Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University developed a process called Lifelong Robotic Object Discovery (LROD) that enables a two-armed robot to discover objects using color video, Kinect depth camera, and non-visual information. The robot can refine its understanding of objects over time, focusing on those most relevant to its goal.
The new system uses micro-robotics to provide surgeons with a better view of bladder tumors, allowing for more accurate diagnoses and easier tumor removal. The device can operate in challenging environments and has been shown to have sub-millimeter precision.
Researchers at the University of Sheffield have developed a swarm of 40 robots that can carry out simple fetching and carrying tasks, and even organize themselves by order of priority. This technology could play a significant role in future medical applications, military operations, and industrial processes.
A new roadmap for robotics aims to maximize progress in the next decade. Robots have the potential to bring manufacturing jobs back to the US, improve logistics and reduce delivery costs, and make first responders safer.
A camera embedded in a rubber-sheathed plastic foam football can record video while in flight, providing a unique ball's-eye view of the field. The researchers developed a computer algorithm that converts raw video into a stable, wide-angle view.
The SIAM careers guide offers a variety of fulfilling career choices for math enthusiasts, including jobs in banking, engineering, and robotics. The guide provides insights and advice from professionals in the field, such as finding a niche that combines math with another interest.
The Human Brain Project seeks to integrate fragmented knowledge of the human brain through supercomputer-based models. Researchers will test conceptual models using simulated and real systems, aiming to refine models and develop new technologies.
Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute will design, build and deploy mining robots, robotic tools and autonomous technologies for Anglo American PLC. The partnership aims to improve productivity through innovations in processes and technologies, enhancing safety and increasing efficiency in the mining industry.
The use of virtual reality (VR) and robotic technologies is expanding in neurosurgery, providing opportunities for training, planning, and performance. However, significant technical and economic challenges must be overcome before these technologies become widely used.
A method for detecting where people's gazes converge has been developed by Carnegie Mellon researchers, allowing robots to better understand social interactions. The system uses crowdsourcing to provide subjective information about social groups that would otherwise be difficult or impossible for a robot to ascertain.
The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust is providing a $6.2 million grant to Ben-Gurion University of the Negev to establish an ABC Robotics Center, focusing on medical, service, industrial, and agricultural robotics. The center aims to develop fully autonomous robots with human-like cognitive capabilities.
A UT Arlington research team is developing smart skin applications for robots that can perceive the environment and assist humans, with a focus on improving prosthetics and home assistance. The $1.35 million NSF grant will advance robotic technology and unlock new applications for sensor skins and clothing.
Soft Robotics is a peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the science and engineering of soft materials in mobile machines. The journal covers topics such as device development, flexible electronics, and control and simulation of highly deformable structures.
A new approach to hysterectomy allows for essentially scar-free surgery using robotic arms in a thin incision. The technique provides improved access for surgeons, enabling clearer views of anatomy and reducing the risk of injury to vital structures.
The OU research team is combining robotics, machine learning, and brain imaging to assist infants with cerebral palsy in mastering crawling behavior. The project aims to develop new robot platforms that can enhance infant mobility and delay cognitive development delays.
Two Carnegie Mellon teams, Tartan Rescue Team and Team Steel, have been selected to compete in the DARPA Robotics Challenge, a competition where robots will respond to disaster scenarios in human-engineered environments. The ultimate winning team will receive a $2 million prize and advance robotics development across all fields.
A new robotic exoskeleton and EEG-based neural interface are being developed to help stroke patients regain upper-limb function. The system will interpret brain waves to control the exoskeleton, allowing patients to willingly operate it with their thoughts.
MIT's Robust Robotics Group has developed an algorithm that enables autonomous-control algorithms for indoor flight of GPS-denied airplanes, allowing for obstacle dodging and cargo capacity. The plane uses a laser rangefinder and inertial sensors to determine its state in real-time, and combines two different types of state-estimation ...
A new tool enables anyone to easily access 13 years of NASA Landsat images, allowing for seamless zooming and time-travel exploration. The enhanced access facilitates discoveries on deforestation, climate change, and environmental policy.
The game, developed with Portuguese company Stand Clear Ltd, features a robot that recognizes facial expressions and responds accordingly. Players can collect bolts and batteries while avoiding obstacles in various scenarios, with the goal of helping FLASH master social niceties to earn bonus points.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute have developed a smart headlight system that reduces glare caused by rain and snow. The system uses a camera to track raindrops and adjusts the light projection accordingly, eliminating 70-80% of visible rain during heavy storms.
Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology developed a muscle-like actuator that can control camera systems, allowing robots to move more like humans. The technology has potential applications in MRI-guided surgery and robotic rehabilitation.
Red Whittaker, a pioneer in mobile autonomous robotics, has been awarded the 2012 IEEE Simon Ramo Medal. He has developed over 60 robots that can work in challenging environments, including contaminated nuclear plants, abandoned mines, and active volcanoes.
Researchers at MIT CSAIL discovered brain organizes objects based on size, with distinct regions for big and small objects. This finding has major implications for fields like robotics and could lead to better understanding of brain organization and mapping information.
A robotics company, Barobo, has received $500,000 in funding from the National Science Foundation to develop its modular robot technology into a commercial product. The grant aims to make Mobot a useful tool for teaching robotics in schools, potentially starting with third-grade classes.
The research team aims to create automated program-synthesis tools for various applications, including robotic tasks. The goal is to help human programmers write code faster and with fewer errors by leveraging intelligent software agents.
Researchers at MIT's DRL have developed algorithms that could enable smart sand to assemble itself into large-scale replicas of models, using a subtractive method and minimizing computational resources. The system uses electropermanent magnets and microprocessors to communicate and share power among grains.
Researchers at UMass Amherst have developed a new method of halftone gel lithography for photo-patterning polymer gel sheets, mimicking nature's ability to shape growth patterns. This technique allows for the creation of complex shapes and may aid advances in biomedicine, robotics and tunable micro-optics.
Researchers at Georgia Tech identified key question types that facilitate human-robot learning, including feature queries, which were preferred by both human volunteers and robot learners. The study aims to improve the teaching of robots by understanding human learning mechanisms and developing more effective active learning strategies.
Professor Chernova will conduct research on general purpose robots capable of adapting to new jobs and responding to human needs. Her system, using crowd-sourcing and active learning, aims to enable robots to operate effectively in natural environments.
The University of Washington is providing a common, open-source platform for surgical robots to facilitate collaboration and innovation in the field. Five systems will be shipped to top universities including Harvard and Johns Hopkins, allowing researchers to share software and replicate experiments.
The University of California, Santa Cruz and the University of Washington have developed an open-source robotic surgery system, Raven II, which will be shared with top medical research laboratories across the US. The systems enable collaborative experiments and faster advancements in the field.
Manuela Veloso, a prominent AI and robotics researcher at Carnegie Mellon University, has been named an Einstein Chair Professor by the Chinese Academy of Sciences. As an Einstein Chair Professor, Veloso will present lectures on symbiotic autonomy, a concept she pioneered, which enables robots to proactively ask for help from humans.
The researchers developed a technique that analyzes the uniqueness of images to match them across different domains, such as photos and paintings. This approach performed well on tasks like matching sketches with photographs, outperforming traditional methods that focus on shapes, colors, and composition.
Researchers at Princeton University have developed a technique to accelerate chemical discoveries by performing over 1,000 reactions per day using robotics. This approach enables the rapid exploration of new chemical combinations, potentially leading to breakthroughs in pharmaceuticals and other fields.
Researchers at Tel Aviv University developed a computational model that explains how bacteria move in a swarm, enabling the design of intelligent robots. Bacteria's superior survival skills come from their ability to adjust interactions with peers and utilize short-term memory.
Researchers from Rice University and two other universities are developing a new generation of design software to accurately predict robot physical behavior. This tool will enable designers to find key flaws on a computer before building a prototype, reducing expenses and increasing innovation.
The R-one project is a cost-effective way for Rice University to create an inexpensive and sophisticated robot that can be used in classrooms and aftercare programs. The robots are already being used in introductory engineering courses to teach programming, mechanical engineering, and distributed control.
SAFEPED is a computer simulation that integrates robotics and statistics on driver and pedestrian behavior to determine the environmental features leading to dangerous intersections. The model allows traffic planners to analyze and fix black spots, test and redesign junctions for optimal safety.
Researchers developed a method to translate actor motions into three-dimensional face models, subdividing them into regions for intuitive animation control. This allows animators to rapidly create realistic characters with natural expressions.
Researchers at Disney Research and Carnegie Mellon University have developed a new technique for motion capture using body-mounted cameras. The system uses structure from motion (SfM) to reconstruct an actor's movements in real-time, enabling capturing of complex motions like running or swinging outside.
The Cornell-developed Planar Fourier Capture Array (PFCA) is a pinhead-size, lens-free camera that can resolve images about 20 pixels across. It uses the principles of the Fourier transform to capture multiple angles of light and has numerous applications in science, including surgery and robotics.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) hosted three robotics competitions to prove advanced robotics and microrobotics technologies. The Virtual Manufacturing Automation Competition and Mobile Microrobotics Challenge evaluated teams' ability to assemble components and navigate microbots, respectively.
A new study finds that hips provide most of the power during walking, but ankles dominate during running. This discovery could inform the design of assistive devices and prosthetics for humans.
Finch, a portable and rugged robot designed for introductory computer science classes, includes sensors and mechanisms to engage students' senses. It can be programmed to display 'Hello World', make sounds, or respond to temperature changes, making programming lessons more interactive and motivating.
Scientists used simple robots to test how altruism evolves over generations. The results matched Hamilton's rule, suggesting that helping relatives increases their chances of passing on genes. This study has implications for swarm robotics and the evolution of cooperation in nature.
GigaPan Time Machine enables viewers to explore gigapixel-scale images while moving through time, allowing for exhaustive science and capturing huge amounts of data. Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University applied this technology to visualize simulations of the early universe, plant growth, and other big data sets.
Takeo Kanade has been honored with the ACM/AAAI Allen Newell Award for his career contributions to computer vision and robotics. He is being recognized for bridging computer science and other disciplines through his groundbreaking work, including the development of face recognition systems and robotic technologies.
The iMobot robot has four controllable degrees of freedom and can be assembled into larger robots for specific tasks. Researchers hope the technology will speed up university and industry research in robotics.
Researchers can manipulate the brain's perception of its own body, allowing for new prosthetic limbs and virtual reality experiences. This technology has significant implications for fields like medicine, psychology, and robotics.
Researchers at Tel Aviv University are studying the neurological functioning of cockroaches to design more efficient robots with compact builds. The insects' stable tripod gate movement and ability to adapt to terrain inspire robotics engineers to create faster and more robust robots for future space exploration.
Researchers are developing a robotic system that combines real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with a highly flexible robotic device to perform cardiothoracic surgeries on beating hearts. This minimally invasive approach aims to increase precision and reduce trauma, leading to faster recovery times.
The NSF has extended its support for an alliance of research universities and HBCUs that encourages African American students to pursue graduate training and research careers in robotics and computer science. The ARTSI Alliance has served over 300 undergraduates, provided mentoring and technical assistance to 23 HBCU faculty, and deliv...
Researchers found that the brain uses different 'maps' to plan movements, depending on whether they are visually defined or performed in darkness. This discovery has important applications for robotics and developing machines to help paraplegics.
Dr. Rohan Walvekar's team has successfully removed a 20mm salivary stone using a robotic system, preserving the salivary gland and reducing blood loss, scarring, and hospital stay. This innovative technique offers a minimally invasive solution for patients with large salivary stones.
DARPA has awarded Carnegie Mellon a $988,000 contract to develop an autonomous flight system for the Transformer (TX) Program. The TX vehicle would transform into a VTOL air vehicle, enabling increased survivability and versatility in missions like scouting, resupply, and medical evacuation.
The Visibility app uses a smartphone's camera, GPS, compass, and accelerometer to estimate air quality. Users take a photo of the sky, and the app analyzes it to determine pollutant content.
The ALIAS project, a three-year, 3.87-million-euro initiative, seeks to develop adaptable robots capable of serving as safe assistants for elderly people. The robots will monitor home environments, provide cognitive assistance, and facilitate social contacts, aiming to improve quality of life.
A new method devised by Carnegie Mellon researchers enables computers to gain a deeper understanding of an image by reasoning about physical constraints. The method uses virtual blocks to build a three-dimensional approximation of the scene, improving accuracy in estimating layout and surface details.
Carnegie Mellon University has launched a $7 million initiative to increase U.S. enrollments in computer science and STEM fields by leveraging students' interest in robots. The program, called Fostering Innovation through Robotics Exploration (FIRE), will develop new tools and competitions to attract more young people to these careers.