Biohybrid robots controlled by electrical impulses in mushrooms
Building a robot takes time, technical skill, the right materials—and sometimes, a little fungus.
Researchers develop a new humanoid platform for robotics research
Advancements in the field of robotics are fueled by research, which in turn heavily relies on effective platforms to test algorithms for robot control and navigation. While numerous robotics platforms have been developed over the past decades, most of them have shortcomings that limit their use in research settings.
Protecting electric grid health with drone-based power line inspection
A sensor on the electric grid picks up a strange blip in current or voltage. What's happening, and will it cause an outage? Usually, a utility worker must travel in person to check. Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory have now developed a new automated drone inspection system that can respond rapidly to unusual electric grid behavior, especially in remote areas that are tough for a worker to reach.
New two-finger robotic hand tackles everyday manipulation tasks in real-world experiments
To reliably assist humans with daily tasks in a broad range of real-world settings, robots should be able to effectively and dexterously manipulate different types of objects. The development of new cost-effective robotic grippers or other hand-like artificial systems plays a key role in enabling dexterous object manipulation in robots.
The future of robotics: Brain-inspired navigation technologies paving the way
In the ever-evolving field of robotics, a groundbreaking approach has emerged, revolutionizing how robots perceive, navigate, and interact with their environments. This new frontier, known as brain-inspired navigation technology, integrates insights from neuroscience into robotics, offering enhanced capabilities and efficiency.
Improving workplace safety: The Bilateral Back Extensor Exosuit
In an innovative leap forward for workplace safety, a research team at Seoul National University has developed the Bilateral Back Extensor Exosuit (BBEX), a robotic back-support device designed to prevent spinal injuries and assist workers in heavy lifting tasks.
Designing the ideal soft gripper for diverse functionalities
Robotic automation has become a game-changer in addressing labor shortages. While traditional rigid grippers have effectively automated various routine tasks, boosting efficiency and productivity in industries that deal with objects of well-defined specifications, they fall short in sectors like the food industry, where delicate objects of varying sizes and shapes need to be handled. In these cases, a more specialized type of gripper is required.
Shape-shifting robot inspired by insect swarms and tree roots is teaching itself to mark contamination zones
West Virginia University roboticists are working on an alternative path to robot autonomy in Loopy, a "multicellular robot" composed of a ring of individual interconnected robot cells.
Researchers train a robot dog to combat invasive fire ants
A multidisciplinary research team based across China and Brazil has used a dog-like robot and AI to create a new way to find fire ant nests. Published in the journal Pest Management Science, the study highlights how a "CyberDog" robot integrated with an AI model can automate the identification and control of Red Imported Fire Ants (RIFA), a globally destructive pest.
AI assistant monitors teamwork to promote effective collaboration
On a research cruise around Hawaii in 2018, Yuening Zhang SM '19, Ph.D. '24 saw how difficult it was to keep a tight ship. The careful coordination required to map underwater terrain could sometimes lead to a stressful environment for team members, who might have different understandings of which tasks must be completed in spontaneously changing conditions.
Scalable woven actuators offer new possibilities for robotics and wearable devices
Over the past few decades, electronics engineers have developed increasingly flexible, versatile and highly performing devices for a wide range of real-world applications. Some of their efforts have been aimed at creating smart and sensing textiles, which could be used to fabricate stretchy robotic systems, medical devices and wearable technologies.
Simplified robotic gripper can still tackle complex object manipulation tasks
In recent years, roboticists worldwide have designed various robotic grippers that can pick up and manipulate different types of objects. The grippers that are most effective in tackling real-world manual tasks, particularly complex object manipulation tasks, are often those inspired by human hands.
Transformative FiBa soft actuators pave the way for future soft robotics
Researchers have made groundbreaking advancements in the field of soft robotics by developing film-balloon (FiBa) soft robots. These innovative robots, designed by a team led by Dr. Terry Ching and corresponding author Professor Michinao Hashimoto, introduce a novel fabrication approach that enables lightweight, untethered operation with advanced biomimetic locomotion capabilities.
Engineers design tiny batteries for powering cell-sized robots
A tiny battery designed by MIT engineers could enable the deployment of cell-sized, autonomous robots for drug delivery within in the human body, as well as other applications such as locating leaks in gas pipelines.
Robot planning tool accounts for human carelessness
A new algorithm may make robots safer by making them more aware of human inattentiveness. In computerized simulations of packaging and assembly lines where humans and robots work together, the algorithm developed to account for human carelessness improved safety by about a maximum of 80% and efficiency by about a maximum of 38% compared to existing methods.