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

Swiss nursery lets robot do the talking

Sat in a circle on the nursery floor, a group of Swiss three-year-olds ask a robot called Nao questions about giraffes and broccoli.

Robotics

Cat collaboration demonstrates what it takes to trust robots

Would you trust a robot to look after your cat? New research suggests it takes more than a carefully designed robot to care for your cat, the environment in which they operate is also vital, as well as human interaction.

Robotics

Manipulation technology makes home-helper robot possible

Parents spend roughly 300 hours each year cleaning up after their kids. That's nearly two weeks that could be otherwise spent doing anything else. Researchers in Carnegie Mellon University's Department of Mechanical Engineering, ...

Robotics

Robotic system feeds people with severe mobility limitations

Cornell researchers have developed a robotic feeding system that uses computer vision, machine learning and multimodal sensing to safely feed people with severe mobility limitations, including those with spinal cord injuries, ...

Robotics

A better way to control shape-shifting soft robots

Imagine a slime-like robot that can seamlessly change its shape to squeeze through narrow spaces, which could be deployed inside the human body to remove an unwanted item.

Robotics

New approach uses generative AI to imitate human motion

An international group of researchers has created a new approach to imitating human motion by combining central pattern generators (CPGs) and deep reinforcement learning (DRL). The method not only imitates walking and running ...

Robotics

Teaching robots to move by sketching trajectories

Getting robots to perform even a simple task requires a great deal of behind-the-scenes work. Part of the challenge is planning and executing movements, everything from turning wheels to lifting a robotic arm. To make this ...

Robotics

Leveraging robots to help make wind turbine blades

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have successfully leveraged robotic assistance in the manufacture of wind turbine blades, allowing for the elimination of difficult ...

Robotics

Paper power: Origami technology makes its way into quadcopters

Over the past decade, researchers all around the world have been finding new and exciting use cases for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Commonly called "drones," UAVs have proved their worth across many fields, including ...

Robotics

Trotting robots reveal emergence of animal gait transitions

A four-legged robot trained with machine learning by EPFL researchers has learned to avoid falls by spontaneously switching between walking, trotting, and pronking—a milestone for roboticists as well as biologists interested ...