Robotics, AI and SmartTech News – Latest Headlines

Click beetles inspire design of self-righting robots

A team of mechanical engineers and entomologists are looking to click beetles, who can right themselves without the use of their legs, to solve a robotics challenge.

September 25, 2017 Read more

One step closer to lifelike robots

A self-contained soft actuator three times stronger than natural muscle, without the need of externals, signals a breakthrough in soft robotics.

September 19, 2017 Read more

Self-reconfiguring modular robots that can merge, split and even self-heal

Researchers have developed self-reconfiguring modular robots that can merge, split and even self-heal while retaining full sensorimotor control. The work may take us closer to producing robots that can autonomously change their size, shape and function.

September 12, 2017 Read more

'Seeing' robot learns tricky technique for studying brain cells in mammals

Scientists have successfully taught robots to perform a challenging brain technique only previously mastered by a handful of humans.

August 31, 2017 Read more

New robot rolls with the rules of pedestrian conduct

Approach may enable robots to move around hospitals, malls, and other areas with heavy foot traffic.

August 30, 2017 Read more

Artificial intelligence helps with earlier detection of skin cancer

New technology being developed by researchers is using artificial intelligence (AI) to help detect melanoma skin cancer earlier.

August 23, 2017 Read more

Designing custom robots in a matter of minutes

'Interactive Robogami' that lets you design a robot in minutes, and then 3D-print and assemble it in as little as four hours.

August 22, 2017 Read more

Researchers use machine learning to spot counterfeit consumer products (w/video)

A team of researchers has developed a new mechanism that uses machine-learning algorithms to distinguish between genuine and counterfeit versions of the same product.

August 11, 2017 Read more

Top 6 robotic applications in food manufacturing (w/video)

Robotic food manufacturing is a rising trend in the food industry.

August 11, 2017 Read more

Why humans find faulty robots more likeable

New social robotics research finds that humans prefer interacting with faulty robots significantly more than with robots that function and behave flawlessly.

August 4, 2017 Read more

New 3-D technique uses water and robotics to reconstruct complex objects

An international group of researchers developed a technique that results in more accurate 3-D scanning for reconstructing complex objects than what currently exists. The innovative method combines robotics and water.

July 26, 2017 Read more

A robot that grows

Mechanical engineers develop a robot that can navigate its environment by extending its reach.

July 20, 2017 Read more

Research makes robots better at following spoken instructions

Computer scientists have developed a new system that makes robots better at following spoken instructions, no matter how abstract or specific those instructions may be.

July 13, 2017 Read more

Miniaturizing the brain of a drone

Method for designing efficient computer chips may get miniature smart drones off the ground.

July 13, 2017 Read more

Soft and stretchy fabric-based sensors for wearable robots

Hybrid silicone-fabric sensor detects fine motor movements by flexing with the body.

July 12, 2017 Read more

Asimov's Laws won't stop robots harming humans - here is a better solution

Instead of laws to restrict robot behaviour, a group of scientists think robots should be empowered to maximise the possible ways they can act so they can pick the best solution for any given scenario.

July 10, 2017 Read more

Self-driving cars may soon be able to make moral and ethical decisions as humans do

New study demonstrating that human ethical decisions can be implemented into machines has strong implications for managing the moral dilemmas autonomous cars may face on the road.

July 5, 2017 Read more

Smart quadcopters find their way without human help or GPS (w/video)

Milestone series of tests have quadcopters slaloming through woodlands, swerving around obstacles in a hangar, and reporting back to their starting point all by themselves.

July 3, 2017 Read more