Four-legged robot plays badminton with humans
A small team of roboticists at Robotic Systems Lab, ETH Zurich, in Switzerland, has designed, built and tested a four-legged robot capable of playing badminton with human players.
Ultra-light robotic prosthetic hand enables efficient and stable grasping through simple control
An ultra-light robotic prosthetic hand has been developed that enables both precision fingertip control and shape-adaptive gripping through simple motion commands. The hand features an innovative mechanism that allows two degrees of freedom in the thumb (adduction/abduction and flexion/extension) to be independently controlled by a single actuator, achieving exceptional user convenience and weight reduction.
Interactive robots should not just be passive companions—but active partners—like therapy horses, say researchers
Interactive robots should not just be passive companions, but active partners—like therapy horses who respond to human emotion—say University of Bristol researchers.
Robot morphs midair to switch from flying to rolling on terrain
Specialized robots that can both fly and drive typically touch down on land before attempting to transform and drive away. But when the landing terrain is rough, these robots sometimes get stuck and are unable to continue operating.
VR could help train employees working with robots
Working with robots is becoming more common in the recycling industry, helping automate tasks and making complicated work easier. But training human employees to work with robots can be difficult and time-consuming.
Algorithm improves acoustic sensor accuracy for cheaper underwater robotics
In the ocean sciences, robots provide views of the unexplored and can navigate environments not safely accessible to humans. Such dangerous settings make up the majority of Earth's oceans.
Soft robots can walk themselves out of a 3D printer
Scientists have created the first soft robots that can walk straight out of the machines that make them.
Universities face getting stuck with thousands of obsolete robots. Here’s how to avoid a research calamity
For more than a decade, the French robotics company Aldebaran has built some of the most popular robots used in academic research. Go to most university robotics departments and you'll find either Pepper, the iconic three-wheeled humanoid robot, or its smaller two-legged sibling, Nao.
Underwater robots flex new muscles: Light-driven actuators outperform mammalian muscle
A Korean research team has developed a light-powered artificial muscle that operates freely underwater, paving the way for next-generation soft robotics.
Drone-based method detects major methane leaks—the good news is that many can be repaired quickly
When the wind hits an obstacle, it flows around it and creates a low-pressure zone on the other side, known as a "windwake." This flow becomes clear in observing desert sand.
New method for energy-aware deployment planning of delivery drones
In the future, autonomous delivery drones could independently assess whether their remaining battery charge is sufficient for upcoming deliveries. A team of researchers from Technical University of Darmstadt and the University of Sheffield, in collaboration with the French National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology (INRIA) and industry partner Ingeniarius Ltd, has developed a new method for energy-aware deployment planning.
New method for energy-aware deployment planning of delivery drones
In the future, autonomous delivery drones could independently assess whether their remaining battery charge is sufficient for upcoming deliveries. A team of researchers from Technical University of Darmstadt and the University of Sheffield, in collaboration with the French National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology (INRIA) and industry partner Ingeniarius Ltd, has developed a new method for energy-aware deployment planning.
Color-correcting algorithm removes the effect of water in underwater scenes
The ocean is teeming with life. But unless you get up close, much of the marine world can easily remain unseen. That's because water itself can act as an effective cloak: Light that shines through the ocean can bend, scatter, and quickly fade as it travels through the dense medium of water and reflects off the persistent haze of ocean particles. This makes it extremely challenging to capture the true color of objects in the ocean without imaging them at close range.
Empowering robots with human-like perception to navigate unwieldy terrain
The wealth of information provided by our senses that allows our brain to navigate the world around us is remarkable. Touch, smell, hearing, and a strong sense of balance are crucial to making it through what to us seem like easy environments such as a relaxing hike on a weekend morning.
Engineers develop intuitive haptic devices for safer remote robot control in industrial settings
A research team has developed a novel haptic device designed to enhance both safety and efficiency for workers in industrial settings. This research was recently published in the journal IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics. The team was led by Professor Keehoon Kim and Ph.D. candidate Jaehyun Park from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at POSTECH.