Robotics, AI and SmartTech News – Latest Headlines

The powerhouse future is flexoelectric

'Giant flexoelectricity' breakthrough in soft elastomers paves way for improved robots and self-powered pacemakers.

June 3, 2021 Read more

A helping hand for working robots

A reimagined robot hand combines strength with resilience, sidestepping the problems that accompany existing designs.

May 28, 2021 Read more

The path to more human-like robot object manipulation skills

What if a robot could organize your closet or chop your vegetables? A sous chef in every home could someday be a reality.

May 28, 2021 Read more

The robot smiled back (w/video)

Researchers use AI to teach robots to make appropriate reactive human facial expressions, an ability that could build trust between humans and their robotic co-workers and care-givers.

May 27, 2021 Read more

Slender robotic finger senses buried items (w/video)

The technology uses tactile sensing to identify objects underground, and might one day help disarm land mines or inspect cables.

May 26, 2021 Read more

Transforming our understanding of deep learning

A team of scientists aims to make Deep Learning more accountable and transparent by better understanding the decision making process behind the algorithms.

May 26, 2021 Read more

Helping drone swarms avoid obstacles without hitting each other (w/video)

Engineers have developed a predictive control model that allows swarms of drones to fly in cluttered environments quickly and safely. It works by enabling individual drones to predict their own behavior and that of their neighbors in the swarm.

May 18, 2021 Read more

Magnetic spray transforms objects into millirobots (w/video)

A spray-on magnetic coat turns any object into a robot controlled by a magnetic field. The biocompatible robots can walk, crawl and roll, and switch motions on demand.

May 13, 2021 Read more

AI learns to type on a phone like humans (w/video)

Computational model precisely replicates eye and finger movements of touchscreen users - could lead to better auto-correct and keyboard usability for unique needs.

May 12, 2021 Read more

Robotic flexing: Biologically inspired artificial muscles made from motor proteins

Scientists develop a 3D printing-compatible strategy to actuate millimeter-scale robots using genetically modified biomolecular machinery.

May 5, 2021 Read more

Robotics next frontier to combat bacterial resistance to medicines

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been described as one of the greatest threats to global health and food security. Surveillance is a core component of managing AMR, yet surveillance methods have changed very little since their conception and remain cost prohibitive and resource intense.

May 4, 2021 Read more

New law of physics helps humans and robots grasp the friction of touch

At issue is something called elastohydrodynamic lubrication friction, which is the friction that occurs when two solid surfaces come into contact with a thin layer of fluid between them.

April 29, 2021 Read more

A modular building platform for the most ingenious of robots

A team of scientists has developed a system with which they can fabricate miniature robots building block by building block, which function exactly as required. As one would do with a Lego system, the scientists can randomly combine individual components.

April 29, 2021 Read more

Cognitive neuroscience could pave the way for emotionally intelligent robots

Researchers propose a novel auditory perception based feature for extracting emotions from human speech using neural networks.

April 28, 2021 Read more

Next generation of swimming biobots can self-train, showing striking speed and strength

Researchers have applied 3D bioprinting and engineering design for the development of biobots at the cm. range that can swim and coast like fishes, with unprecedented velocities.

April 22, 2021 Read more

Snakebot goes for a swim (w/video)

Biorobotics Lab builds submersible robot snake.

April 16, 2021 Read more

Robots can be more aware of human co-workers, with system that provides context

Working safely is not only about processes, but context - understanding the work environment and circumstances, and being able to predict what other people will do next. A new system empowers robots with this level of context awareness, so they can work side-by-side with humans on assembly lines more efficiently and without unnecessary interruptions.

April 8, 2021 Read more

Even without a brain, metal-eating robots can search for food

Researchers demonstrate a wheeled robot that can navigate its environment without a computer. By having the left and right wheels of the robot powered by different units, they show a rudimentary form of navigation and foraging, where the robot will automatically steer toward metallic surfaces it can 'eat'.

April 1, 2021 Read more