Robotics

The Pixar lamp has inspired researchers at Apple to develop ways to make robots more expressive, and improve human-machine interactions – and it is simply adorable. Watch it help out with tasks and even dance along to music in the kitchen.

Chinese robotics company Unitree has shown 16 of its H1 robots busting moves alongside human dancers at a Spring Festival Gala event. They not only danced in sync, but each of them also flawlessly spun and caught a handkerchief in the air.

Following a thrill-packed pre-launch for its Lynx robodog last year, where the wheeled wonder was seen speeding through fair-weather wilderness, Deep Robotics has hit the slopes to prove its all-weather mettle – with impressive acrobatic style.

Researchers at Cornell University have been working on batteries that can 'flow' through the internal structures of robots, kind of like blood in humans' veins. They showcased this fascinating approach in soft-bodied worm and jellyfish bots.

If you're setting out to build an underwater robot that's speedy, maneuverable and versatile, why not just copy what already works in the natural world? That's exactly what Beatbot has done, with its bio-inspired Amphibious RoboTurtle.

Sanctuary AI's Phoenix robot is very impressive, with hydraulically actuated hands that are incredibly dextrous. Well, those hands have recently become even more useful, as each one is now capable of simultaneously holding and manipulating an object.

This 125-kg (276-lb) robotic ball looks – and acts – like it could've broken free from the Batpod. It's a self-balancing sphere that can chase down criminals at up to 35 km/h (22 mph) on land or water, and strike with a range of non-lethal weapons.

It was just two years ago that a tiny robotic manta ray became the world's fastest-swimming soft-bodied robot. Well, one of its descendants has now smashed that record – and it uses less energy than its predecessor, to boot.

While autonomous flying robots have some intriguing potential applications, their usefulness is limited if they can't move across uneven terrain once they land. A new bio-inspired bot can do so, however, by mimicking the gait of the raven.

Although a number of wheeled robots can traverse uneven terrain, their body doesn't stay level as they do so, making them unsuitable for many tasks. That's where the KATR comes in, as it uses extendable legs to maintain an even cargo deck.

When most of us think of freshly poured concrete, we picture a material that should be left to dry as smooth as possible. A new robot drives right over the stuff, however, gouging its surface to make structures stronger yet also cheaper to build.

When disaster strikes, drones and robots can be sent into danger zones to scout for survivors. The RoBoa from a student team at ETH Zurich is designed to snake its way through debris that would stop other solutions in their tracks.

Various groups are now growing baby corals for transplantation into the world's disappearing reefs, but they need a hand. A new robotic hand has been created to help, by carefully transferring the li'l corals between tanks as they grow up.

China's DEEP Robotics is about to add a new quadruped to its kennel called the Lynx. But rather than go for walkies on pads, the mid-sized pup rolls on four wheels and is built for all-terrain shenanigans – as you can see in the pre-launch promo.

Today's AI technology could help robots get the hang of conducting complex surgeries. Researchers have taught a robot surgical system to expertly perform a bunch of surgical tasks as capably as human doctors, simply by training it on videos.