Occupants Check Into NASA’s “Robot Hotel” Aboard the Space Station
Storage is just as important aboard the International Space Station as it is on Earth. While the space station is about the size of a…
Robotics
Giving Robots Human-Like Perception of Their Physical Environments
“Alexa, go to the kitchen and fetch me a snack” Wouldn’t we all appreciate a little help around the house, especially if that help came…
GoPro for Beetles: Robotic Camera Backpack Developed for Insects and Tiny Robots
In the movie “Ant-Man,” the title character can shrink in size and travel by soaring on the back of an insect. Now researchers at the…
New Algorithm Coordinates Complex Behaviors Between Hundreds of Robots in a Fraction of the Time
A new approach to designing motion plans for multiple robots grows “trees” in the search space to solve complex problems in a fraction of the…
NASA’s InSight Lander Flexes Its Robotic Arm – What’s Next for the “Mole”
Now that the lander’s robotic arm has helped the mole get underground, it will resume science activities that have been on hold. NASA’s InSight lander…
Tissue-Like Pressure Sensors Key to Bionic Breast Project
Approximately one third of the 3.8 million female breast cancer survivors in the US today have undergone mastectomy, and as many as three quarters of…
Researchers Create Bionic Jellyfish That Swim Faster and More Efficiently
Researchers at Caltech and Stanford use microelectronics to enhance jellyfish swimming. Engineers at Caltech and Stanford University have developed a tiny prosthetic that enables jellyfish…
Clever New Robot Rover Designed to Conquer Lunar and Planetary Exploration
Built with wheeled appendages that can be lifted, a new robot developed with U.S. Army funding has complex locomotion techniques robust enough to allow it…
Inspired by Cheetah Biomechanics, Researchers Build World-Record Fast Soft Robots
Inspired by the biomechanics of cheetahs, researchers have developed a new type of soft robot that is capable of moving more quickly on solid surfaces…
Low-Cost, High-Accuracy GPS-Like System Developed for Flexible Medical Robots
Roboticists at the University of California San Diego have developed an affordable, easy to use system to track the location of flexible surgical robots inside…
Planetary Exploration Rover Features Complex Locomotion Techniques to Avoid Traps
The rolling hills of Mars or the moon are a long way from the nearest tow truck. That’s why the next generation of exploration rovers…
How Many Jobs Do Robots and Automation Really Replace?
MIT economist Daron Acemoglu’s new research puts a number on the job costs of automation. In many parts of the U.S., robots have been replacing…
Robots Help Some Firms Thrive, While Workers Across Industries Struggle
Study finds manufacturing companies that are quick to automate can thrive, but overall employment drops. Overall, adding robots to manufacturing reduces jobs — by more…
Shape-Shifting, Free-Roaming Soft Robot Created by Stanford Engineers [Video]
A new type of robot combines traditional and soft robotics, making it safe but sturdy. Once inflated, it can change shape and move without being…
Robots Can Help Combat COVID-19 – Here’s How
Can robots be effective tools in combating the COVID-19 pandemic? A group of leaders in the field of robotics, including Henrik Christensen, director of UC…
Showing Robots How to Do Your Chores – Automated Robots That Learn Just by Watching
By observing humans, robots learn to perform complex tasks, such as setting a table. Training interactive robots may one day be an easy job for…
A Psychological Theory Helps Robots Walk Like Humans [Video]
A psychological theory could kickstart improvements in the way robots are able to walk, thanks to a University of Manchester study. The study — a…
DARPA Underground Autonomous Robot Navigation Challenge
Whether robots are exploring caves on other planets or disaster areas here on Earth, autonomy enables them to navigate extreme environments without human guidance or…