The caterpillar-bot uses a novel pattern of silver nanowires to control its movement, with the ability to steer in both directions and navigate through tight spaces. The robot's movement is driven by heating and cooling cycles that allow it to 'relax' before contracting again.
A new head-worn device allows users to control a mobile robot via head motion and speech recognition, requiring fewer fine motor skills than existing technologies. In a human study, participants performed household and self-care tasks with low error rates, minimal effort, and high perceived ease of use.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have created soft robots that can transition from walking to swimming, crawling to rolling, or jumping. The robots use highly dynamic bistable soft actuators made of shape-memory alloy springs that react to electrical currents, allowing for varied locomotion and adaptability.
Researchers used drones to map large areas of Antarctica, capturing unprecedented high-resolution imagery of vegetation and biodiversity in protected areas. The vision identified areas with moss and lichen not previously picked up by satellite, providing valuable insights into the fragile ecosystem.
Researchers are developing wearable robotic arms that can assist with daily living tasks, using non-invasive techniques. This technology has the potential to improve quality of life for individuals with sensory and motor deficits, such as spinal cord injuries or stroke survivors.
Researchers analyzed 140,000 patient records and TV ads from Florida to investigate the effectiveness of DTCA for robotics surgery. The study found that patients exposed to robotic surgery advertising were more likely to choose it over conventional laparoscopic and open surgeries. Additionally, hospital marketers can use DTCA to sway p...
Researchers developed intelligent metasurface robotics that provides real-time and full-context awareness of its operating indoor environment. This resolves limitations of conventional robotics, including limited field of view and sensitivity to skin color.
A new study by Amazon uses robotics and operations research to enable humans and robots to work together effectively, reducing distance traveled by robots by 62% and resulting in $500 million in annual savings. The algorithm has also reduced storage footprint by 29%, leading to more efficient use of space and a productive human workforce.
Researchers at the University of Waterloo used a robot to help students with learning disabilities stay focused, leading to higher completion rates. The study found that students who worked with the robot were generally more engaged with their tasks.
Researchers discovered that shark spirals favor fluid flow in one direction, challenging a physics theorem. By studying the spiral shape and materials, they aim to develop soft robotics and medical devices.
The NERVE Center has developed test methods and metrics for various robots, identifying limitations to improve systems. The center's success grew its research capabilities through partnerships with NIST and the U.S. Army.
FRIDA uses AI models similar to those powering tools like ChatGPT and DALL-E 2 to generate paintings based on user input. The robot's final products are impressionistic and whimsical, with bold brushstrokes that lack precision sought in robotic endeavors.
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have created a new type of 'chain mail' material called an infinite catenane, which can be synthesized in a single step. This material is flexible, strong, and resilient like chain mail, and has potential applications in airplanes, armor, and robotics.
Researchers at ETH Zurich have created a device that uses ultrasound to automate laboratory analysis tasks. The device combines microfluidics and robotics, allowing for the mixing, pumping, and trapping of tiny amounts of liquid. This innovation enables the automation of previously custom-designed systems.
Researchers developed a new spatial-omics technology called DISCO-MS to detect early molecular changes in diseases. This approach allows for the characterization of diseased cells in intact tissues, revealing new biomarkers and therapeutic targets for conditions like Alzheimer's disease and atherosclerosis.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have created a new gel-based robot that can crawl through the air and on surfaces using only temperature changes, paving the way for human-like robots and biomedical applications. The 'gelbots' could be used to deliver targeted medicines or patrol ocean surfaces.
Researchers have developed a robot capable of sorting, manipulating, and identifying microscopic marine fossils. Forabot uses robotics and artificial intelligence to automate the tedious process of evaluating foram shells and fossils.
The University of Manchester's Centre for Robotics and AI will focus on interdisciplinary research, exploring applications of robotics in extreme environments and the intersection of AI and humanity. The centre aims to develop robots that can work safely in hostile zones, such as nuclear decommissioning sites.
CSU researchers created the first successful soft robotic gripper capable of manipulating individual droplets of liquid, enabling precise and lossless liquid cleanup work. The innovative device is lightweight, inexpensive, and can be used for hazardous liquid cleanup scenarios.
Scientists have created a new type of 3D mesostructure that can change shape and actuate at high frequencies, enabling new applications in robotics, MEMS, sensing, and wireless communication. The structure uses magnetism to control its deformation and has been successfully integrated into various devices.
Researchers have developed self-sufficient, three-dimensionally deforming material systems with integrated actuators and sensors. These systems improve robustness and enable customisation of complex patterns at desired locations.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute have developed a sensor called ReSkin that allows robots to feel cloth layers, enabling tasks such as folding laundry. The team taught the robot to grasp and manipulate cloth using tactile sensing, overcoming challenges of computer vision-based approaches.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a new approach for conducting automated science in space by balancing risk and scientific value. The approach uses a model that estimates science value and risk, allowing rovers to chart their own course while protecting against high-risk missions.
Researchers designed a soft, jellyfish-like gripper that uses entangled tentacles to grasp and hold heavy, oddly shaped objects. The gripper's strength comes from its ability to entangle itself with the object, increasing the hold with each contact.
Researchers designed a state-of-the-art walking robot that can assemble large constructions in space, such as telescopes. The E-Walker robot proved to be versatile and ideal for future in-orbit missions.
Researchers at UT Austin developed a semicrystalline polymer that combines strength and flexibility, overcoming challenges of mixed materials in robotics and electronics. The new material is 10 times as tough as natural rubber and can be controlled with light.
Researchers at Flinders University have created a new multi-functional material that can be used to purify water, as a recyclable construction material, and as a lightweight machine component for possible use in soft robotics. The material combines magnetic iron particles with a sulfur-rich polymer and can be moved remotely by a magnet.
A new 3D printing technique allows for the mass production of customized electronic machines, enabling advanced applications in robotics, medical devices, and others. This breakthrough could revolutionize manufacturing by providing a cost-effective solution for producing sensors in smaller volumes.
Researchers discuss benefits of using humanoid musculoskeletal robots and soft robotic systems as bioreactor platforms for producing clinically useful tendon constructs. These systems provide physiologically relevant mechanical stimulation, overcoming the translational gap in current conventional bioreactors.
The Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia team developed GRACE actuators, 3D-printed structures that mimic muscle tissue in nature. The actuators can be manufactured using various materials and sizes, providing a range of movement options for robots.
Bhattacharya's project uses topological abstraction to reduce complexity in robotic systems, enabling more efficient and accurate motion planning. The approach has potential applications in industries such as transportation, manufacturing, and healthcare.
QUT researchers have created a method to tell an autonomous vehicle which cameras to use when navigating, allowing for better understanding of the world around them. The system learns which cameras are most useful at different locations based on previous experience.
Researchers from TU Delft constructed the smallest flow-driven motors in the world using DNA, converting energy into mechanical work. The achievement opens new perspectives for engineering active robotics at the nanoscale.
University of Washington researchers have created a flexible, wearable thermoelectric device that converts body heat into electricity. The device's stretchable and efficient properties enable seamless integration into wearables and soft robotics.
A study published in Science Robotics journal reveals that humans are unable to distinguish between a humanoid robot's response time variability and that of a human when interacting with the robot. This finding suggests robots can exhibit human-like behavior, raising questions about the blurring line between humans and machines.
Researchers found that an elephant's folded skin plays a crucial role in its flexible and strong trunk, enabling it to grasp fragile vegetation and rip apart tree trunks. The study suggests that wrapping soft robotics with a skin-like structure could give machines protection and strength while maintaining flexibility.
A new study takes inspiration from the 'waggle dance' of honeybees to devise a way for robots to communicate effectively in situations with unreliable network communications. Researchers designed a visual communication system using on-board cameras, allowing robots to interpret gestures and convey complex information.
A cutting-edge AI system that mimics human gaze has been created by Cardiff University researchers. The system accurately predicts where humans are most likely to look in an image, with potential applications in robotics, multimedia communication, video surveillance, automated image editing, and medical diagnostics.
Researchers at the University of Michigan developed a new approach to expand training data sets for robots, enabling faster learning and improved performance. The method uses 'fake' data generated through simulations, which are then used to train robots on real-world tasks.
Researchers have developed a new type of prosthetic using microfluidics-enabled soft robotics that promises to greatly reduce skin ulcerations and pain in patients who have had an amputation between the ankle and knee. The prosthesis uses integrated pneumatic actuators to control fit, reducing volume changes and pressure ulcers.
A new robotic system, FuseBot, has been developed to efficiently retrieve buried objects in piles. The system uses radio frequency signals and computer vision to reason about the probable location and orientation of objects under the pile, enabling it to find more hidden items than a state-of-the-art robotics system in half the time.
A multidisciplinary approach reveals a continuum of locomotion dynamics in lizards, with short-limbed species exhibiting snakelike waves and long-bodied species bending like lizards. The findings deepen understanding of evolution's implications for locomotion and have applications for advanced robotics designs.
Researchers at the University of Manchester are developing AI-powered robots that can operate autonomously in hazardous environments. The 'hot-robotics' project aims to improve robot autonomy for tasks like decommissioning legacy power stations and inspecting nuclear reactors.
The study highlights opportunities for robotics to support human activities, foster innovation, and enhance monitoring. However, it also identifies potential threats such as exacerbating inequalities and diverting resources from tried-and-tested solutions. Researchers emphasize the need for early identification of negative impacts and ...
Homa Alemzadeh's research aims to develop safety monitoring tools for robotic surgery, enabling better training for surgeons and increasing the availability of less-invasive procedures. Her work has the potential to improve patient outcomes in underserved rural communities.
Researchers draw inspiration from insect intelligence to create more efficient and robust AI for small autonomous robots. Advances in biology and technology enable fine-grained investigations of insect brains, leading to faster energy efficiency and speed in sensing and neural processing.
Developed by a multidisciplinary team, the system remotely controls guidewires through tiny blood vessels using an external magnetic field. This reduces radiation exposure and simplifies procedures.
Researchers from the University of Tokyo have created a controllable robotic finger covered with living skin tissue that can heal itself. The development could lead to new possibilities in advanced manufacturing industries, such as automation and cosmetics, reducing costs, time, and complexity of research.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University developed an AI-powered method for robots to recognize and pour transparent liquids like water. The technique uses contrastive learning for unpaired image-to-image translation, enabling robots to see through different backgrounds and pour accurately.
Researchers created a graffiti-painting robot system that uses motion capture technology to record human painting motions. The team's cable-driven robot spray paints artwork with precision and speed, enabling the creation of human-style graffiti.
Researchers created a new fiber that performs like a muscle actuator, outperforming existing options in efficiency, flexibility, and strain handling. The fibers can be easily made and recycled, opening up potential applications in prosthetic limbs, robotic arms, and self-closing bandages.
Northwestern University engineers created a tiny, remote-controlled walking robot resembling a peekytoe crab. The robot is smaller than a flea and can bend, twist, crawl, walk, turn, and jump due to its shape-memory alloy material and elastic resilience.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute have developed an algorithmic planner that helps delegate tasks to humans and robots. The planner considers a list of tasks and decides how best to assign them, considering the time it takes for humans to complete tasks and teach robots new skills.
Researchers at NYU Abu Dhabi have discovered that organic crystals can efficiently convert energy, meeting the needs of advanced technologies such as soft robotics and artificial muscles. The material's ability to expand and contract repeatedly without deterioration makes it suitable for applications in electronics.
A physicist at TU Graz has developed a three-in-one hybrid material that reacts to force, moisture and temperature with high spatial resolution. The smart skin has potential applications in robotics, smart prosthetics and healthcare, and its production can be easily scaled and implemented.
The university's new Robotics and Autonomous Systems Teaching and Innovation Center (RASTIC) will provide students with hands-on experience in robotics, autonomous systems, and self-driving technology. The lab aims to boost Massachusetts' competitiveness in the tech sector by supporting innovative projects and startups.
Researchers from Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have developed a single-material, single-stimuli microstructure that can outmaneuver even living cilia. These programmable structures could be used for soft robotics, biocompatible medical devices, and dynamic information encryption.
The ALLOMAN hexapod robot combines leg and arm functions to achieve mobile manipulation, increasing flexibility and efficiency in legged robots. This novel platform has been successfully developed by the Robotics Institute of Beihang University, China.
Scientists at DGIST have developed a flexible, stretchable material that lights up brightly when stretched or subjected to an electric field. The new material overcomes design issues in existing devices, offering improved luminescence and potential applications in interactive skin displays and soft robotics.
Researchers developed micro-sized machines utilizing swarming strategy for cargo delivery, outperforming single robots with efficiency of up to five times. The team created a swarm of cooperating robots that can divide workload and respond to risks, expanding potential uses for microrobots.