Recent technological advances have opened valuable possibilities for supporting people with motor impairments or who are recovering from injuries to the brain, spinal cord or nerves. Millions of people worldwide currently experience difficulty moving their hands or other parts of their body. Some of these motor impairments are associated with progressive neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), while others are the result of neurological damage caused by an injury or a stroke.
Soft grippers, which are built from flexible materials that can bend and deform, are attracting a lot of attention from robotics researchers worldwide. Unlike conventional robots made from rigid metal or plastic, soft grippers can grasp items more gently while naturally adapting to different shapes. This makes them uniquely suitable for delicate tasks such as handling fruit, baked goods, lab samples and medical supplies.
Engineers at Queen Mary University of London have built a new color-changing tactile sensor, which allows robots to "see" and touch in real-time. The novel idea was invented by Giacomo Sasso, a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Engineering and Materials Science at Queen Mary University of London, and it works by transforming invisible forces into dynamic color patterns. This enables high-resolution maps of contact, strain and pressure to emerge instantly.
Imagine you're running and you sprain your ankle. The pain makes you gingerly limp the rest of the way home. This is a great example of how nature adapts to failures in a system. The pain tells you: "If you continue running like normal, the injury will only get worse." So you naturally adjust the way you run. Drones currently cannot do this with a worn-out propeller.
In a squat building on a drab business park just outside Rotterdam, sleek white humanoid robots scuttle around, accompanied by a gray robotic dog performing various canine tricks.
In horror movies, music is a dead giveaway. Tension builds with each note, and you brace for the inevitable jump scare. The same sense of anticipation has taken a leading role in an unlikely venue: a Georgia Tech robotics lab.
Their metallic frames covered in supple, lifelike skin, a posse of new Chinese robots meant for companionship can offer users AI-generated conversation or a hand to hold, complete with manicured nails.
The researchers teach the packaging machine what is up and down on a snack carrot. The program runs on a small, local PC—not on huge servers in some faraway cloud. The goal: to pack quickly, cheaply and attractively—so that consumers like us are tempted by locally sourced, healthy snacks.
Scientists from NTU Singapore and Waseda University have developed a flexible "diving suit" for cyborg cockroaches, enabling the insects to survive and move underwater and in low-oxygen environments for up to three hours. Published today in Nature Communications, the study could expand the use of cyborg insects in search-and-rescue missions, especially in disaster zones where flooded rubble, puddles or partially submerged spaces can block access for conventional robots.
A research team led by Prof. Seung Hwan Ko of Seoul National University College of Engineering's Department of Mechanical Engineering has developed an artificial skin technology that enables robots to sense temperature and pressure simultaneously, similar to human skin.
Sony is halting sales of its robotic puppy "aibo" in Japan, the company said, eight years after the latest model of its interactive android pet became an instant hit.
Robots that can see beyond human vision, build live 3D maps of unknown environments and identify what objects are made of are being developed by researchers at the University of Surrey, opening new possibilities for applications in nuclear inspection, rail and building safety, and search and rescue in combat zones.
Researchers at Adelaide University have developed a new type of robotic system inspired by bees and ants that could make mining safer, more efficient and more sustainable.
Growing economic activity in the ocean space is increasing the need for more regular monitoring and inspection of underwater infrastructure and its surroundings. Autonomous underwater vehicles capable of monitoring and inspecting pipelines, cables and underwater installations are becoming increasingly important in an uncertain global security situation. In addition, we need more knowledge about the seabed and the ocean space.
Robots with increasingly precise dexterity are becoming essential in everyday life and industrial settings, from assembling tiny smartphone components to assisting doctors in surgery. However, teaching robots delicate human movements has traditionally required collecting vast amounts of data at extremely fine time intervals, resulting in significant costs and time burdens.