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Developing an autonomous crack segmentation and exploration system for civil infrastructureIdentifying cracks is critical for the monitoring of civil infrastructure. To enhance inspection efficiency, a proposed autonomous crack segmentation and exploration system enables the agent to navigate itself without human operation, and the agent successfully captures more than 85% of cracks in the training dataset and achieves 82% crack coverage... Read more
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'FlyingToolbox' drone system achieves accurate mid-air tool exchange despite airflow interferenceFlying manipulator robots have shown themselves to be useful in many applications, such as industrial maintenance or construction. Their utility in hard to reach or hazardous locations makes them particularly promising in applications that put humans at risk. While these machines have been continuously improving over the years, they are... Read more
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Humanoid robots in the home? Not so fast, says expertIt's been a goal for as long as humanoids have been a subject of popular imagination—a general-purpose robot that can do rote tasks like fold laundry or sort recycling simply by being asked.... Read more
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The importance of a leader–follower relationship for performing tasksWhen multiple people work together, things sometimes turn out better than doing the same task alone. Then, there are other times, when cooperation actually seems to hinder progress, making things much more inefficient.... Read more
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Shape-changing robots: New AI-driven design tool optimizes performance and functionalityLike octopuses squeezing through a tiny sea cave, metatruss robots can adapt to demanding environments by changing their shape. These mighty morphing robots are made of trusses composed of hundreds of beams and joints that rotate and twist, enabling astonishing volumetric transformations.... Read more
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Security researchers say G1 humanoid robots are secretly sending information to China and can easily be hackedResearchers have uncovered serious security flaws with the Unitree G1 humanoid robot, a machine that is already being used in laboratories and some police departments. They discovered that G1 can be used for covert surveillance and could potentially launch a full-scale cyberattack on networks.... Read more
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Fidget-controlled robots show the power of metastabilityFidget poppers are an example of "bistability," as the popped circles rest in one of two stable states. Purdue University researchers have taken this idea to its extreme, building robots that can be preprogrammed and controlled using just the physical properties of these fidget poppers.... Read more
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Robot navigation improves 30% by mimicking how humans spread and forget informationA research team has developed a new "Physical AI" technology that improves the efficiency of multi-robot autonomous navigation by modeling the spread and forgetting of social issues. This achievement is expected to become a key technology for boosting the productivity of autonomous mobile robots in logistics centers, large-scale warehouses, and... Read more
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Tiny amphibious soft robot hauls cargo across land and water with easeCould the future of rescue missions and exploration lie in the hands—or rather, the flexible movements—of a swarm of lightweight, soft, and intelligent robots? Imagine swarms of soft-bodied robots working with the coordinated efficiency of an ant colony to navigate complex and unpredictable environments, seamlessly transitioning between murky waters, muddy... Read more
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Using generative AI to diversify virtual training grounds for robotsChatbots like ChatGPT and Claude have experienced a meteoric rise in usage over the past three years because they can help you with a wide range of tasks. Whether you're writing Shakespearean sonnets, debugging code, or need an answer to an obscure trivia question, artificial intelligence (AI) systems seem to... Read more
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Novel film manufacturing technique lets robots walk on waterImagine tiny robots zipping across the surface of a lake to check water quality or searching for people in flooded areas. This technology is moving closer to reality thanks to work by researchers at the University of Virginia's School of Engineering and Applied Science. Inspired by nature and insects such... Read more
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Lightweight framework enables faster, more accurate object detection for UAV remote sensingRemote sensing object detection is a rapidly growing field in artificial intelligence, playing a critical role in advancing the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for real-world applications such as disaster response, urban planning, and environmental monitoring. Yet, designing models that balance both high accuracy and fast, lightweight performance remains... Read more
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Next-generation humanoid robot can do the moonwalkKAIST research team's independently developed humanoid robot boasts world-class driving performance, reaching speeds of 12km/h, along with excellent stability, maintaining balance even with its eyes closed or on rough terrain. Furthermore, it can perform complex human-specific movements such as the duckwalk and moonwalk, drawing attention as a next-generation robot platform... Read more
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Robot umpires are coming to MLB. Here's how they workRobot umpires are coming to the big leagues in 2026 after Major League Baseball's 11-man competition committee on Tuesday approved use of the Automated Ball/Strike System.... Read more
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Creating robots that adapt to your emotionRobots might be getting smarter, but to truly support people in daily life, they also need to become more empathetic. That means recognizing and responding to human emotions in real time.... Read more