Robotics

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

To reliably complete various manual tasks, robots should be able to handle a variety of objects, ranging from items found in households to tools used in specific professional settings. While many existing robotic systems can now complete basic manual tasks, such as picking up objects and carrying them to a... Read more

It does not take much to confuse some robots. A machine might be great at handling a simple object like a box, yet when it tries to work with a more irregular shape like a banana, it often fails.... Read more

Researchers at the Intelligent Biomimetic Design Lab at Peking University have developed a bio-signal framework showing that fish muscles do far more than generate swimming motion. In a series of studies led by Xie Guangming, Professor at the School of Advanced Manufacturing and Robotics, and carried out by twin brothers... Read more

Operations underground, for example in underground stations, tunnels or mines, are risky and difficult for rescue teams. This is especially true if the technical infrastructure has collapsed due to explosions or fire, and there are no mobile phone signals, electricity, light, Wi-Fi or GNSS, while smoke, debris and damaged paths... Read more

When a knot lets go, it doesn't just fall apart. It snaps. That simple observation led Penn Engineers to rethink what a knot can do. Instead of treating it as something that holds tension, they asked a different question: what happens when you design a knot to release it? The... Read more

A paddle-wielding robot is so adept at playing table tennis that it is posing a tough challenge to elite human players and sometimes defeating them, according to a new study that shows how advances in artificial intelligence are making robots more agile.... Read more

A blue-eyed humanoid robot carefully opens a box and places a tool inside as a crowd of visitors watch the demonstration of "physical AI" skills at a major industrial trade fair in Germany.... Read more