Articles tagged with Robots
Researchers at UNH will develop and test social assistive robots to aid in the care of individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia in their own homes. The robots will be equipped with smart home devices, artificial intelligence, and wearables to track patients' activity levels and health management.
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.
A University of Washington team created a new tool that can design a 3D-printable passive gripper and calculate the best path to pick up an object. The designed grippers and paths were successful for 20 out of 22 objects tested, with two challenging shapes being the wedge and pyramid shape.
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 at Carnegie Mellon University developed a novel learning method for robots called WHIRL, which allows them to learn household tasks in the wild. The method enables robots to gather video data from human interaction and generalize it to new tasks, making them suitable for learning household chores.
Researchers at Harvard University have developed inflatable actuators that can bend, twist, and move in complex ways using origami-inspired designs. The actuator's bistable origami blocks allow it to perform up to eight different motions with a single pressure source.
A team of researchers from Cornell University has developed a deformable pump for soft robots, mimicking the human heart's functionality. The pump uses hydrodynamic and magnetic forces to provide soft robots with a circulatory system, allowing them to store energy and power their movements more efficiently.
A Columbia University team created a robot that can learn and understand its own body, planning motion and avoiding obstacles without human assistance. The robot's self-model was accurate to about 1% of its workspace, paving the way for more self-reliant autonomous systems.
Researchers at AMOLF developed a soft robot that uses a 'hysteretic valve' to respond to changes in its environment, mimicking the movement of living organisms. The robot's natural gait and tactile responses were achieved through the use of air pressure, eliminating the need for computer control.
Researchers created a new material and manufacturing process for creating artificial muscles with improved flexibility and durability. The resulting material, PHDE, is thin, lightweight, and can generate high forces while maintaining its shape under high-strain conditions.
Researchers found that mere exposure to a human-like robot is not enough to make people believe it is capable of thoughts and emotions. Human-like behavior is crucial for being perceived as an intentional agent. The study aims to inform the design of social robots in the future.
A study published in Labour Economics found that US workers who work alongside industrial robots are more likely to suffer from adverse mental health effects, including substance abuse and increased suicide rates. In contrast, German workers saw no significant mental-health change when exposed to robotics.
A novel Kalman filter, GMCKF, was proposed to improve robot tracking accuracy in space with complex non-Gaussian noise. The algorithm achieves better performance under various non-Gaussian noises by utilizing a generalized Gaussian density function and automatic parameter selection.
A novel algorithm, BLIND, enables robots to navigate through environments with obstacles by incorporating human feedback. Humans provide labels to refine the robot's trajectory, avoiding obstacles efficiently.
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.
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.
A new AI system uses artificial neural networks to recognize objects more accurately and stably, despite changing visual inputs. The system mimics human eye movements to improve machine vision capabilities, reducing errors in self-driving cars and other applications.
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 ...
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that robots loaded with widely-used AI models exhibit significant gender and racial biases. The AI models were trained on biased internet data, which led to the robot making assumptions about people's jobs based on their appearance.
Researchers at MIT created insect-scale robots that can emit light during flight, allowing for precise motion tracking and potential communication between robots. The ability to emit light also enables the robots to call for help in search-and-rescue missions.
A team of UCLA engineers developed a new design strategy and 3D printing technique to build robots in one step. The breakthrough enables the manufacturing of mechanical and electronic systems needed to operate a robot all at once, resulting in lighter weights, bulkier volumes, and reduced force output.
Researchers at Stanford University have created millirobots that can precisely target specific areas of the body with medicines. These tiny robots, powered by magnetic fields, can navigate through narrow spaces and dispense medicine in real-time.
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 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 UC San Diego developed a new technology using WiFi sensors to help robots navigate indoors, even in poor lighting. The system accuracy rivals commercial camera and LiDAR sensors.
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.
Researchers at EPFL's School of Life Sciences create a digital twin of Drosophila called NeuroMechFly, which uses biomechanical modeling and machine learning to simulate the fly's movements. The model is validated through experiments that demonstrate its accuracy in replicating real animal behaviors.
Researchers at Singapore University of Technology and Design developed a new machine learning approach to model underwater robot dynamics, allowing for efficient swimming in complex environments. The approach, published in IEEE-RAL, uses deep neural networks to predict required flapping motions for a set of given propulsive force targets.
Studies in fruit flies reveal coordinated movements of heads and bodies to stabilize vision and improve flight performance. Similar synchronization is observed in other animals, including primates, suggesting evolutionary benefits for energy efficiency and performance.
Daniel Preston, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Rice University, has won the National Science Foundation CAREER Award for his proposal on textile-based wearable robots. The grant aims to develop a platform for non-electronic computation that can be integrated directly into wearable robots, addressing problems with s...
Researchers developed a machine-learning method that allows robots to pick up and place never-before-seen objects in random poses, requiring only 10 human demonstrations. The system uses a neural network specifically designed to reconstruct 3D shapes, enabling the robot to generalize to new object orientations.
Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology have developed micro-rocker bots that can move precisely on a solid surface using a single electromagnetic coil. The robots, about the size of a particle of dust, are controlled by a magnetic field generated by the coil and can perform well-controlled movement with selectable direction.
Developed by Prof. Qing Shi's team, SQuRo can mimic the motion of actual rats and perform various motions like crouching-to-standing, walking, crawling, and turning. It successfully passed through an irregular narrow passage and demonstrated its potential application to inspection tasks inside narrow spaces.
A study found that people are more comfortable with AI companions that are voice-based and less likely to recommend them if they appear too human-like. The researchers suggest that the 'uncanny valley' effect may contribute to this preference.
Researchers propose a modular Mars exploration rover system consisting of four two-wheeled robots that can operate independently or combine in various constellations. The approach enables longer missions and gathers more information about the planet's history and potential habitability.
Researchers at UCF create brain-like devices that enable AI to function independently, allowing technology like robots and voice assistants to operate in remote areas or space. The devices use parallelism and in-memory computing, similar to the brain, for AI and unsupervised learning.
Researchers at the University of Bristol created a 3D-printed artificial fingertip that produces nerve signals similar to those from human tactile nerves. The innovation could improve robot dexterity and prosthetic hand performance by giving them an in-built sense of touch.
Researchers at MIT developed a framework for robotic manipulation systems that can perform complex tasks using a two-stage learning process. This allows robots to learn abstract ideas about manipulating deformable objects, such as pizza dough, and execute skills to complete tasks.
The article reviews key technologies for space intelligent robots in on-orbit operation requirements. Researchers discuss challenges such as microgravity, complex illumination, and strong radiation in space.
Developers are integrating optical coherence tomography (OCT) machines into sensor packages to create fast and accurate LiDAR systems. These advancements enable robots and cars to see the world in a more natural and safe manner, improving interaction with humans.
A team of engineers and scientists has developed a proof-of-concept for a magnetic tentacle robot that can navigate the narrow tubes of the lung, enabling doctors to take tissue samples or deliver cancer therapy. The device measures just 2 millimeters in diameter and uses an autonomous magnetic guidance system to guide it into place.
A new study from St John's College, University of Cambridge suggests that robots can help produce solar fuels, accelerating the world's transition to green renewables. The 'cyber-leaf' concept uses AI and robots to create sustainable syngas, reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
Researchers created BirdBot, a robotic leg inspired by the ostrich's anatomy, which achieves energy efficiency through a mechanical coupling of muscles and tendons. The robot leg requires fewer motors than other machines, making it suitable for large size applications.
Researchers at Skoltech used a 3D simulation to show that small fish can sense the position and tail beat of their neighbors through water pressure variations, enabling efficient group swimming even in darkness. This mechanism could lead to more energy-efficient aquatic research robots and improved fish behavior studies.
Researchers at the University of Bath have developed a new coating method for soft robots that allows them to change shape and movement through human-controlled activity. This breakthrough in active matter could lead to the creation of machines governed by individual units that cooperate to determine movement and function.
Researchers at MIT and Harvard University applied cognitive science theories to human-robot interaction, finding that humans need to see variation in robot behavior to build accurate mental models. Theories suggest that strategic variation can reveal concepts that might be difficult for a person to discern otherwise.
Researchers at New York University found that paper airplanes can achieve stable gliding when the center of mass is in a specific location, unlike conventional airplanes. The study's findings enhance our understanding of flight stability and provide insights into designing small-scale flying machines.
A team of scientists developed a soft haptic sensor that can accurately estimate contact points and forces using computer vision and deep neural networks. The sensor is sensitive enough to detect even tiny forces and detailed object shapes.
Researchers created an artificial sensory receptor that generates spike signals on its own, enabling the e-skin to analyze spatial information and react to external stimuli in real-time. The e-skin's functionality overcomes limitations of conventional electronic skins, which can only process tactile information sequentially.
Developed by University of Cambridge researchers, these materials can sense strain, temperature and humidity, and partially repair themselves at room temperature. The low-cost materials have potential applications in robotics, tactile interfaces and wearable devices.
Researchers at Simon Fraser University have developed robots that can take a patient's blood pressure using only a simple touch, inspired by the folding mechanisms of leeches. The origami-inspired dry electrodes can be integrated onto humanoid-sensing robots to monitor blood pressure without traditional cuff-based digital sphygmomanome...
A team of researchers from Shibaura Institute of Technology has developed a transducer powered by electrochemical reactions to drive fluid pumps without cumbersome parts in soft robots. The ECDT enables self-sensing technology, enhancing the multifunctionality of soft robots and allowing for miniaturization.
A study by Washington State University researcher Soobin Seo found that people are more comfortable talking to female robots working in service roles in hotels. The preference is stronger when the robots are described as having more human features, with participants rating female robot interactions as more pleasant and satisfying.
For the first time, astronauts in orbit successfully controlled a robot on the ground using haptic feedback, simulating geological exploration missions. This breakthrough enables more complex investigations of planetary surfaces without human exposure to danger.
Researchers developed MonoCon, a new AI technique that enables accurate identification of 3D objects in 2D images. By incorporating auxiliary context, the method improves object detection and estimation accuracy, paving the way for safer and more robust autonomous vehicles.
Research reveals that intense storms in the Southern Ocean increase ocean mixing, bringing carbon dioxide-rich waters to the surface and driving an outgassing of CO2 into the atmosphere. This process has significant implications for understanding global climate models and predicting future climate change.
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a new control technology that enables ANYmal, a quadrupedal robot, to combine visual perception of its environment with proprioception-based sensing. This allows the robot to tackle rough terrain faster and more efficiently.
Researchers discovered humans unconsciously mirror a humanoid robot's body language, mirroring human behavior when interacting with peers. The study highlights the intriguing similarity between human-Robot interactions and interpersonal relationships.
Researchers developed soft manipulators based on pneu-nets, mimicking biological systems like elephant trunks and octopus tentacles. These structures can grasp and manipulate soft objects with increased flexibility.
Researchers have developed a computer program that can control a robot using electrical signals emitted by a patient's brain, allowing them to move the robot with their thoughts. The system uses an algorithm that can learn from the patient's brain activity and adjust the robot's movements accordingly.