EPFL researchers have used swarms of drones to measure city traffic with unprecedented accuracy and precision. Algorithms are then used to identify sources of traffic jams and recommend solutions to alleviate traffic problems.
Engineers have developed a new class of smart textiles that can shape-shift and turn a two-dimensional material into 3D structures.
Researchers at I2R ASTAR Singapore and UM-CNRS LIRMM in France have recently developed a framework that could improve the ability of robots to identify objects in their surroundings that could be potential tools and then use them to complete manual tasks, even if they never encountered these objects before. Their approach, introduced in a paper published in Nature Machine Intelligence, could significantly enhance the ability of robotic systems to complete challenging tasks that might require tools, without the need for any prior tool training.
A new form of flexible photodetector could provide future robots with an electronic skin capable of "seeing" light beyond the range of human vision.
In recent years, roboticists have developed increasingly advanced robotic systems, many of which have artificial hands or robot hands with multiple fingers. To complete everyday tasks in both homes and public settings, robots should be able to use their "hands" to efficiently grasp and manipulate objects.
A smartly designed pressure valve allows soft robots to respond to their environment without the need for computer control, reveal AMOLF researchers in their article in the journal Matter. That brings robots with natural movements and tactile responses similar to those of living organisms one step closer to reality. Such developments render soft robots more suitable for exploring rough and unknown terrain or for medical applications.
A transformative experience working with very sick children changed Paul Bucci's mind about how robots used in human therapy should be designed.
Since the Virginia Tech Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership was designated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as an official drone test site in 2013, its research has helped shape drone integration in the U.S.
When robots appear to engage with people and display human-like emotions, people may perceive them as capable of "thinking," or acting on their own beliefs and desires rather than their programs, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
Where are those flowers and how far away are they? This is the crux of the "waggle dance" performed by honeybees to alert others to the location of nectar-rich flowers. A new study in Frontiers in Robotics and AI has taken inspiration from this technique to devise a way for robots to communicate.
For years, there's been a cardinal rule for flying civilian drones: Keep them within your line of sight. Not just because it's a good idea—it's also the law.
Assistance robots are typically mobile robots designed to assist humans in malls, airports, health care facilities, home environments and various other settings. Among other things, these robots could help users to find their way around unknown environments, for instance guiding them to a specific location or sharing important information with them.
Automation and computer-aided designs are seeding the future of home gardens. With the onset of designer gardens as a service and rose-pruning robots, weekends spent toiling in the garden will be more productive and personalized.
A crewless robotic boat retracing the 1620 sea voyage of the Mayflower is set to land near Plymouth Rock.
Scientists are working on diagnostic techniques that could sniff out chemical compounds from breath, sweat, tears and other bodily emissions and that act as fingerprints of thousands of diseases.