Robotics

A new method developed by MIT researchers makes robots better at thinking ahead while they are acting, leading to smoother motions and quicker reactions. The research is published on the arXiv preprint server.... Read more

University of Minnesota Twin Cities researchers have developed a first-of-its-kind AI system that allows underwater companion robots to monitor a diver's health in real time simply by "watching" their exhaled bubbles.... Read more

Rescue teams in coastal cities and towns often need to rescue people who are at risk of drowning. These operations often require emergency teams to locate and reach people in distress as quickly as possible, as even a short delay could have serious or even fatal consequences.... Read more

Professor Sukho Song of the Department of Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering at DGIST has proposed "Sustainability Robotics," a new academic field that evaluates robots not only in terms of their technical performance but also their contributions to environmental, social and economic sustainability.... Read more

When a robot offers you candy, it is hard not to be curious. In an experiment conducted by ethologists at ELTE, visitors at public events noticed an autonomous service robot more often than a human server, and the candy on the robot's tray disappeared faster. The study also suggests that... Read more

From the Ferranti Mark I to empathetic AI, Manchester researchers are exploring how intelligent machines can understand human behavior, respond to social cues and earn trust in our workplaces, hospitals and homes.... Read more

For robots to be used in various settings, such as factories, logistics, service industries and households, they must be able to stably handle a diverse range of objects differing in shape, size, weight and rigidity. However, conventional robotic hands often require multiple motors and complex control systems, presenting challenges in... Read more

An era in which robots decide "how to walk" on their own has arrived. A four-legged robot has been developed that, much like a person or an animal, autonomously chooses the appropriate gait strategy for its surroundings—changing its gait on stairs, leaping over gaps and keeping its balance on forest... Read more

Japanese communications company Fujitsu is leading a major push in artificial intelligence using Nvidia's technology, bringing together what it said was the best in Japan's manufacturing prowess in robotics with AI.... Read more

Robots walking down the street, surrounded by astounded onlookers, are an increasingly common sight. But these machines aren't yet the do-it-all assistants you'd want working in a kitchen or factory, and a major bottleneck is data. Much like humans, robots learn best by experience. The challenge is that it's labor-intensive... Read more

When South Korea's professional baseball league introduced "robot umpire" ball-and-strike calls in 2024, famous batters appeared to lose an edge—but star pitchers did not.... Read more

Built from flexible, compliant materials, soft robots are gaining relevance for tasks ranging from minimally invasive surgery to deep-sea exploration but remain held back by a fundamental constraint. To sense their surroundings and react, most soft robots rely on separate electronic sensors, signal-processing circuits and powered actuators, all coordinated by... Read more

As technology advances, more is expected from humanoid robots. What were once seen as gimmicks that could walk, if not like us, then close to it, are now pulling their weight and doing more work in places like factories. They are being developed for real work, such as carrying heavy... Read more

Robotics researchers often spend weeks, or even months, simply getting a new robot up and running before they can begin testing new behaviors. Researchers in the Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science have developed an open-source software framework designed to eliminate much of that setup work, making it easier... Read more

Most people think of the waterfront as the edge of the city. A team of MIT researchers sees it as a dynamic, Lego-like construction site. Their new system, called "FloatForm," is a swarm of small square robotic boats that assemble themselves into larger structures on the water, break apart and... Read more