Robotics News – Latest Headlines

A glove powered by soft robotics to interact with virtual reality environments

Engineers are using soft robotics technology to make light, flexible gloves that allow users to feel tactile feedback when they interact with virtual reality environments. The researchers used the gloves to realistically simulate the tactile feeling of playing a virtual piano keyboard.

May 30th, 2017

Building a better 'bot': Artificial intelligence helps human groups

Artificial intelligence doesn't have to be super-sophisticated to make a difference in people's lives, according to a new study. Even 'dumb AI' can help human groups.

May 17th, 2017

3-D-printed, soft, four legged robot can walk on sand and stone (w/video)

Engineers have developed the first soft robot that is capable of walking on rough surfaces, such as sand and pebbles. The 3D-printed, four-legged robot can climb over obstacles and walk on different terrains.

May 16th, 2017

Virtual top hats allow swarming robots to fly in tight formation (w/video)

Researchers have created a team of free-flying robots that obeys the two rules of the air: don't collide or undercut each other.

May 15th, 2017

Live interactions with robots increase their perceived human likeness

Robots presented in virtual reality also scored high in human likeness.

May 10th, 2017

Bio-inspired robotic fish for environmental monitoring

Researchers are developing a bio-inspired robot equipped with special chemical sensors able to detect the pH of water.

May 10th, 2017

How will robots handle life or death decisions?

A lecture series dealt with what life will be like when robots and artificial intelligences become common. We may be allowing machines to make life and death decisions, so it makes sense to think about what values we program into them.

May 9th, 2017

Robot radiology: Low cost A.I. could screen for cervical cancer better than humans

An artificial intelligence image detection method has the potential to outperform PAP and HPV tests in screening for cervical cancer; Low-cost technique could be used in less-developed countries, where 80 percent of cervical cancer deaths occur.

Apr 24th, 2017

Be careful what you tell your robot to do, expert warns

AIs won't wake up and want to kill us but they might hurt us by accident.

Apr 11th, 2017

Researchers control soft robots using magnetic fields

A team of engineering researchers has made a fundamental advance in controlling so-called soft robots, using magnetic fields to remotely manipulate microparticle chains embedded in soft robotic devices.

Mar 29th, 2017

Toward printable, sensor-laden 'skin' for robots

New 3-D-printed device mimics the goldbug beetle, which changes color when prodded.

Mar 23rd, 2017

'Tree-on-a-chip' device may be used to make small robots move

Engineers have designed a microfluidic device they call a 'tree-on-a-chip', which mimics the pumping mechanism of trees and plants. Like its natural counterparts, the chip operates passively, requiring no moving parts or external pumps. It is able to pump water and sugars through the chip at a steady flow rate for several days.