Robotics

As robots enter hospitals and care facilities, questions remain about whether they actually make care easier for the people who give and receive it. A new Cornell Tech-led study approaches that challenge by inviting health care workers, long-term care residents, and community members to help design the robots themselves.... Read more

It sounds like science fiction, but also strangely familiar: drones buzzing around, inspecting tomatoes in greenhouses, delivering your package or inspecting an industrial site. With all the talk about drone-swarms, development in drones seems to move fast. But their navigation still requires a lot of computing power and memory, making... Read more

When service robots make mistakes, it is not only important whether customers receive compensation. The robot's voice can also shape how the situation is perceived. A human-like voice can make customers feel more supported after a service failure. This is the finding of a study by the Chair of Value... Read more

Animals move with a level of precision and adaptability that robots struggle to match. In Carnegie Mellon University's Department of Mechanical Engineering, researchers are developing a new AI-driven approach to uncover how brains and bodies work together. By turning complex biological systems into models that can be tested and refined,... Read more

New artificial intelligence (AI) technologies currently in development could lead to an imminent future where machines no longer just process and analyze information, but can feel. In his new book "Perceptive Machines," futurologist and researcher Professor Rocky Scopelliti outlines a near future in which machines are capable of sensing, interpreting... Read more

Humanoid robots, robotic systems with a body structure that resembles that of humans, could soon assist humans with various tasks in household environments, manufacturing sites, hospitals and other settings. While some humanoid robots already perform well on basic manual tasks, they often struggle with more complex tasks or with missions... Read more

A research team has developed an "intelligent artificial muscle" capable of simultaneously performing sensing and actuation functions, inspired by biological muscle–tendon complexes. This artificial muscle, which embeds liquid metal channels within a liquid crystal elastomer (LCE), contracts in response to electrical stimulation while also being able to measure internal force... Read more

Conventional soft actuators are often limited by weak force, small displacement, and slow response. To overcome these limitations, researchers have developed a new mechanical system that can amplify motion and remember external triggers through the interaction between magnets and elastic membranes.... Read more

The way bugs and birds flap their wings may look effortless, but the dynamics that keep them aloft are dizzyingly complex and difficult to quantify. Cornell researchers have created a computational model that shows the effect of insects' morphology on stabilizing their flight. The findings could lead to a new... Read more

A table tennis robot has outperformed elite players in recent evaluations. The robot, called Ace, marks a significant step toward artificial intelligence (AI) systems that can operate in fast, uncertain, real-world environments.... Read more

A humanoid robot recently made headlines around the world for running a half-marathon and beating the human world record. Around the same time, an AI-powered robot defeated an elite human player in table tennis. What the robot lacked in experience, it made up for by reacting faster and more consistently... Read more

Production of drones and autonomous robots is expected to explode by the late 2030s—by up to 10× for commercial drones and 100× for humanoid and quadruped robots. Publishing in Chem Circularity, researchers estimate how this boost in production could impact US and global supply chains of 18 raw materials used... Read more

From driving cars to flying drones, as autonomous robots take on more responsibility, they also face more human-like dilemmas—including what to do when rules collide.... Read more

The effort to "align" AI with human values is falling dangerously short in robotic systems, according to researchers from Penn Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and the University of Oxford. In a new paper appearing in Science Robotics, the researchers highlight the need to develop more thorough frameworks for ensuring... Read more

Robotically assembled building blocks could be a more environmentally friendly method for erecting large-scale structures than some existing construction techniques, according to a new study by MIT researchers published in the journal Automation in Construction.... Read more