Robotics news

Robotics

Simple motor networks mimic human muscle behavior under increasing load

Scientists have developed a network of mechanical motors that mimic the molecular machinery underpinning human muscle contraction. The University of Bristol-led findings, published in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface ...

Robotics

How Chicago robot tutors are teaching SEL effectively, without pretending to be human

In a crowded fourth-grade classroom in Chicago, a new kind of tutor is shaping how children learn about empathy, conflict, and problem-solving. These robots aren't programmed to act like friendly classmates with invented ...

Robotics

Swimming robot propelled by lab-grown muscle hits record speed

NUS researchers have developed a platform that lets lab-grown muscle tissues train themselves to record-breaking strength, with no external stimulation required. By mechanically coupling two muscle tissues so they continuously ...

Robotics

Wind-powered robot could enable long-term exploration of hostile environments

Researchers at Cranfield University have created WANDER-bot, a low-cost, 3D-printed robot that is powered by wind energy. Designed to spend long durations in hostile, windy environments such as certain deserts, polar regions ...

Robotics

Sheepdogs reveal a better way to guide robot swarms

Sheepdogs, bred to control large groups of sheep in open fields, have demonstrated their skills in competitions dating back to the 1870s. In these contests, a handler directs a trained dog with whistle signals to guide a ...

Robotics

Swapping batteries for hydrogen gives drones a whole new range

Researchers have built a drone that runs on hydrogen, to replace battery-powered drones that are too heavy and have too short a range. This technology could help fix power outages faster and replace dangerous helicopter missions ...

Robotics

Hybrid AI planner turns images into robot action plans

MIT researchers have developed a generative artificial intelligence-driven approach for planning long-term visual tasks, like robot navigation, that is about twice as effective as some existing techniques. Their method uses ...

Robotics

Robot hands so sensitive they can grab a potato chip

A new type of robotic hand developed at The University of Texas at Austin demonstrates such sensitive touch that it can grasp objects as fragile as a potato chip or a raspberry without crushing them. The technology, called ...

Robotics

Poultry processing robotics advances with ChicGrasp

What started out as a response to labor shortages in poultry processing plants during the COVID-19 pandemic has turned into a robotics system that can learn by imitating human movements to handle chickens. Using an advanced ...

Robotics

Iranian tech prodigies battle it out with robots

Two machines resembling robotic vacuum cleaners sped around a ring colliding, shooting sparks and catching fire, as Iranian engineering students watched from behind plexiglass.

Robotics

Artificial muscles use ultrasound-activated microbubbles to move

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed artificial muscles that contain microbubbles and can be controlled with ultrasound. In the future, these muscles could be deployed in technical and medical settings as gripper arms, ...

Robotics

Teen builds advanced robotic hand from LEGO parts

A talented teenager from the UK has built a four-fingered robotic hand from standard Lego parts that performs almost as well as research-grade robotic hands. The anthropomorphic device can grasp, move and hold objects with ...

Robotics

Liquid crystal inclusions enhance artificial muscles for robots

An international team led by researchers at the University of Waterloo has developed a new material that can be used as flexible artificial muscles to replace rigid motors and pumps in robots and allow them to move more naturally ...

Robotics

AI trained robots, drones, team up with emergency rescue

In a simulated natural disaster, robotic drones from the University of Maryland's RoboScout Team arrived first, scanning the area for survivors. They beamed patients' locations to robot dogs and medics on the ground to quickly ...