Tradition and technology sync at China ‘AI temple fair’
A humanoid robot gyrates to pulsing music at a shopping mall in Beijing, part of an exhibition harnessing artificial intelligence to enhance the flavor of China's biggest annual festival.
Inspired by water bugs, researchers create tiny swimming robots for medical, environmental uses
Inspired by the movement of insects gliding on the surface of water, University of Waterloo researchers have designed tiny robots controlled by light, offering promising possibilities for environmental remediation and biomedical applications. Their work is published in Advanced Functional Materials.
Synthetic neurons that mimic human processes could lead to smarter robotics
Artificially engineered biological processes, such as perception systems, remain an elusive target for organic electronics experts due to the reliance of human senses on an adaptive network of sensory neurons, which communicate by firing in response to environmental stimuli.
Soft robots mimic mantis shrimp’s punch and flea’s leap for added power
A research team has taken inspiration from principles found in nature and developed the "hyperelastic torque reversal mechanism" (HeTRM), which enables robots made from rubber-like soft materials to perform rapid and powerful movements. This study is published in Science Robotics, and the researchers were led by Professor Kyu-Jin Cho from Seoul National University's Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Using AI, researchers devise a fast and precise way to teach robots complicated skills
At UC Berkeley, researchers in Sergey Levine's Robotic AI and Learning Lab eyed a table where a tower of 39 Jenga blocks stood perfectly stacked. Then a white-and-black robot, its single limb doubled over like a hunched-over giraffe, zoomed toward the tower, brandishing a black leather whip.
New soft prosthetic hand offers natural bionic interfacing
Recent technological advances have opened new possibilities for the development of assistive and medical tools, including prosthetic limbs. While these limbs used to be hard objects with the same shape as limbs, prosthetics are now softer and look more realistic, with some also integrating robotic components that considerably broaden their functions.
Expanding robot perception to give a more human-like awareness of their environment
Robots have come a long way since the Roomba. Today, drones are starting to deliver door to door, self-driving cars are navigating some roads, robo-dogs are aiding first responders, and still more bots are doing backflips and helping out on the factory floor. Still, Luca Carlone thinks the best is yet to come.
Humanoid robots join human musicians for synchronized musical performances
In a fascinating blend of technology and artistry, researchers present a study in PeerJ Computer Science, showcasing how humanoid robots can collaborate seamlessly with human musicians during live musical performances. This innovative work highlights the evolving role of robotics in entertainment and creativity.
Advancing wearable robotics through open-source innovation
Researchers at the University of Twente have developed CEINMS-RT, an open-source platform designed to transform the field of wearable robotics.
‘Embodied energy’ powers modular worm and jellyfish robots
In the same way that terrestrial life evolved from ocean swimmers to land walkers, soft robots are progressing, too, thanks to recent Cornell research in battery development and design.
Neural networks model improves machine vision and object detection under low-light conditions
When designing a robot, such as Boston Dynamics' anthropomorphic robot Atlas, which appears exercising and sorting boxes, fiducial markers are the guides that help them move, detect objects and determine their exact location. It is a machine vision tool that is used to estimate objects' positions. At first glance they are flat, high-contrast black and white square codes, roughly resembling the QR marking system, but with an advantage: they can be detected at much greater distances.
Butterfly-inspired method for robot wing movement works without electronics or batteries
Researchers at the Technical University of Darmstadt and the Helmholtz Center Dresden-Rossendorf have developed flexible robot wings that are moved by magnetic fields. Inspired by the efficiency and adaptability of the wings of the monarch butterfly, they enable precise movements without electronics or batteries.
Embodied AI reveals how robots and toddlers learn to understand
We humans excel at generalization. If you taught a toddler to identify the color red by showing her a red ball, a red truck and a red rose, she will most likely correctly identify the color of a tomato, even if it is the first time she sees one.
Automating penmanship: Researchers develop cost-effective, AI-enhanced robotic handwriting system
Recent advances in robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) are enabling the development of a wide range of systems with unique characteristics designed for varying real-world applications. These include robots that can engage in activities traditionally only completed by humans, such as sketching, painting and even hand-writing documents.
How drones are changing warfare
As part of the ongoing war in Ukraine, one night in late November, Russia sent a swarm of 188 drones to attack Ukrainian infrastructure like electrical utilities, as well as residential areas, according to news reports. Ukrainian forces said they shot down 76 drones, but the damage was still extensive. Those kinds of attacks are continuing almost daily now.