In Nature Communications, a research team affiliated with UNIST present a fully biodegradable, robust, and energy-efficient artificial synapse that holds great promise for sustainable neuromorphic technologies. Made entirely from eco-friendly materials sourced from nature—such as shells, beans, and plant fibers—this innovation could help address the growing problems of electronic waste and high energy use.
In Nature Communications, a research team affiliated with UNIST present a fully biodegradable, robust, and energy-efficient artificial synapse that holds great promise for sustainable neuromorphic technologies. Made entirely from eco-friendly materials sourced from nature—such as shells, beans, and plant fibers—this innovation could help address the growing problems of electronic waste and high energy use.
Robots from around the world converged on Silicon Valley to provide a glimpse of a potential future.
Over the past decades, roboticists have introduced a wide range of systems that can effectively tackle some real-world problems. Most of these robots, however, often perform poorly on tasks that they were not trained on, particularly those that entail manipulating previously unseen objects or handling objects that were encountered before in new ways.
Step inside the Soft Robotics Lab at ETH Zurich, and you find yourself in a space that is part children's nursery, part high-tech workshop and part cabinet of curiosities. The lab benches are strewn with foam blocks, stuffed animals—including a cuddly squid—and other colorful toys used to train robotic dexterity. Piled up on every surface are sensors, cables and measurement devices. Skeletal fingers, on show in display cases or attached to powerful robotic arms, seem to reach out to grab you from every corner.
Step inside the Soft Robotics Lab at ETH Zurich, and you find yourself in a space that is part children's nursery, part high-tech workshop and part cabinet of curiosities. The lab benches are strewn with foam blocks, stuffed animals—including a cuddly squid—and other colorful toys used to train robotic dexterity. Piled up on every surface are sensors, cables and measurement devices. Skeletal fingers, on show in display cases or attached to powerful robotic arms, seem to reach out to grab you from every corner.
United Parcel Service Inc. will invest $120 million in 400 robots used to unload trucks, according to people familiar with the matter, revealing new details on the logistics giant's $9 billion automation plan that aims to boost profits by decreasing labor costs.
Computer-aided design (CAD) systems are tried-and-true tools used to design many of the physical objects we use each day. But CAD software requires extensive expertise to master, and many tools incorporate such a high level of detail they don't lend themselves to brainstorming or rapid prototyping.
Robots small enough to travel autonomously through the human body to repair damaged sites may seem the stuff of science fiction dreams. But this vision of surgery on a microscale is a step closer to reality, with news that researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan have built a robot smaller than a millimeter that has an onboard computer and sensors.
Robots have long been seen as a bad bet for Silicon Valley investors—too complicated, capital-intensive and "boring, honestly," says venture capitalist Modar Alaoui.
Biological muscles act as flexible actuators, generating force naturally and with an impressive range of motion. Unsurprisingly, scientists and engineers have been striving to build artificial muscles that mimic these abilities. A new review study, published in Nature, takes a deep dive into recent developments surrounding fiber-type artificial muscles, one of the most life-like types of artificial muscles developed so far.
In the horticultural world, some vines are especially grabby. As they grow, the woody tendrils can wrap around obstacles with enough force to pull down entire fences and trees.
Robots now see the world with an ease that once belonged only to science fiction. They can recognize objects, navigate cluttered spaces and sort thousands of parcels an hour. But ask a robot to touch something gently, safely or meaningfully, and the limits appear instantly.
A new study published in Nature Communications details a hybrid robot that combines the wind-driven mobility of tumbleweeds with active quadcopter control, offering a new paradigm for energy-efficient terrestrial exploration.
Meet the robotic dog with a memory like an elephant and the instincts of a seasoned first responder.