https://techxplore.com/rss-feed/robotics-news/ en-us The latest news on robotics, robots, robotics sciences and technology science. 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, conventional robotic hands often require multiple motors and complex control systems, presenting challenges in terms of weight, cost, failure risk and control difficulties. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-robotic-capable-multiple-grippers-motor.html Robotics Fri, 17 Jul 2026 10:00:10 EDT news703500531 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 Japanese communications company Fujitsu is leading a major push in artificial intelligence using Nvidia's technology, bringing together what it said was the best in Japan's manufacturing prowess in robotics with AI. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-fujitsu-japanese-robotics-companies-nvidia.html Robotics Thu, 16 Jul 2026 04:17:51 EDT news703394245 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 When South Korea's professional baseball league introduced "robot umpire" ball-and-strike calls in 2024, famous batters appeared to lose an edge—but star pitchers did not. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-batter-bias-robot-umpires-curb.html Robotics Mon, 13 Jul 2026 12:20:06 EDT news703162261 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 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. They are being developed for real work, such as carrying heavy boxes, pushing furniture, pulling heavy objects and wiping tables. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-humanoid-robots-real-world.html Robotics Sat, 11 Jul 2026 12:00:01 EDT news702907927 Robotics researchers often spend weeks, or even months, simply getting a new robot up and running before they can begin testing new behaviors. Researchers in the Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science have developed an open-source software framework designed to eliminate much of that setup work, making it easier to deploy AI systems across different robots without rebuilding software from scratch. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-infrastructure-ai-robots.html Robotics Fri, 10 Jul 2026 08:20:08 EDT news702889533 Most people think of the waterfront as the edge of the city. A team of MIT researchers sees it as a dynamic, Lego-like construction site. Their new system, called "FloatForm," is a swarm of small square robotic boats that assemble themselves into larger structures on the water, break apart and reassemble into something new, all with minimal human direction. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-small-aquatic-robots-reconfigurable.html Robotics Thu, 09 Jul 2026 15:00:01 EDT news702822101 Loons, gulls, puffins and petrels are some of the 100 species of birds that can both fly and swim. These diving birds can plunge into water to swim after prey, and leap back into the air to fly away. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-birdlike-robot-underwater-flight.html Robotics Thu, 09 Jul 2026 14:00:12 EDT news702794155 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 predictive control. This technique optimizes the robot's behavior but relies on accurate dynamics models, which are challenging to achieve in real-world settings and often require simplifying assumptions. The second is model-free reinforcement learning, which allows the robot to learn reliable but fixed behaviors, making them difficult to adapt after training. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-ai-powered-robots-legs.html Robotics Tue, 07 Jul 2026 11:40:03 EDT news702638941 Recent technological advances have opened valuable possibilities for supporting people with motor impairments or who are recovering from injuries to the brain, spinal cord or nerves. Millions of people worldwide currently experience difficulty moving their hands or other parts of their body. Some of these motor impairments are associated with progressive neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), while others are the result of neurological damage caused by an injury or a stroke. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-soft-exoskeleton-function-people-motor.html Robotics Tue, 07 Jul 2026 10:30:01 EDT news702638755 Soft grippers, which are built from flexible materials that can bend and deform, are attracting a lot of attention from robotics researchers worldwide. Unlike conventional robots made from rigid metal or plastic, soft grippers can grasp items more gently while naturally adapting to different shapes. This makes them uniquely suitable for delicate tasks such as handling fruit, baked goods, lab samples and medical supplies. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-eletac-elephant-soft-robotic-gripper.html Robotics Tue, 07 Jul 2026 07:31:51 EDT news702627647 Engineers at Queen Mary University of London have built a new color-changing tactile sensor, which allows robots to "see" and touch in real-time. The novel idea was invented by Giacomo Sasso, a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Engineering and Materials Science at Queen Mary University of London, and it works by transforming invisible forces into dynamic color patterns. This enables high-resolution maps of contact, strain and pressure to emerge instantly. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-robots-tactile-sensor.html Robotics Fri, 03 Jul 2026 14:00:01 EDT news702199981 Imagine you're running and you sprain your ankle. The pain makes you gingerly limp the rest of the way home. This is a great example of how nature adapts to failures in a system. The pain tells you: "If you continue running like normal, the injury will only get worse." So you naturally adjust the way you run. Drones currently cannot do this with a worn-out propeller. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-drones-pain-instability.html Robotics Thu, 02 Jul 2026 15:00:06 EDT news702222001 In a squat building on a drab business park just outside Rotterdam, sleek white humanoid robots scuttle around, accompanied by a gray robotic dog performing various canine tricks. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-dutch-humanoid-robot-center-kickstart.html Robotics Thu, 02 Jul 2026 14:00:04 EDT news702218270 In horror movies, music is a dead giveaway. Tension builds with each note, and you brace for the inevitable jump scare. The same sense of anticipation has taken a leading role in an unlikely venue: a Georgia Tech robotics lab. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-horror-movie-cue-wearable-robot.html Robotics Wed, 01 Jul 2026 14:40:01 EDT news702135423 Their metallic frames covered in supple, lifelike skin, a posse of new Chinese robots meant for companionship can offer users AI-generated conversation or a hand to hold, complete with manicured nails. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-chinese-firm-hyper-real-loyal.html Robotics Wed, 01 Jul 2026 09:16:57 EDT news702116192 The researchers teach the packaging machine what is up and down on a snack carrot. The program runs on a small, local PC—not on huge servers in some faraway cloud. The goal: to pack quickly, cheaply and attractively—so that consumers like us are tempted by locally sourced, healthy snacks. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-mini-ai-lines-carrots.html Robotics Mon, 29 Jun 2026 16:40:10 EDT news701946172 Scientists from NTU Singapore and Waseda University have developed a flexible "diving suit" for cyborg cockroaches, enabling the insects to survive and move underwater and in low-oxygen environments for up to three hours. Published today in Nature Communications, the study could expand the use of cyborg insects in search-and-rescue missions, especially in disaster zones where flooded rubble, puddles or partially submerged spaces can block access for conventional robots. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-cyborg-cockroaches.html Robotics Mon, 29 Jun 2026 10:40:07 EDT news701947321 A research team led by Prof. Seung Hwan Ko of Seoul National University College of Engineering's Department of Mechanical Engineering has developed an artificial skin technology that enables robots to sense temperature and pressure simultaneously, similar to human skin. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-artificial-skin-enables-robots-simultaneously.html Robotics Fri, 26 Jun 2026 12:00:05 EDT news701693522 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. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-sony-discontinues-japan-sales-robot.html Consumer & Gadgets Fri, 26 Jun 2026 04:05:35 EDT news701665518 Robots that can see beyond human vision, build live 3D maps of unknown environments and identify what objects are made of are being developed by researchers at the University of Surrey, opening new possibilities for applications in nuclear inspection, rail and building safety, and search and rescue in combat zones. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-robots-materials-unknown-environments-aid.html Robotics Thu, 25 Jun 2026 10:20:05 EDT news701600762 Researchers at Adelaide University have developed a new type of robotic system inspired by bees and ants that could make mining safer, more efficient and more sustainable. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-swarm-robots-bees-ants-future.html Robotics Thu, 25 Jun 2026 08:20:07 EDT news701593561 Growing economic activity in the ocean space is increasing the need for more regular monitoring and inspection of underwater infrastructure and its surroundings. Autonomous underwater vehicles capable of monitoring and inspecting pipelines, cables and underwater installations are becoming increasingly important in an uncertain global security situation. In addition, we need more knowledge about the seabed and the ocean space. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-underwater-robots-pave-pipeline-cable.html Robotics Thu, 25 Jun 2026 08:00:04 EDT news701592841 Robots with increasingly precise dexterity are becoming essential in everyday life and industrial settings, from assembling tiny smartphone components to assisting doctors in surgery. However, teaching robots delicate human movements has traditionally required collecting vast amounts of data at extremely fine time intervals, resulting in significant costs and time burdens. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-rough-demos-precise-robot-actions.html Robotics Wed, 24 Jun 2026 15:40:09 EDT news701533861 An inchworm has provided the inspiration for a robot that can move without any rigid parts. The robot mimics a flexing muscle and can be used to inspect sewer pipes or as an explorer on the planet Mars, according to a thesis from the University of Gothenburg. The research is published on the arXiv preprint server. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-inchworm-robot-rigid-enable-remote.html Robotics Wed, 24 Jun 2026 14:40:05 EDT news701530141 More and more robots are assisting workers in factories. However, human-robot collaboration is still far from seamless. Researchers from Prof. Lorenzo Masia's team at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have now developed a solution that enables a factory worker wearing an exoskeleton to work closely and, above all, safely, with a robotic arm. This reduces the physical strain on workers and improves production processes. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-exoskeleton-robotic-arm-factory-strain.html Business Wed, 24 Jun 2026 13:20:05 EDT news701524201 When 3-year-old Cameron arrived at the UC Davis MIND Institute for a recent medical appointment, she was in for a surprise: cuddly, social AI robots visiting from Japan were in the waiting room. "We both melted when we saw them," said Cameron's mom, Caroline Nguyen. "They're so adorable, and the little sounds they make—I mean, she took to them right away." https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-friendly-social-robots-ease-child.html Robotics Wed, 24 Jun 2026 11:00:07 EDT news701516529 Autonomous drones could deliver packages, inspect bridges and skyscrapers, monitor emergencies like wildfires and, eventually, ferry people. But the airspace still lacks the testing and coordination infrastructure needed to prove drones can operate safely around people, buildings, aircraft and each other. https://techxplore.com/news/2026-06-smart-drones-safe-skies-student.html Robotics Tue, 23 Jun 2026 22:00:06 EDT news701439410