Robotics News – Latest Headlines

Biomorphic batteries could provide 72x more energy for robots

Researchers develop a new rechargeable zinc battery that integrates into the structure of a robot to provide much more energy. The battery membrane is a nano-material based on cartilage, using recycled Kevlar.

Mar 12th, 2021

Robots learn faster with quantum technology

A crucial question for practical applications is how fast intelligent machines can learn. An experiment has answered this question, showing that quantum technology enables a speed-up in the learning process.

Mar 11th, 2021

Robots can use eye contact to encourage reluctant participants in groups

Researchers published results of experiments in which robots led a Swedish word game with individuals whose proficiency in the Nordic language was varied. They found that by redirecting its gaze to less proficient players, a robot can elicit involvement from even the most reluctant participants.

Mar 10th, 2021

Army of robots pushes the limits of astrophysics (w/video)

One thousand newly-minted microrobots will soon be deployed at two large-scale telescopes in Chile and the United States. These high-precision instruments, capable of positioning optical fibers to within a micron, will vastly increase the quantity of astrophysics data that can be gathered - and expand our understanding of the Universe.

Mar 5th, 2021

Helping soft robots turn rigid on demand

New type of control system may broaden robots' range of tasks and allow safer interactions with people.

Mar 3rd, 2021

Novel soft tactile sensor with skin-comparable characteristics for robots (w/video)

A robotic gripper with the sensor mounted at the fingertip could accomplish challenging tasks such as stably grasping fragile objects and threading a needle.

Mar 1st, 2021

This robot doesn't need any electronics (w/video)

Engineers have created a four-legged soft robot that only needs a constant source of pressurized air for all its functions, including its controls and locomotion systems.

Feb 18th, 2021

Intelligent robots for targeted combating of viruses and bacteria

Service robots can help ensure that buildings and means of transport are cleaned and disinfected regularly and with consistently high quality.

Feb 12th, 2021

Soft underwater crawling robot inspired by brittle stars (w/video)

A team of researchers has created a soft robot inspired by the quick and agile brittle star, the first mobile and untethered underwater crawling robot.

Feb 12th, 2021

Emerging robotics technology may lead to better buildings in less time

Innovators developed and are testing a novel construction robotic system that uses an innovative mechanical design with advances in computer vision sensing technology to work in a construction setting.

Feb 10th, 2021

Robots sense human touch using camera and shadows

Researchers have created a low-cost method for soft, deformable robots to detect a range of physical interactions, from pats to punches to hugs, without relying on touch at all. Instead, a USB camera located inside the robot captures the shadow movements of hand gestures on the robot?s skin and classifies them with machine-learning software.

Feb 9th, 2021

How modern robots are developed

Robots are interesting to neuroscience and neuroscience is interesting to robots. Such collaborative development contributes to progress in both fields, bringing us closer to developing more advanced android robots and a deeper understanding of the structure of the human brain.

Feb 3rd, 2021

Discovery could lead to self-propelled robots

Researchers discovered how to make materials capable of self-propulsion, allowing materials to move without motors or hands.

Feb 1st, 2021

'Bleep-bloop-bleep! Say 'cheese', human'

Good portrait photography is as much art as it is science. There are technical details like composition and lighting, but there's also a matter of connecting emotionally with the photo?s subjects. Can you teach that to a robot?

Jan 29th, 2021

Squid-inspired robot is a good swimmer (w/video)

Using the pulse-jet mode that squid and jellyfish use to propel themselves, researchers developed a flexible robot that is as efficient at swimming as its biological models. Further research could lead to robots that can move even more efficiently than aquatic animals.

Jan 22nd, 2021