Smart Satellites to Repair and Refuel Stranded Satellites in Space
Aerospace engineers are developing technology to repair and refuel broken satellites in space. When satellites break, which is surprisingly often, there isn’t much you can…
Robotics
Pavlov’s Soft Robot: Liquid Crystal Polymer Learns to Move and Grab Objects
Researchers trained material the same way as Pavlov trained dogs. Conditioning is a method made famous by Ivan Pavlov’s experiments with dogs. Pavlov trained a…
Optimized Design and Control Robots With Stretchy, Flexible Bodies
Optimizing soft robots to perform specific tasks is a huge computational problem, but a new model can help. MIT researchers have invented a way to…
NASA Aquatic Rover, Designed to Search for Alien Life, Goes for a Drive Under the Ice
A little robotic explorer will be rolling into Antarctica this month to perform a gymnastic feat — driving upside down under sea ice. BRUIE, or…
Quieter Drones Inspired by the Physics of Mosquito Mating Ritual Sounds
Research could also lead to nontoxic method using sound to diminish mosquito breeding. Mosquitoes flap their wings not just to stay aloft but for two…
Two-Legged Robot Mimics Human Balance While Running and Jumping [Video]
New control system may enable humanoid robots to do heavy lifting and other physically demanding tasks. Rescuing victims from a burning building, a chemical spill,…
Magnetic Building Blocks for Robotics – Can Be Assembled Into Shapes and Controlled by Magnetic Fields
ETH scientists have developed cube-shaped magnetic building blocks that can be assembled into two-dimensional shapes and controlled by an external magnetic field. They can be…
Autonomous Robotic Boats Improve Environmental Sampling at Sea
Autonomous system improves environmental sampling at sea: Robotic boats could more rapidly locate the most valuable sampling spots in uncharted waters. An autonomous robotic system…
Flexible Robot Designed to “Grow” Like a Plant Snakes Through Tight Spaces, Lifts Heavy Loads [Video]
Flexible yet sturdy robot is designed to “grow” like a plant. Its extendable appendage can meander through tight spaces and then lift heavy loads. In…
New Flying Worker Robots for Skyscraper Maintenance
Skyscrapers are rising rapidly around the world, continuously transforming city skylines. However, their repair and maintenance is becoming more and more difficult. So, who can…
Intelligent Microrobot Breakthrough – Microscopic “Bird” Flaps Wings Using Nanomagnets
Researchers at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI and ETH Zurich have developed a micromachine that can perform different actions. First nanomagnets in the components of…
Innovative AI From MIT Helps Delivery Robots Find the Front Door [Video]
Navigation method may speed up autonomous last-mile delivery. In the not too distant future, robots may be dispatched as last-mile delivery vehicles to drop your…
New Stretchable Light-Emitting Devices Can Be Applied to Human Skin
Imagine a runner who doesn’t need to carry a stopwatch or cell phone to check her time: She could just gaze at the glowing stopwatch…
Two-Legged Robot Mimics Human Operator in Force-Feedback Exoskeleton Suit [Video]
Imagine being trapped inside a collapsed building after a disaster, wondering if anybody will be brave enough to rescue you. Suddenly, a door bursts open,…
Swarms of Microrobots Quickly Clean Up Radioactive Waste [Video]
According to some experts, nuclear power holds great promise for meeting the world’s growing energy demands without generating greenhouse gases. But scientists need to find…
Swarms of Self-Transforming Robot Blocks Unlock Stealthy Abilities to Accomplish Complex Tasks
Developed at MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, robots can self-assemble to form various structures with applications including disaster relief. Swarms of simple, interacting…
Jumping Spiders Inspire Incredible Compact Depth Sensor
For all our technological advances, nothing beats evolution when it comes to research and development. Take jumping spiders. These small arachnids have impressive depth perception…
Fast-Acting Elastic Energy Robots Inspired by Chameleon’s Tongue Strike [Video]
Chameleons, salamanders and many toads use stored elastic energy to launch their sticky tongues at unsuspecting insects located up to one-and-a-half body lengths away, catching…