Robotics, AI and SmartTech News – Latest Headlines

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Space-tested robot inspires medicine and manufacturing uses

Robonaut, a human-like robot designed by NASA and General Motors, has been on the International Space Station since February 2011. Researchers have been testing the robot's ability to perform certain tasks to free up human crew time and energy.

Jun 28th, 2014

Ask the crowd: Robots learn faster, better with online helpers (w/video)

Computer scientists have shown that crowdsourcing can be a quick and effective way to teach a robot how to complete tasks. Instead of learning from just one human, robots could one day query the larger online community, asking for instructions or input on the best way to set the table or water the garden.

Jun 26th, 2014

'Intelli-copters', capable of learning as they fly (w/video)

Flying robots that can show true autonomy - and even a bit of politeness - in working together and venturing into hostile environments are being developed by engineers at the University of Sheffield.

Jun 26th, 2014

Collaborative learning - for robots

Algorithm lets independent agents collectively produce a machine-learning model without aggregating data.

Jun 25th, 2014

Demonstrating a driverless future

In the coming decades, we will likely commute to work and explore the countryside in autonomous, or driverless, cars capable of communicating with the roads they are traveling on. A convergence of technological innovations in embedded sensors, computer vision, artificial intelligence, control and automation, and computer processing power is making this feat a reality.

Jun 24th, 2014

Robot can be programmed by casually talking to it (w/video)

In his Robot Learning Lab, Ashutosh Saxena, assistant professor of computer science at Cornell University, is teaching robots to understand instructions in natural language from various speakers, account for missing information, and adapt to the environment at hand.

Jun 23rd, 2014

Self-propelled robotic device can detect leaks in pipes

Researchers have devised a robotic system that can detect leaks at a rapid pace and with high accuracy by sensing a large pressure change at leak locations.

Jun 19th, 2014

New manufacturing methods needed for 'soft' machines, robots

Researchers have developed a technique that might be used to produce 'soft machines' made of elastic materials and liquid metals for potential applications in robotics, medical devices and consumer electronics.

Jun 18th, 2014

Japan robot firm showcases thought-controlled suits

A Japanese robot-maker on Wednesday showed off suits that the wearer can control just by thinking, as it said it was linking up with an industrial city promoting innovation.

Jun 18th, 2014

The future role of robotics in food production

Computer scientists are organizing an international workshop on recent advances in agricultural robotics.

Jun 16th, 2014

New computer program aims to teach itself everything about anything

Computer scientists from the University of Washington and the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence in Seattle have created the first fully automated computer program that teaches everything there is to know about any visual concept.

Jun 13th, 2014

Fuzzy logic brings robots closer to human-like reasoning

Sophia Mitchell's latest paper, Precision Route Optimization using Fuzzy Intelligence, is getting international attention with her invitation to the International Conference on Awareness Science and Technology in Paris, France.

Jun 12th, 2014

Lighter cars with new robotic welding method

Researchers invented a welding tool that also functions as a temperature sensor. The temperature is measured continuously and, if it becomes too hot, the heat is regulated by controlling the force and tool rotation. The researchers have also made use of an industrial robot to perform the welds and achieve a constant welding quality.

Jun 11th, 2014

Overcoming barriers to successful use of autonomous unmanned aircraft

While civil aviation is on the threshold of potentially revolutionary changes with the emergence of increasingly autonomous unmanned aircraft, these new systems pose serious questions about how they will be safely and efficiently integrated into the existing civil aviation structure, says a new report from the National Research Council.

Jun 5th, 2014