Robotics

Although we've been hearing about various agricultural robots that are still in development, there's at least one which is already commercially available. It's called the Slopehelper, and it's made mainly for use in vineyards.

Researchers have managed to create a kind of cyborg, integrating the ear of a locust into a robot. The robot was then able to respond to noises that the biological sensor picked up, which could pave the way for more sensitive and efficient sensors.

Due to the current pandemic, people are shopping online like never before. This means that distribution warehouses have become very busy places, where goods need to be transported quickly but safely – and that's where the LoadRunner comes in.

Even though lifeguards are essential to maintaining safety at swimming pools, they can't always see everything that's happening. That's where a new swimmer-saving underwater robot is designed to come in.

Things can get very chaotic on the ocean floor, making it difficult for underwater robots to keep from being swept away. New research, however, suggests that by copying the structure of the starfish, they could actually be pressed into place.

Although soft robotic graspers may be squishy on the outside, they usually still have hard, unyielding electronic components on the inside. A new and potentially more versatile bio-inspired grasping system, however, is 100 percent soft.

When scientists wish to gather oceanographic data over long distances, autonomous "underwater gliders" are often used. A new one is claimed to be highly maneuverable, yet it has no external propulsion or steering systems.

Soft-bodied robots move via pneumatic "muscles" that are selectively inflated or deflated. And while the muscles themselves may be soft and squishy, they're usually hooked up to hard, unwieldy pumps. A new pump, however, is both small and flexible.

Soft robots are gaining a lot of attention in research circles, and from an engineering lab at the University of California, San Diego comes an interesting new example of this technology in the form of a robot that can move without any electronics.

Although autonomous tractors may be well-suited to some applications, there are other times when a human driver is still required. That's where a new kit comes in, as it allows existing tractors to be switched between autonomous and manual modes.

There are currently a number of groups developing touch-sensitive electronic skin for robots. Scientists at Cornell University are pursuing a simpler approach, however, using shadow-imaging cameras to let robots know when they're being touched.

Boston Dynamics has expanded the capabilities of its dog-like Spot robot, introducing new remote control software, a new robotic arm attachment and an entirely new version called Spot Enterprise that can recharge itself.