Despite a 19% increase in global spending on science and a 13.7% rise in scientists, significant disparities remain, with only two countries accounting for nearly 63% of the investment. The report highlights the need for more diverse and inclusive science policy, emphasizing the importance of women's participation in research.
Researchers from SUTD developed Automated Fibre Embedding (AFE) to produce complex fibre and silicone composite structures for soft robotics. The AFE approach enables high precision fabrication without manual user intervention.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University developed a model that enables drones to capture videos evoking specific emotions, such as excitement or calmness, through camera angles and flight paths.
The US Army has partnered with teams led by the University of Maryland to accelerate AI development and deployment for safe and effective capabilities. The collaboration aims to reduce human workload and risk in complex environments, such as search-and-rescue operations.
Scientists have created a molecular switching circuit made of DNA that can change the shape of soft matter based on pH levels. The DNA switches react differently with their surroundings, allowing for potential applications in soft robotics and logical function networks.
According to a review article in Science Robotics, researchers are making progress in learned robot manipulation, which enables robots to adapt to changing stimuli. The authors propose nine promising areas for future exploration, including representation learning, modular design, and task/skill customization.
Researchers created a system of small autonomous robots that teach themselves to move forward as quickly as possible by continuously conducting small experiments. The results showed that this simple self-learning robot can tackle new situations and recover from damage, making it robust and scalable for applications in soft robotics.
Researchers developed a new class of pneumatic artificial muscles (MAIPAMs) inspired by biological muscle-fiber arrays, enabling multiple-mode actuations like muscular hydrostats. The MAIPAMs have potential applications in soft robotics for tasks such as environment detection, object manipulation, and climbing.
Researchers propose a three-tiered categorization system to push soft robotics forward and increase its impact. The system includes Level 0 for exploratory studies, Level 1 for performance improvement, and Level 2 for applications beyond soft robotics.
The Politecnico di Torino team creates hydrogels with complex architectures and self-healing properties using 3D printing activated by light. This breakthrough enables the production of highly complex devices with unique features, paving the way for innovative applications in regenerative medicine and soft-robotics.
Researchers at IBEC developed biobots with muscle tissue and flexible skeletons that can swim and coast like fish, achieving unprecedented velocities. The innovative skeleton creates a feedback loop through mechanical self-stimulation, leading to enhanced actuation and larger contraction force.
Cavatappi artificial muscles, developed by Northern Arizona University researchers, exhibit specific work and power metrics ten and five times higher than human skeletal muscles, respectively. These flexible actuators respond as fast as they can pump pressurized fluid and have demonstrated contractile efficiency of up to 45 percent.
The Acceleration Consortium is using AI and robotics to design and discover new materials with superior performance characteristics. The collaboration aims to accelerate the development of materials for renewable energy, consumer electronics, drugs, and other applications.
A multidisciplinary team from Kazan Federal University proposes a novel holistic architecture for an infectious disease hospital that employs robotic tools. The framework preserves classical organizational structure while assigning practical applicability to robots, helping to develop efficient and safe operations.
Researchers from Singapore University of Technology and Design developed the largest range of silicone and epoxy hybrid resins for 3D printing wearable devices, biomedical equipment, and soft robotics. The new resins exhibit excellent interfacial toughness and mechanical properties.
Arash Ajoudani has made a significant impact on the field of human-robot collaboration and telerobotics with his research. He has contributed to several successful European projects, including ERGO-Lean and SOPHIA, which aim to develop collaborative robotics systems capable of anticipating human behavior.
MIT researchers develop a deep-learning algorithm to optimize sensor placement on soft robots, allowing them to better interact with their environment and complete assigned tasks. The algorithm learns the most efficient sequence of movements and identifies the most important particles to improve performance.
Researchers are developing AI-controlled exoskeletons and prosthetic legs that can think and make control decisions on their own. The system combines computer vision and deep-learning AI to mimic human walking by adjusting to surroundings.
The university will focus on breakthroughs in automated driving, robotics, and machine-assisted cognition with a total of $2.2M in funding over three years. Researchers will develop a standardized testbed and protocol for testing autonomous vehicles and create robots to assist older adults age in place.
A partnership between Clemson University and Nephron Pharmaceuticals Corporation has led to the development of a flexible, open-source benchtop robot that can fill, cap, and seal sterile syringes, increasing productivity and quality control in pharmaceutical manufacturing. This innovation aims to address drug shortages, which have sign...
Researchers at MIT have developed a new type of control system that allows soft-bodied robots to turn rigid on demand. This advancement could enable robots to combine the strength and precision of rigid robots with the fluidity and safety of soft ones, leading to improved performance in various tasks such as caring for human patients.
A new COVID-19 screening platform, C19-SPAR-Seq, has been developed to rapidly analyze thousands of samples for variants. The platform boasts a sensitivity rate greater than 95%, making it a crucial tool in the fight against the pandemic.
A novel soft tactile sensor with skin-comparable characteristics has been developed for robots, allowing them to grasp fragile objects and thread needles. The sensor decouples external forces into normal and shear components, providing accurate measurements.
The study reveals opportunities for improved green space monitoring and increased access to nature for citizens. However, advances in robotics and automation could generate new sources of waste and pollution, threatening urban nature.
Researchers at UC San Diego created a four-legged robot that doesn't need electronics, using pressurized air for controls and locomotion. The robot mimics mammalian reflexes and can navigate uneven surfaces with the help of pneumatic circuits.
A new flexible and lightweight power system for soft robotics has been developed, paving the way for wearable assist devices. The electro-pneumatic pump is soft, bendable, low-cost, and easy to make, transforming lives of people with mobility issues.
A novel construction robotic system developed by Purdue University uses computer vision sensing technology to automate key operations, reducing workforce shortages and increasing efficiency. The system also enables faster completion of tasks at lower costs.
Researchers at UTA have developed a technique to program 2D materials into 3D shapes, enabling new technologies for soft robotics and biomimetic manufacturing. The approach allows for the creation of complex 3D structures with doubly curved morphologies and motions, previously difficult to replicate with man-made materials.
Researchers develop robots that mimic human appearance, perception, and control systems to create more advanced androids. Robots can also experience sensations like touch and pain, and learn from humans through observation and feedback mechanisms.
UMass Amherst researchers create materials that harness environmental energy to propel themselves, offering a sustainable solution for industries like robotics and toys. The discovery builds on natural phenomena like plant springs and animal movements.
The FAROS project aims to develop surgical robots with non-visual sensing capabilities, including tactile and auditory sensors, to master complex tasks autonomously. This new concept enables surgeon-like autonomous behavior with physical and cognitive intelligence.
Researchers have developed a Velcro-like fastener with a microscopic mushroom design that uses softer materials and still provides strong interlocking force. This design has potential for quiet operation and can be used in various applications such as diapers, soft robotics, and grippers for robots.
Researchers at Delft University of Technology develop an optical flow-based learning process that enables small flying drones to estimate distances through the visual appearance of objects in view. This allows for better navigation skills, including smoother landings and improved obstacle detection.
Researchers developed fish-inspired robots that synchronize movements in 3D space, exhibiting complex collective behaviors such as aggregation and circle formation. The system uses blue LED lights for vision-based coordination and demonstrates autonomy in underwater environments.
Researchers at the University of Zurich have developed a solution to stabilize drones when one motor fails, using onboard camera information. The team equipped quadcopters with standard and event cameras, which enable the drone to estimate its position in space despite high-speed rotation. This innovation improves flight safety in area...
Scientists are using brain recordings, flight analyses, and computational modeling to uncover the neural mechanisms behind insect decision-making. The study aims to inform autonomous robotics, computational neuroscience, and other fields by understanding how insects utilize movement to simplify information sampling.
Rutgers engineers create 3D-printed smart gel that senses light and changes shape, inspired by cephalopod skin. The technology has potential applications in military camouflage, soft robotics, and flexible displays.
Researchers assess opportunities to improve nature monitoring, increase access to green spaces, and reduce pollution with robotics. However, they also warn of potential negative impacts on the environment, including waste generation and social inequalities.
Computer simulation is crucial for developing human-interactive smart robots, enabling safer, faster, and more efficient design and control. By analyzing the biology of soft animal structures, researchers can construct virtual proving grounds to understand robot behavior and optimize performance.
A research team led by Prof. Gordon Cheng aims to develop a 'soft' exoskeleton that can sense user movement intentions and provide real-time feedback, integrating with brain-machine interfaces. The goal is to create an exoskeleton that works as an extension of the human body, enabling users to control their movements with their minds.
Researchers at Ritsumeikan University create soft robotic fingers with integrated sensing mechanisms using multimaterial 3D printing, enabling controlled grasping and manipulation of objects. The design features a self-powered sensor that requires no energy supply, expanding the possibilities for robots in human care and interaction.
Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a breakthrough optical sensor that can mimic the human eye's ability to perceive changes in its visual field. The sensor uses ultrathin layers of perovskite semiconductors to detect light intensity changes, enabling it to prioritize signals from photoreceptors detecting movement.
Researchers at University of California San Diego have created a flexible, rechargeable silver oxide-zinc battery with areal energy density five to ten times greater than state-of-the-art batteries. The device can be used in wearables and soft robotics.
A team of scientists from Tokyo Institute of Technology devised a strategy to automate the novel material development process using robotics and artificial intelligence. The CASH setup enables fully autonomous materials research, making it possible to test and optimize new compounds at an unprecedented scale.
Researchers developed a new electronic chip that brings together imaging, processing, machine learning, and memory in one device powered by light. The prototype achieves brain-like functionality and can be used to enable smarter and smaller autonomous technologies like drones and robotics.
Researchers at Arizona State University developed curved origami structures that can adjust stiffness based on function, providing a new range of flexibility in robots. This technology enables robots to perform various movements by adjusting the creases used, and has implications for designing mechanical metamaterials.
Researchers developed machine learning frameworks that guarantee robots' performance in unfamiliar settings, with a guaranteed success rate of 88.4% in obstacle avoidance trials. The approach expands generalization theory to robotics, providing more broadly applicable guarantees on robot control policies.
A multi-center US trial shows that exoskeleton training is safe, feasible, and effective in improving mobility in individuals with spinal cord injury. The study found that most participants mastered the ability to ambulate effectively with the assistance of an exoskeleton after 12-36 sessions.
Researchers Mirko Kovac and Aslan Miriyev propose merging artificial intelligence with physical bodies to create lifelike robots. By combining materials science, biology, and computer science, they aim to achieve symbiosis between humans and machines.
Engineers at the University of New South Wales have developed a robotic gripper that behaves like an elephant's trunk to grasp, pick up, and release objects without breaking them. The versatile technology can be applied in various industries, including agriculture, food, and scientific exploration.
Researchers at Imperial College London have developed drones that can deploy sensor-containing darts onto trees and collect data on forest ecosystems. The drones can also perch on tree branches like birds to collect data themselves, acting as mobile sensors.
A new high-speed amphibious robot, AmphiSTAR, has been developed by Ben-Gurion University researchers inspired by the movements of cockroaches and lizards. The robot can swim, run on water at high speeds and crawl on difficult terrain, making it suitable for applications such as agriculture, search and rescue, and excavation.
The ONR robotics program has deployed a decontamination robot using short-wave ultraviolet (UVC) light to combat Covid-19. The robot's mechanical arm can reposition UVC lamps over surfaces, reducing human exposure and enabling autonomous disinfection.
A recent study shows that robot swarms can follow instructions to create paintings, using a system where an artist selects areas of the canvas to be painted a certain color. The resulting images are abstract and pleasing to the eye, with unique areas of color flowing into each other.
Scientists have found a correlation between brain activity and attitudes towards humanoid robots, with distinct neural patterns predicting people's bias in attributing intentionality. This study contributes to understanding engagement with robots and can inform the future acceptance of robots in healthcare applications.
Researchers at Yokohama National University have proposed a fix to prevent stretched-out stretchable sensors from producing large errors in pressure movement measurement. The new sensors use a hard silicone shell to protect the soft porous silicone pressure sensor, allowing it to measure force without being overextended.
New technologies are solving cold cases using DNA sequencing, robotics, and automation. Forensic genomics has made significant progress in recent years, enabling the solution of an unprecedented number of cold cases, including homicides and other violent crimes.
A research team created dual-mode sensors that capture texture and force, enabling precise measurement of movement magnitude, load, rate, duration, and direction. These sensors could aid people with severe injuries and contribute to advanced robotics.
Researchers distinguish between brain activities of right-handers and left-handers using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, revealing asymmetry in response to passive touch stimulations. The study may have implications for brain-computer interfaces, rehabilitation robotics, and cognitive enhancement treatments.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have developed a new metric for evaluating how well self-driving cars respond to changing road conditions and traffic. The new metric, called streaming perception accuracy, balances reaction time and accuracy, allowing systems to optimize performance and reduce latency.