Researchers at the University of Stuttgart and the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research have developed tiny rolls that can be unrolled and rolled up in a controlled manner using a magnet. The model for this was the proboscis of butterflies. These smart materials enable the development of more efficient drive technologies for micro- and soft robotics, a field of research of great economic importance. The results have been published in the journal Advanced Materials.
The Multimedia Laboratory (MMLab) at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has spearheaded the development of "RoboDojo," a unified benchmarking platform designed to evaluate robotic manipulation across simulated and physical environments. Co-initiated by Professor Ping Luo, associate director (AI Research and Tech Transfer) of the HKU School of Computing and Data Science (CDS), and his Ph.D. student Tianxing Chen, the project was developed in collaboration with researchers from nearly 20 leading global universities, including the University of California, Berkeley, and Tsinghua University. The paper is posted to the arXiv preprint server.
Recent advances in miniaturized and portable electronics, particularly wearable and flexible devices, have increased the demand for self-powered sensing technologies. Among these, triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) have received considerable attention for developing highly sensitive tactile sensors.
People become more suspicious of a humanoid robot that makes errors, especially when the robot is an expressive conversation partner.
When people work in pairs or teams, they can often solve a wider range of problems, completing some tasks faster and more efficiently than they would alone. To assist users similarly to how other humans would, robots should be able to rapidly interpret human behaviors and commands, using their predictions to plan and precisely execute helpful actions.
Flapping-wing micro aerial vehicles (FW-MAVs) are small, lightweight robots inspired by the flight mechanisms of birds and insects. By using rapidly moving wings instead of propellers, these robots can achieve unique flight capabilities, such as hovering like hummingbirds and independently controlling their wings like dragonflies.
Robots are gradually making their way into a variety of settings, ranging from households to public spaces, offices, factories and health care facilities. Despite their potential, however, many existing robots do not perform as well in dynamic and unpredictable real-world environments as they do during controlled laboratory tests.
Quadruped robots, which walk on four legs, are increasingly used for tasks such as inspection, transportation and search-and-rescue operations. However, their repeated leg movements consume far more energy than the rolling motion of wheeled robots, making it challenging to improve energy efficiency.
Legged robots have recently transitioned from science fiction to engineering fact, with modern humanoid and quadrupedal machines now capable of delivering packages to front doors and taking on dangerous military missions. With a massive surge in financial investment in the offing, a new study describes the technical advances that have made legged robots a reality and explores the critical ethical considerations, economic potential and policy implications of the "intelligent machines" that are increasingly walking among us.
University of Queensland researchers have developed new noninvasive sensors that measure muscle forces, unlocking new possibilities for wearable robotic mobility devices. Ultra-wideband radar sensors measure electromagnetic changes in muscles as they contract, allowing researchers to collect data in a way that's never been done before.
About 20 years ago, Yiannis Levendis, a professor of mechanical and industrial engineering at Northeastern University, was working on an experiment to find an alternative to coal—grinding up old car and truck tires and burning the crumbs.
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration on Tuesday added humanoid and quadruped robots to a list of products and companies banned from import into the United States on national security grounds.
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.
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.
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.