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 Based Marketing at the University of Augsburg, published in the Journal of Business Research. The findings are relevant for companies that use service robots and similar AI-based systems.
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, the team seeks to understand and replicate animal performance in robotic systems.
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 and responding to the world in ways once considered unique to humans and other biological species: including sight, sound, touch, smell and taste.
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 that require them to reliably manipulate objects while moving in the space around them.
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 and length in real time.
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.
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 way to understand the evolution of animal flight while also providing a blueprint for designing flapping-wing robots.
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.
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 than any person could.
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 in robots and drones. They predict that incremental demand for rare earth metals and carbon fiber could pose supply problems and recommend that technology developers piggyback off existing capacity from other industries such as electric vehicles to prevent shortages.
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.
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 that AI-enabled robots embody a core principle famously articulated by science fiction author Isaac Asimov: "A robot may not injure a human being."
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.
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 set location, most systems still struggle with tasks that entail the dexterous manipulation of objects.
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.