Robotics, AI and SmartTech News – Latest Headlines

Small, mighty robots mimic the powerful punch of mantis shrimp

Modeling the mechanics of the strongest punch in the animal kingdom, researchers built a robot that mimics the movement of the mantis shrimp. These pugnacious crustaceans could pave the way for small, but mighty robotic devices.

September 9, 2021 Read more

Walking with coffee is a little-understood feat of physics

Understanding the physics behind natural processes provides new applications for soft robotics, manufacturing automation.

September 8, 2021 Read more

Fish fins are teaching us the secret to flexible robots and new shape-changing materials

Segmented hinges in the long, thin bones of fish fins are critical to the incredible mechanical properties of fins, and this design could inspire improved underwater propulsion systems, new robotic materials and even new aircraft designs.

August 26, 2021 Read more

Compact system designed for high-precision, robot-based surface measurements

System poised to enable real-time, in-line 3D inspection and boost efficiency of high-tech manufacturing.

August 24, 2021 Read more

A soft robot based on a water-driven hydrogel actuator

Researchers have developed a soft actuator inspired by the unique behavior of sea cucumbers.

August 18, 2021 Read more

Sex with robots: How should lawmakers respond?

Advancements in technology have resulted in the design of hyper-realistic, Wi-Fi connected, programmable sex robots that can mimic human responses, but what do these developments mean for how we regulate interactions with 'sexbots' in the future?

August 11, 2021 Read more

Artificial Intelligence learns better when distracted

Computer scientists have now determined how a deep learning system well suited for image recognition learns to recognize its surroundings. They were able to simplify the learning process by forcing the system's focus toward secondary characteristics.

July 30, 2021 Read more

New algorithm flies drones faster than human racing pilots

For the first time an autonomously flying quadrotor has outperformed two human pilots in a drone race. The success is based on a novel algorithm that calculates time-optimal trajectories that fully consider the drones' limitations.

July 23, 2021 Read more

New simulator helps robots sharpen their cutting skills (w/video)

A simulation engine predicts the forces acting on a knife as it cuts through soft materials, a capability that could have applications for safer food processing and surgical robotics.

July 22, 2021 Read more

Origami comes to life with new shape-changing materials (w/video)

Researchers have created butterflies that flap their wings, flower petals that wiggle with the touch of a button and self-folding origami drawing on new advances in soft robotics.

July 21, 2021 Read more

Engineers 3D-print a soft robotic hand that can play Nintendo - and win

The key breakthrough was the ability to 3D print fully assembled soft robots with 'integrated fluidic circuits' in a single step.

July 17, 2021 Read more

Insect-sized robot navigates mazes with the agility of a cheetah (w/video)

This flexible, durable robot can traverse complex terrain and quickly swerve to avoid obstacles, qualities that could one make it an asset for search and rescue operations.

July 4, 2021 Read more

Recycling robot could help solve soft plastic waste crisis

Researchers are developing a unique method to increase recycling of soft plastics - by creating a smart, automated robotic system that uses robotics and AI to sort recyclable waste.

June 23, 2021 Read more

Smart elastomers are making the robots of the future more touchy-feely

A new generation of robotic tools are beginning to be realized thanks to a combination of strong 'muscles' and sensitive 'nerves' created from smart polymeric materials.

June 22, 2021 Read more

Researchers explore the shallow underground world with a burrowing soft robot (w/video)

Taking their cues from plants and animals that have evolved to navigate subterranean spaces, researchers have developed a fast, controllable soft robot that can burrow through sand. The technology not only enables new applications for fast, precise and minimally invasive movement underground, but also lays mechanical foundations for new types of robots.

June 16, 2021 Read more

Electrohydraulic arachno-bot a fascinating lightweight (w/video)

Goodbye, bulky components and connectors: A team of scientists has now found a new way to exploit the principles of spiders' joints to create lightweight robots.

June 16, 2021 Read more

Miniature robots controlled by magnetic fields (w/video)

A team of scientists has developed millimetre-sized robots that can be controlled using magnetic fields to perform highly manoeuvrable and dexterous manipulations. This could pave the way to possible future applications in biomedicine and manufacturing.

June 15, 2021 Read more

A robotic hand that updates itself

To capture the sophisticated mechanics of in-hand manipulation, a team of researchers designed a robotic system that relies on its ability to map out how it interacts with its environment to adapt and update its own internal model.

June 15, 2021 Read more