Picking up a blueberry or grape without squishing it isn't hard, but try teaching it to a robot. The same goes for walking on ice, turning a key to unlock a door or cooking a favorite dish.
Researchers from the Institute of Engineering and Technology at the Nicolaus Copernicus University have developed an algorithm that will allow mobile robots to escape blind alleys and avoid obstacles.
Currently, most robots are seen in industry where they support repetitive tasks, such as in the assembly lines of cars or in the production of microchips. However, in the near future the robot should find his way in less structured environments as well, to be able to work in healthcare or in hazardous environments, such as disaster areas. Researcher Wouter Houtman investigated the interaction of robots with their environment and developed algorithms to improve their movements in "the real world." He will defend his Ph.D. thesis at the department of Mechanical Engineering on Thursday 4th of November.
Robot food delivery is no longer the stuff of science fiction. But you may not see it in your neighborhood anytime soon.
The team at robotics company Boston Dynamics has released a video promoting itself while also honoring the Rolling Stones—this year marks the 40th anniversary of the release of the song 'Start Me Up.' The release of the song was notable also for the video that accompanied the song, with the members of the group playing their instruments and lead singer Mick Jagger strutting around on stage.
Legged robots have numerous advantageous qualities, including the ability to travel long distances and navigate a wide range of land-based environments. So far, however, legged robots have been primarily trained to move in specific environments, rather than to adapt to their surroundings and operate efficiently in a multitude of different settings. A key reason for this is that predicting all the possible environmental conditions that a robot might encounter while it is operating and training it to best respond to these conditions is highly challenging.
Researchers from The University of Tokyo Institute of Industrial Science find that drones may be the next generation of communication bases to monitor the ocean and seafloor because of their high-speed positioning, stability, and efficiency.
Baseball fans know the bitter heartbreak of calls that don't go their way—especially, a ball that should've been a strike. And, with advances in technology including computer vision, artificial intelligence, and the ubiquity of Wi-Fi, it would be easier than ever for baseball officials to replace humans with robotic umpires.
The number of collaborative mobile robots introduced in real-world settings is gradually increasing, with approximately 20,000 new installations per year. For their use to increase further, however, roboticists should ensure that these robots are both efficient and safe to use around humans.
Giving autonomous vehicles the 'green light' to break road rules is tackled in a new research in Ethics and Information Technology.
If you don't get seasick, an autonomous boat might be the right mode of transportation for you.
A research team from the Interactive and Robotic Systems Laboratory at the Universitat Jaume I in Castelló has developed software that allows underwater robots with manipulation capabilities to be controlled remotely in a more efficient way, as it offers a computer graphic interface and prior realistic simulation. The new technology amends, in the context of underwater scenarios, the lack of simulation systems and realistic 3D interfaces that enable remote control of tasks in autonomous and teleoperated mobile manipulator robots.
Can intelligence be taught to robots? Advances in physical reservoir computing, a technology that makes sense of brain signals, could contribute to creating artificial intelligence machines that think like us.
Commercial unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have the potential to almost halve the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of urban freight transport compared to small light commercial vehicles (LCVs), providing an unprecedented opportunity for the logistics industry to reduce its environmental impact. This is just one of the breakthrough findings from a brand new report published today by Inmarsat, the world leader in global, mobile satellite communications, and Cranfield University, examining the wealth of new possibilities and applications unlocked by commercial UAVs.
Azobenzene-functionalized liquid crystalline materials can be operated by remote light-stimuli without complicated circuits or parts and thus are attracting great attention in fields such as human interfaces, haptic devices, and miniaturized soft robots.