To assist humans with household chores and other everyday manual tasks, robots should be able to effectively manipulate objects that vary in composition, shape and size. The manipulation skills of robots have improved significantly over the past few years, in part due to the development of increasingly sophisticated cameras and tactile sensors.
Amazon has introduced a handful of robots in its warehouses that the e-commerce giant says will improve efficiency and reduce employee injuries.
A pair of engineers at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) has designed, built and tested a feathered, hawk-inspired drone capable of carrying out banking maneuvers without using its wings.
A team of roboticists and engineers affiliated with several institutions in South Korea, working with the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, has developed a tiny soft robot that is capable of manipulating multiple types of hard and soft objects. Their results are published in the journal Science Advances.
It seems simple: The robot ZRob, a small machine easily placed on a table, holds a drumstick and beats a drum. In reality, it is anything but simple. ZRob's arm has a flexible grip, just like the human wrist. It also has an artificial intelligence (AI) that helps it optimize its movements.
Say hello to the robot called Bifrost. With the help of AI technology, it uses its tactile capabilities to manipulate soft and pliable objects to order.
A musical robot that can play the piano alongside a human, creating a harmonic accompaniment in real time, has won an award at the Center for Human-Inspired Artificial Intelligence (CHIA) Conference 2024.
Orthotropic steel bridge decks (OSDs) are fundamental to long-span bridge designs, prized for their high load-carrying efficiency and lightweight characteristics. However, their intricate structure makes them vulnerable to fatigue cracking, particularly at key connection points, posing serious safety risks.
Have you ever wondered why an airplane has a vertical tailfin? The plane needs it to stabilize its flight. Since flying without a vertical tail is much more energy-efficient, the aviation industry has worked hard to accomplish this—so far without much success. However, birds don't need a vertical fin, which raises the question: how do they do it?
Trust between humans and robots is improved when the movement between both is harmonized, researchers have discovered.
In a review paper published recently in Science Robotics a cognitive roboticist, cognitive psychologist and a psychiatrist discuss the concept of "sense of self" in humans, and they explore how robots can be used to better understand the phenomenon.
Four-legged animals that start walking and gradually pick up speed will automatically fall into a trot at some point. This is because it would take more energy not to change gait. This correlation was discovered more than 40 years ago. Now, Alin Albu-Schäffer, a professor at the Chair of Sensor-based Robotic Systems and Intelligent Assistance Systems at TUM, has successfully transferred this method to the movement of robots.
The deployment of robot teams could allow humans to complete various real-world tasks faster and more efficiently. For instance, multiple co-operating robots could help to quickly find and rescue survivors of natural disasters or monitor pollution across large geographical areas.
Navigating the harsh terrain of other rocky worlds has consistently been challenging. The Free Spirit campaign unfortunately failed in its goal to will the plucky Martian rover out of the morass it found itself in, despite two years of continual effort from some of the world's best engineers.
Most people think of coffee cups, bathroom tiles or flower pots when they hear the word "ceramic." Not so Frank Clemens. For the research group leader in Empa's Laboratory for High-Performance Ceramics, ceramics can conduct electricity, be intelligent, and even feel.