Robotics

Keeping on top of weed growth can be an onerous task for farmers raising large-scale crops for harvest. A new robot could help them keep on top of things, however, by hunting down and killing unwanted plants with zaps of electricity.

World first tests of an autonomous baggage tractor in real airport service conditions are underway at Toulouse-Blagnac airport in France. Built by Charlatte Autonom, the sensor-laden robotic EV is designed to speed up moving baggage and improve safety.

When it comes to soft-bodied robotic devices, there are ones that are squishy like rubber, or that fold like origami. The latter could soon be much lighter, hardier and capable, thanks to an electrically-conductive folding metallic material.

Taking a little inspiration from the slimy world of slugs and snails and mixing it some modern-day robotics, scientists at the University of Bristol have built a small, stretchy machine that can shuffle across surfaces and be stuffed into a pocket.

If you've heard of SoftBank Robotics, it's likely been in regards to the company's Pepper and NAO humanoid robots. This Tuesday, however, SoftBank announced North American availability of its new Whiz robotic vacuum sweeper.

The MIT engineering team behind the Mini Cheetah robot has taken a pack of the four-legged machines out of the lab for a little playtime, a sight that includes synchronized backflips, robo-soccer and is both adorable and a little frightening.

This week, roboticists at MIT have demonstrated a new robot with an extending limb that grows a bit like a plant. The appendage can weave its way through confined spaces before lifting a heavy load.

An engineering team at MIT has been working on new navigation software that can enable delivery robots to recognize the typical features of a front yard, and in doing so, find their way to the front door in a far more efficient manner.

We've watched with interest as subsequent developments have allowed RoboBee to fly, swim, hover, perch and lose its tether. Now it's become the first microrobot to achieve controlled flight using soft artificial muscles.

Robots today can do backflips like a parkour artist, but in some situations their balance is still terrible. The HERMES robot aims to challenge that with the aid of a special teleoperated control vest that gives it human-like balance and reflexes.

Out of all the cool-looking forms that robots can take, a cube seems like a pretty boring choice. But MIT’s cute little cube bots can roll and tumble around, recognize each other, and stack themselves into whatever shape is needed.

If your roses are getting a bit untidy, fear not, because an international team of researchers has developed a prototype robot gardener to do the job. Called Trimbot, it can not only do a spot of mowing but also prune roses and trim bushes.