https://techxplore.com/rss-feed/robotics-news/ en-us The latest news on robotics, robots, robotics sciences and technology science. Drones often hover in the air, noisy and whining. They can already be used for many tasks, but not when you need some quiet. Their batteries would also last longer if they could take a "rest" from time to time. But when a drone is monitoring a rainforest, its cluttered surroundings and its own gripper arm become too tricky for its camera-based vision. Until now. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-bird-drone-rest.html Robotics Mon, 31 Aug 2026 17:20:03 EDT news707414642 You might naturally expect a wide, open path to be faster and easier to navigate than a narrow one, just as birds fly freely through the open sky, cars move quickly on empty roads, and a wide hallway seems easier when trying to exit a building. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-worms-narrow-paths-faster-wide.html Robotics Mon, 31 Aug 2026 12:00:02 EDT news707395801 Cats, dogs, wolves and other agile four-legged animals can easily jump and squeeze through tight spaces while moving at high speed. Reproducing similar agile motions and skills in quadrupedal robots has so far proved challenging. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-legged-robot-dog-movements-tight.html Robotics Mon, 31 Aug 2026 09:20:09 EDT news706953395 3D printers that once could only produce rigid objects can now create products as soft and stretchable as rubber. A team of Korean researchers used AI to identify the optimal "recipe" for a material that can be printed into complex shapes while stretching to more than six times its original length. The material is expected to expand the range of applications for 3D printing, from robotic hands to form-fitting wearable devices and custom medical devices. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-soft-3d-robotic-gently-eggs.html Robotics Mon, 31 Aug 2026 09:00:08 EDT news707385292 Researchers from North Carolina State University have created teardrop-shaped soft robots that leap upward or forward when exposed to infrared light—and will keep jumping as long as the light is present. The work demonstrates a new mechanism for self-resetting jumping behavior in soft robotics. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-powered-soft-robots.html Robotics Fri, 28 Aug 2026 10:00:02 EDT news707128436 For robots to be successfully deployed in real-world environments, humans should trust them enough to cooperate with them. Some roboticists have been trying to determine whether users perceive robots that exhibit socially expressive behaviors, such as gestures, eye contact and nodding, as more trustworthy. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-humanoid-robot-social-backfire.html Consumer & Gadgets Fri, 28 Aug 2026 08:00:03 EDT news707109064 Do you ever see an ant skittering across your kitchen counter and wonder how this little bug overcame all the obstacles in your home just to get there? Insects use their tiny nervous systems to walk with surprising dexterity—a skill that could be transferred to robots looking to do more productive things than just find breadcrumbs in your kitchen. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-legged-robot-insect.html Robotics Thu, 27 Aug 2026 09:20:04 EDT news707038833 Legged robots, robotic systems with legs that typically resemble those of animals or humans, could be advantageous for completing tasks in home environments or populated, dynamic spaces. These robots may look like humans or animals, yet they often cannot reliably replicate complex whole-body movements in a short time. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-cartwheels-backflips-motion-imitation-framework.html Robotics Thu, 27 Aug 2026 09:00:03 EDT news706874570 "Swarms" of cyborg cockroaches with cameras and miniature medical injectors could deliver supervised emergency care to people trapped in collapsed buildings, caves or other places too dangerous for rescuers to reach. The "Paraborgs" developed by University of Queensland biorobotics researchers, working with biomedical engineers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), move cyborg insects of the future beyond searching for survivors to actively assisting them. The research is published in the journal Advanced Science. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-giant-cyborg-cockroaches-people-rescuers.html Robotics Wed, 26 Aug 2026 12:20:05 EDT news706964223 Propeller-powered underwater vehicles have long helped scientists explore and monitor aquatic environments. But they're limited by their own mechanics: Spinning blades can snag on vegetation, stir up sediment and startle the wildlife they're often sent to study, making them poorly suited to shallow creeks, dense weeds or close encounters with fish. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-scafi-robot-fish-machine-feet.html Robotics Wed, 26 Aug 2026 09:00:03 EDT news706952581 A Chinese humanoid robot set a new 100-meter sprint record of 8.86 seconds in Beijing on Tuesday, beating its robot competitors—and the fastest recorded human time. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-humanoid-robot-meter-sprint-beijing.html Robotics Tue, 25 Aug 2026 12:42:42 EDT news706880541 Chinese humanoid robots broke records set by humans, including beating Usain Bolt's 100-meter sprint world record, on the opening day of the Olympics-like World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on Saturday. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-chinese-humanoid-robots-human-100m.html Robotics Sun, 23 Aug 2026 05:25:36 EDT news706681514 Cyborg insects combine the mobility of living organisms with miniature electronic devices, offering potential applications in search-and-rescue operations, infrastructure inspection and exploration of environments that are difficult for conventional robots. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-ai-powered-terrain-recognition-cyborg.html Robotics Fri, 21 Aug 2026 11:40:08 EDT news706530182 To operate reliably in dynamic real-world settings, robots should be able to acquire new skills quickly without undergoing extensive additional training. Most existing robotic systems, however, primarily perform well on the tasks that they were trained to complete. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-robots-skills-video-seconds.html Robotics Thu, 20 Aug 2026 07:20:01 EDT news706354113 From searching disaster zones and responding to chemical spills to monitoring fragile ecosystems, future robot swarms may have to act in places where direct human control is difficult or dangerous. To operate autonomously, the robots must be able to decide together which problem to address and where to go next. But collective decision-making creates its own vulnerability: Robots improve their decisions by sharing information, yet faulty machines, inaccurate observations or manipulated messages can mislead the entire swarm. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-bee-algorithm-robot-swarms-consensus.html Robotics Tue, 18 Aug 2026 12:00:05 EDT news706272361 The rules of tag are simple enough for a playground: catch or be caught. But when the players are autonomous drones, the game becomes a test of machine learning, split-second decision-making and cooperative strategy. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-virtual-rewards-evading-drones-outmaneuver.html Robotics Tue, 18 Aug 2026 10:05:29 EDT news706266269 The human hand is a dexterous and versatile machine. Scientists have conventionally tried to replicate these traits in robots by copying the biological mechanics of the hand, resulting in complex and difficult-to-control structures. An alternative solution to these challenges was proposed in a new study published in Advanced Science: the BioflexBot, a novel robot that mimics and even exceeds core motions of the hand with a simple design. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-simple-robot-exceeds-human-core.html Robotics Thu, 13 Aug 2026 03:10:01 EDT news705748981 Researchers at the University of Stuttgart and the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research have developed tiny rolls that can be unrolled and rolled up in a controlled manner using a magnet. The model for this was the proboscis of butterflies. These smart materials enable the development of more efficient drive technologies for micro- and soft robotics, a field of research of great economic importance. The results have been published in the journal Advanced Materials. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-butterfly-ceramic-microscrolls-unroll-magnets.html Robotics Wed, 12 Aug 2026 11:20:07 EDT news705751501 Recent advances in miniaturized and portable electronics, particularly wearable and flexible devices, have increased the demand for self-powered sensing technologies. Among these, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have received considerable attention for developing highly sensitive tactile sensors. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-electronic-skin-enables-tunable-proximity.html Robotics Mon, 10 Aug 2026 12:20:03 EDT news705580442 When people work in pairs or teams, they can often solve a wider range of problems, completing some tasks faster and more efficiently than they would alone. To assist users similarly to how other humans would, robots should be able to rapidly interpret human behaviors and commands, using their predictions to plan and precisely execute helpful actions. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-human-aware-robots-partners-strain.html Robotics Wed, 05 Aug 2026 08:00:02 EDT news705056917 Robots are gradually making their way into a variety of settings, ranging from households to public spaces, offices, factories and health care facilities. Despite their potential, however, many existing robots do not perform as well in dynamic and unpredictable real-world environments as they do during controlled laboratory tests. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-08-rl-framework-robots-refine-tasks.html Robotics Tue, 04 Aug 2026 10:00:01 EDT news705055560 Legged robots have recently transitioned from science fiction to engineering fact, with modern humanoid and quadrupedal machines now capable of delivering packages to front doors and taking on dangerous military missions. With a massive surge in financial investment in the offing, a new study describes the technical advances that have made legged robots a reality and explores the critical ethical considerations, economic potential and policy implications of the "intelligent machines" that are increasingly walking among us. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-legged-robots-surveillance-job-battlefield.html Robotics Thu, 30 Jul 2026 12:50:01 EDT news704633170 University of Queensland researchers have developed new noninvasive sensors that measure muscle forces, unlocking new possibilities for wearable robotic mobility devices. Ultra-wideband radar sensors measure electromagnetic changes in muscles as they contract, allowing researchers to collect data in a way that's never been done before. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-muscle-radar-potential-future-robotic.html Robotics Thu, 30 Jul 2026 12:20:01 EDT news704631961 A new method developed by MIT researchers makes robots better at thinking ahead while they are acting, leading to smoother motions and quicker reactions. The research is published on the arXiv preprint server. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-future-aware-ai-robot-tasks.html Robotics Tue, 28 Jul 2026 13:22:56 EDT news704463729 University of Minnesota Twin Cities researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind AI system that allows underwater companion robots to monitor a diver's health in real time simply by "watching" their exhaled bubbles. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-ai-underwater-robots-track-diver.html Robotics Mon, 27 Jul 2026 13:40:02 EDT news704378282 Rescue teams in coastal cities and towns often need to rescue people who are at risk of drowning. These operations often require emergency teams to locate and reach people in distress as quickly as possible, as even a short delay could have serious or even fatal consequences. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-spider-robotic-boat-track-people.html Robotics Fri, 24 Jul 2026 08:40:01 EDT news704029976 From the Ferranti Mark I to empathetic AI, Manchester researchers are exploring how intelligent machines can understand human behavior, respond to social cues and earn trust in our workplaces, hospitals and homes. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-redesigning-relationships-humans-intelligent-machines.html Robotics Tue, 21 Jul 2026 12:20:09 EDT news703853282 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 its gait on stairs, leaping over gaps and keeping its balance on forest trails. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-robot-animal.html Robotics Thu, 16 Jul 2026 07:50:02 EDT news703405349 Robots walking down the street, surrounded by astounded onlookers, are an increasingly common sight. But these machines aren't yet the do-it-all assistants you'd want working in a kitchen or factory, and a major bottleneck is data. Much like humans, robots learn best by experience. The challenge is that it's labor-intensive and time-consuming to physically teach these machines so many actions across different settings. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-ai-agents-virtual-playgrounds-robots.html Robotics Tue, 14 Jul 2026 09:56:41 EDT news703241768 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 and react, most soft robots rely on separate electronic sensors, signal-processing circuits and powered actuators, all coordinated by computers. This chain of components adds weight, complexity and points of failure, particularly in wet, hot or high-pressure settings where electronics are highly susceptible to disruption. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-soft-sensor-robotic-action-electronics.html Robotics Sun, 12 Jul 2026 11:20:01 EDT news702822241