Articles tagged with Robotic Locomotion
A new robotic system utilizes twisting elastic rods to produce powerful, repeatable motions, enabling small robots to hop, flip, and swim across challenging terrain. The snapping mechanism stores and releases built-up energy, allowing a small, low-power motor to trigger rapid movements.
The robots use torsion to store elastic energy and release it all at once, causing them to jump and repeat the process as long as they are exposed to infrared light. Design changes can control the movement, such as jumping forward or leaping vertically.
Researchers trained AI on stick insect walking cycle to find optimal walking strategy, resulting in a six-legged robot that can navigate treacherous terrain and adapt to missing limbs. The approach allows for cheaper and faster robot production, enabling potential disaster response applications.
Engineers at Texas A&M University, NASA, and Purdue University create algorithms for managing spacecraft traffic around Gateway, a lunar spaceport. The system balances fuel efficiency and operational demands to reduce the risk of collisions during space missions.
Researchers at EPFL have designed acoustic cavities that convert sound waves into thrust, propelling small robots and ultralight aerial vehicles without on-board actuators or electronics. These devices utilize hollow structures to harness specific frequencies of sound waves, generating directional thrust and controlled motion.
Researchers at Seoul National University have developed a novel approach using porous triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) feet and deep reinforcement learning controller, which significantly reduces battery power consumption in quadruped robots. The solution reduces energy consumption by up to 6.2% while maintaining stable locomotion.
Researchers developed EleTac, a soft robotic gripper with high-resolution tactile sensing, to handle delicate objects. The gripper's innovative design enables it to adapt to various shapes and provide gentle forces, making it suitable for applications such as handling fruit, lab samples, and medical supplies.
A new robot mimics the movement of an inchworm using a soft muscle-like material, allowing it to navigate challenging environments. The robot can be used to inspect sewer pipes or explore the planet Mars without multiple actuators.
Scientists created a shape-changing flying robot named Floaty that can fly efficiently while staying stable in the air. By adjusting its flaps to control air resistance, Floaty balances itself and recovers from disturbances.
Researchers at Texas A&M University are designing how humans will build and survive on the moon, focusing on sustainable construction using lunar regolith. The institution's efforts aim to reduce costs associated with shipping materials to the moon, making it possible to produce rocket propellant locally.
A robotic hand developed at USC can hear a melody once and play it back after just two minutes of self-taught practice on a keyboard. The system, called the Musician Hand, mimics the way the brain and body coordinate fine motor skills through trial and error, offering a new model for machines — and medicine — to approach complex moveme...
Researchers at Duke University introduce Argus, a 20-eyed robot with no front or back, demonstrating dynamic symmetry and improving performance across various measures. The design surpasses the theoretical maximum of 0.6, enabling robustness, energy efficiency, and resilience to damage.
Researchers emphasize the need for more thorough frameworks to ensure AI-enabled robots embody human values. The field should focus on three complementary lines of defense: rules that shape robot decisions, checks that monitor behavior, and safety reasoning.
Researchers demonstrated a breakthrough in microrobotics: swarms of magnetic microrobots can manipulate objects without physical contact by harnessing fluid-generated torque. The microrobots act as motors to move millimeter-sized passive objects, opening new pathways for precision manufacturing and biomedical applications.
Researchers at Harvard's John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have developed a new fabrication method for printing robotic devices with long filaments featuring precisely placed hollow channels. This allows the device to bend and deform in predetermined ways, enabling the creation of soft robots with predictable s...
A hierarchical 3D LiDAR localization method improves robot positioning in large outdoor spaces even after seasonal changes. The method integrates deep learning techniques to extract discriminative local features from 3D point clouds, making it robust to environmental variability.
Researchers at Duke University have created a programmable Lego-like material that can change its stiffness and damping in response to temperature changes. The material, made from gallium and iron, can be programmed to mimic various commercially available soft materials.
A new fabrication method, optofluidic assembly, has been developed to create tiny 3D objects from a variety of materials, including metals, semiconductors and polymers. The technique uses light-driven flow to guide the assembly of micro- or nanoparticles within a confined space.
Scientists created biologically realistic artificial cilia using hydrogel, enabling precise control over their motion. The tiny structures can be powered by low-voltage electrical signals and have shown remarkable durability and versatility.
A team of Princeton engineers studied grasshopper gliding to develop a model for multimodal locomotion in tiny robots. They successfully created a glider that can fold its wings and change strategies depending on the situation, achieving performance comparable to actual grasshoppers.
Developed by U-M and Penn, the robots can sense and respond to their surroundings, operate for months, and cost just a penny each. They have applications in monitoring cell health and aiding manufacturing.
Researchers at Penn and UMich created microscopic swimming machines that can independently sense and respond to their surroundings, operate for months, and cost just a penny each. The robots are powered by light and can be programmed to move in complex patterns, sense local temperatures, and adjust their paths accordingly.
A new robotic design uses vine-like structures to lift and grasp a variety of objects, including humans, with a gentler approach. The robot can snake around obstacles, squeeze through tight spaces, and even secure itself in a closed loop to create a sling.
Oxford researchers have developed soft robots that operate without electronics, motors, or computers, using only air pressure to generate complex, rhythmic movements. The robots can automatically synchronize their actions and perform tasks like sorting beads into containers without external control.
Researchers introduce HydroSpread, a new fabrication method for creating soft robots that can move and adapt on their own. The technology uses liquid polymer to create ultrathin, uniform sheets on water's surface, allowing for complex patterns and controlled movement.
A team of researchers has developed a robot with self-morphing, wing-like feet that mimic the agile movements of water striders. The insect-scale robot enhances surface maneuverability and can execute sharp turns in just 50 milliseconds, rivaling the rapid aerial maneuvers of flying flies.
A wearable robot has been upgraded to provide personalized assistance to ALS and stroke patients. The device uses machine learning and a physics-based model to adapt to an individual user's movements, offering more nuanced help with daily tasks.
Researchers at IIT have successfully demonstrated the first flight of a humanoid robot, iRonCub3, which can lift off the floor and maintain stability. The robot's AI-powered control system enables it to handle high-speed turbulent airflows, extreme temperatures, and complex dynamics.
Researchers developed a new robot navigation system called LENS, which uses brain-inspired computing to set a low-energy benchmark for robotic place recognition. The system combines a spiking neural network with a special camera and low-power chip to enable fast and energy-efficient location tracking.
Researchers at KAIST developed a quadrupedal navigation system that enables the robot to reach its target destination quickly and safely in complex terrain. Inspired by cat's paw placement, they significantly reduced computational complexity.
Researchers at Tohoku University developed jellyfish cyborgs that harness the organism's natural swimming style, predicting movement in any direction using a lightweight AI model. The findings demonstrate the potential for soft-bodied marine animals to inspire innovations in robotics and climate research
Researchers at Duke University developed a novel framework called WildFusion that fuses vision, vibration and touch to enable robots to sense complex outdoor environments like humans do. The system was tested in real-world settings and showed remarkable ability to accurately predict traversability and improve robot decision-making.
Researchers developed novel haptic devices to enable precise robot control with tactile feedback, reducing collisions and improving user proficiency. The devices integrate digital twin technology and augmented reality for enhanced immersion.
Kavraki's interdisciplinary research in robotics and biomedicine has been recognized for its impact on manufacturing, space exploration, and medicine. Her work bridges theory and application, with contributions to novel robot motion planning, personalized cancer treatments, and drug discovery.
Researchers at the University of Amsterdam found that worms behave like 'active polymers' when navigating complex environments. In disordered obstacles, they spread faster as obstacle density increases, contradicting common sense. The study's findings suggest a crucial role for environmental geometry in dictating movement strategies.
Researchers developed magnetic micro swimmers covered in a thin coating of magnetic nanoparticles, unaffected by the coating. The algae maintained their swimming speed after magnetization and navigated 3D-printed channels using magnetic guidance.
A bioinspired robot called GOAT can change shape to alter its physical properties in response to the environment, resulting in a robust and efficient autonomous vehicle. The robot's compliance allows it to navigate diverse environments with minimal sensing equipment, enabling it to find the path of least resistance.
The Harvard robot uses latch-mediated spring actuation to jump high and cover long distances relative to its size. It combines walking and jumping modes for effective navigation in natural environments.
A team of researchers has created a robotic material-like collective that can change shape and stiffness in response to internal signals. The robots, composed of disk-shaped autonomous units, use light sensors, magnets, and force fluctuations to achieve this behavior, reducing power consumption compared to traditional robotic systems.
Researchers developed mini biohybrid rays using cardiomyocytes and rubber, demonstrating improved swimming efficiencies approximately two times greater than previous biomimetic designs. The application of machine-learning directed optimization enabled an efficient search for high-performance design configurations.
A study published in Science Robotics found that diverse and inclusive teams in robotics research achieve higher motivation, commitment, and productivity. The team identified seven main benefits of workforce diversity and inclusive leadership, including increased innovation and reduced bias.
Researchers developed a soft robot with fins shaped like manta rays, capable of swimming up and down throughout the water column. The robot uses spontaneous snapping-induced jet flows to achieve high speeds and maneuverability.
NeuroMechFly v2 simulates how a fruit fly navigates through its environment while reacting to sights, smells, and obstacles. The model can track moving objects visually or navigate towards an odor source, while avoiding obstacles in its path, enabling researchers to study brain-body coordination and animal intelligence.
Scientists at Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems developed a novel method for deploying multiple magnetic miniature robots to navigate through complex networks resembling blood vessels. The system allows for simultaneous treatment of multiple locations, saving critical time and enabling localized care.
Researchers from Tohoku University and partners developed a decentralized control system to analyze plesiosaur locomotion, accounting for motion adjustment. The system successfully recreated coordinated flippers patterns in response to changes in flapping cycle and morphology.
Scientists at Princeton University develop a system of two robots connected by flexible tether, enabling them to solve complex problems like maze navigation and object gathering. The innovative approach harnesses physical characteristics rather than digital calculation to achieve remarkable abilities.
The Human AugmentatioN via Dexterity (HAND) center aims to develop robots capable of enhancing human labor through engineered systems of dexterous robotic hands, AI-powered fine motor skills, and human interface. The center's goal is to make robotic assistance accessible and applicable to a wide range of physical actions.
Researchers develop film-balloon (FiBa) soft robots with novel fabrication approach, enabling lightweight, untethered operation and advanced biomimetic locomotion capabilities. The breakthrough enhances the operational capabilities of soft robots for diverse applications.
Researchers at the University of Oregon have discovered that salps, gelatinous marine animals, use coordinated jet propulsion to swim through the ocean in giant corkscrew shapes. This unusual locomotion could inspire new designs for efficient underwater vehicles and may even enable silent and less turbulent navigation.
A recent study published in Science Robotics found that robots struggle to outperform biological organisms in foot races. The researchers analyzed data from dozens of studies and concluded that the failure of robots to outrun animals is not due to shortfalls in individual components, but rather inefficiencies in system design.
Researchers have created a method to control pneumatic artificial muscles with embedded bifurcation structures, which can generate diverse dynamics and patterns. This breakthrough enables robots to exhibit more adaptable and flexible movements, streamlining hardware and software development.
An interdisciplinary team of scientists and engineers compared various aspects of running robots with their equivalents in animals, finding that biological components performed poorly compared to fabricated parts. However, animals excel in integrating and controlling these components.
Researchers at Georgia Tech have developed a universal approach to controlling robotic exoskeletons that requires no training, calibration, or adjustments. The system uses deep learning to autonomously adjust assistance levels for walking, standing, and climbing stairs, reducing user effort and metabolic expenditure.
Researchers created a soft robot mimicking 500-million-year-old pleurocystitids, suggesting a sweeping motion helped them glide through the ocean floor. The design also indicates longer stems enabled faster movement without increased energy expenditure.
Researchers at the University of Tokyo have created a two-legged biohybrid robot capable of walking and pivoting underwater. The robot uses lab-grown skeletal muscle tissue to move its legs, achieving efficient and silent movements. Future iterations aim to develop thicker muscles with nutrient supplies to enable robots to walk on land.
Researchers aim to create robots that can change tasks autonomously and explore settings to optimize performance. The project will focus on battery recycling and energy efficiency, with the goal of reducing industrial waste.
Researchers have developed twisted ringbots that can roll forward, spin like a record, and follow an orbital path around a central point. These devices can navigate and map unknown environments without human or computer control.
Researchers at ETH Zurich developed an autonomous excavator called HEAP to construct a 6-meter-high and 65-meter-long dry-stone wall. The excavator uses sensors, machine vision, and algorithms to place stones in the desired location, achieving a high level of precision and speed.
Researchers create a legged small celestial body landing mechanism that can land stably in different conditions, including varying gravity and slopes. The study found that key factors such as cardan element damping, foot anchors, retro-rocket thrust, and landing slope affect the landing performance.
Duke researchers demonstrate that incorporating rhythm into movement designs can optimize performance and efficiency for robots and animals. By varying the timing of movements, optimal rhythms can be achieved, affecting all aspects of design.