If you have sex with an android doll and then knock it around the room, are you being abusive? If you're in a foul mood and boot your robotic pet down the stairs, are you being a jerk? In either scenario, is the device's owner culpable of bad behavior?
People rarely walk at a constant speed and a single incline. We change speed when rushing to the next appointment, catching a crosswalk signal, or going for a casual stroll in the park. Slopes change all the time too, whether we're going for a hike or up a ramp into a building. In addition to environmental variably, how we walk is influenced by sex, height, age, and muscle strength, and sometimes by neural or muscular disorders such as stroke or Parkinson's Disease.
As robots are introduced in an increasing number of real-world settings, it is important for them to be able to effectively cooperate with human users. In addition to communicating with humans and assisting them in everyday tasks, it might thus be useful for robots to autonomously determine whether their help is needed or not.
Princeton researchers have invented bubble casting, a new way to make soft robots using "fancy balloons" that change shape in predictable ways when inflated with air.
One flaw in the notion that robots will take over the world is that the world is full of doors.
At just one year old, a baby is more dexterous than a robot. Sure, machines can do more than just pick up and put down objects, but we're not quite there as far as replicating a natural pull towards exploratory or sophisticated dexterous manipulation goes.
Robots can deliver food on a college campus and hit a hole in one on the golf course, but even the most sophisticated robot can't perform basic social interactions that are critical to everyday human life.
For people with motor impairments or physical disabilities, completing daily tasks and house chores can be incredibly challenging. Recent advancements in robotics, such as brain-controlled robotic limbs, have the potential to significantly improve their quality of life.
A robotic boat has been used for the first time to survey fish populations around oil platforms in the North Sea.
The sheer expanse of the deep sea and the technological challenges of working in an extreme environment make these depths difficult to access and study. Scientists know more about the surface of the moon than the deep seafloor. MBARI is leveraging advancements in robotic technologies to address this disparity.
Over the past decade or so, many roboticists and computer scientists have been trying to develop robots that can complete tasks in spaces populated by humans; for instance, helping users to cook, clean and tidy up. To tackle household chores and other manual tasks, robots should be able to solve complex planning tasks that involve navigating environments and interacting with objects following specific sequences.
Picking up a blueberry or grape without squishing it isn't hard, but try teaching it to a robot. The same goes for walking on ice, turning a key to unlock a door or cooking a favorite dish.
Researchers from the Institute of Engineering and Technology at the Nicolaus Copernicus University have developed an algorithm that will allow mobile robots to escape blind alleys and avoid obstacles.
Currently, most robots are seen in industry where they support repetitive tasks, such as in the assembly lines of cars or in the production of microchips. However, in the near future the robot should find his way in less structured environments as well, to be able to work in healthcare or in hazardous environments, such as disaster areas. Researcher Wouter Houtman investigated the interaction of robots with their environment and developed algorithms to improve their movements in "the real world." He will defend his Ph.D. thesis at the department of Mechanical Engineering on Thursday 4th of November.
Robot food delivery is no longer the stuff of science fiction. But you may not see it in your neighborhood anytime soon.