by a fundamental constraint. To sense their surroundings ...

Robotics

New test measures how well humanoid robots handle real-world forces

As technology advances, more is expected from humanoid robots. What were once seen as gimmicks that could walk, if not like us, then close to it, are now pulling their weight and doing more work in places like factories. ...

Robotics

An AI-powered control system for robots with legs

Walking robots, such as quadruped robotic dogs, must be able to move safely through rough, often changing environments. Today, there are two main ways to program these walking, or legged, robots. The first is called model ...

Consumer & Gadgets

Sony discontinues Japan sales of robot puppy 'aibo'

Sony is halting sales of its robotic puppy "aibo" in Japan, the company said, eight years after the latest model of its interactive android pet became an instant hit.

Robotics

Developing underwater robots to venture deep below polar ice

On a remote patch of the windy, frozen Beaufort Sea north of Alaska, engineers from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California huddled together, peering down a narrow hole in a thick layer of sea ice. Below them, ...

Robotics

Improving workplace safety: The Bilateral Back Extensor Exosuit

In an innovative leap forward for workplace safety, a research team at Seoul National University has developed the Bilateral Back Extensor Exosuit (BBEX), a robotic back-support device designed to prevent spinal injuries ...

Robotics

Designing the ideal soft gripper for diverse functionalities

Robotic automation has become a game-changer in addressing labor shortages. While traditional rigid grippers have effectively automated various routine tasks, boosting efficiency and productivity in industries that deal with ...

Robotics

Researchers train a robot dog to combat invasive fire ants

A multidisciplinary research team based across China and Brazil has used a dog-like robot and AI to create a new way to find fire ant nests. Published in the journal Pest Management Science, the study highlights how a "CyberDog" ...

Robotics

AI assistant monitors teamwork to promote effective collaboration

On a research cruise around Hawaii in 2018, Yuening Zhang SM '19, Ph.D. '24 saw how difficult it was to keep a tight ship. The careful coordination required to map underwater terrain could sometimes lead to a stressful environment ...

Robotics

Robot planning tool accounts for human carelessness

A new algorithm may make robots safer by making them more aware of human inattentiveness. In computerized simulations of packaging and assembly lines where humans and robots work together, the algorithm developed to account ...