Skoltech and MSU scientists have uncovered the advantage gained by microscopic bugs from their feather-like wings that are unlike those of dragonflies, bees, mosquitoes and other familiar insects. A wing largely made up of bristles that stand somewhat apart from each other is lighter than the conventional membranous wing that comes in one piece.
Imagine for a moment that you're in an auto factory. A robot and a human are working next to each other on the production line. The robot is busy rapidly assembling car doors while the human runs quality control, inspecting the doors for damage and making sure they come together as they should.
Rapid advancements in robotics are changing the face of the world's warehouses, as dangerous and physically taxing tasks are being reassigned en masse from humans to machines. Automation and digitization are nothing new in the logistics sector, or any sector heavily reliant on manual labor. Bosses prize automation because it can bring up to two- to four-fold gains in productivity. But workers can also benefit from the putative improvements in safety that come from shifting dangerous tasks onto non-human shoulders.
Able to undergo repeated compressions without losing their shape, woven materials could form robots, exoskeletons, car parts, architectural components and more.
AI chatbots have advanced rapidly over the past few years, so much so that people are now using them as personal assistants, customer service representatives and even therapists.
Navigating without a map is a difficult task for robots, especially when they can't reliably determine where they are. A new AI-powered solution helps robots overcome this challenge by training them to make movement decisions that also protect their ability to localize. Instead of blindly heading toward a target, the robot evaluates the visual richness of its surroundings and favors routes where it's less likely to get "lost."
Soft robotics, which uses flexible and deformable materials, is an emerging field in autonomous systems. It has recently been applied to next-generation tasks such as deep-sea sampling with soft robotic grippers—requiring strong adhesion and autonomous detachment. Bioinspired adhesion offers a promising solution.
Computer scientists at Princeton are working to bring virtual reality into the physical world, with the potential to enhance a variety of experiences, including remote collaboration, education, entertainment and gaming.
Humans instinctively walk and run—brisk walking feels effortless, and we naturally adjust our stride and pace without conscious thought. For physical AI robots, however, mastering basic movements doesn't automatically translate to adaptability in new or unexpected situations.
A research team from ETH Zurich has taught the four-legged robot ANYmal to play badminton. The system features precise arm movements, quick reflexes and nimble footwork.
Henan University of Technology researchers report on the development of a lightweight lattice-based limb design for a bionic robot. Lightweight structures that can withstand high loads and torsion are in demand in a range of industries such as aerospace, shipbuilding, and robotics. Experimental thin-walled structures, honeycomb cores and lattice frameworks are being tested in search of a new generation of material forms.
Despite decades of progress, most robots are still programmed for specific, repetitive tasks. They struggle with the unexpected and can't adapt to new situations without painstaking reprogramming. But what if they could learn to use tools as naturally as a child does by watching videos?
In a major step toward intelligent and collaborative microrobotic systems, researchers at the Research Center for Materials, Architectures and Integration of Nanomembranes (MAIN) at Chemnitz University of Technology have developed a new generation of autonomous microrobots—termed smartlets—that can communicate, respond, and work together in aqueous environments.
Robots are becoming increasingly integrated into everyday environments—from homes and hospitals to factories and farms. However, safely operating around humans requires more than strength or speed. Robots must also sense their surroundings, detect physical contact, and respond quickly. Conventional sensors, especially those embedded in soft materials, often fall short when it comes to real-time, large-area tactile and proximity sensing.
Nature, the master engineer, is coming to our rescue again. Inspired by scorpions, scientists have created new pressure sensors that are both highly sensitive and able to work across a wide variety of pressures.