Robotics
Having already revolutionized the production line, robots promise to transform our lives in myriad ways. Here you'll find the news and opinion on the latest advances in robotics and where they are taking us.
Latest News
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Tiny robots copy the click beetle to jump over obstacles
January 25, 2023If a robot is going to be tiny, then it better have a way of getting around the many obstacles that will block its way. A new type of robot takes a unique approach to doing so, by jumping like a click beetle. -
Tiny eBiobots use LEDs and muscle tissue for real-time remote control
January 24, 2023Back in 2012, we heard about tiny biped "biobot" robots that used actual muscle tissue to walk. Well, the descendants of those bots are now equipped with LEDs, which allow them to be remotely steered in a practical fashion. -
New rubbery film rockets into the air like a grasshopper
January 20, 2023In a serendipitous discovery, engineers have developed a material that first deforms and then shoots into the air when it is heated. The researchers say the material could one day be used to help soft robots jump or lift objects. -
Atlas robot takes a major leap in perception and object manipulation
January 18, 2023Boston Dynamics continues to astound us with progress on Atlas, its humanoid robot. In a new video, Atlas goes to work on a construction site, showing off some fascinating new abilities, spiced up with some acrobatics that'd get most of us sacked. -
SentiV robot inspects crops by rolling its way through fields
January 09, 2023When we think of agricultural robots, we tend to picture things that pick produce or apply chemicals. The SentiV is different, though, in that it's designed to check crops for problems while autonomously wandering the fields. -
Pepper-picking robot moves through crops on overhead wires
January 05, 2023According to Japanese robotics firm Agrist, there's a shortage of farm workers in that country. The company is offering a partial solution to the problem, though, in the form of a pepper-picking robot. -
Self-balancing evoBOT grasps and carries cargo
January 05, 2023We've seen fast, nimble, self-balancing wheeled robots, plus we've also seen robots that can grasp and carry objects. The evoBOT could prove to be particularly useful, however, as it combines both traits in one clever machine. -
Herbicide GUSS autonomously – and judiciously – sprays orchards
January 04, 2023If fruit is going to be grown using herbicides – which is still largely the case – then the fewer of the chemicals that are used, the better. The Herbicide GUSS autonomous robotic spray vehicle was designed with just such concerns in mind. -
MARVEL quadruped robot uses magnetic feet to walk up metal walls
January 03, 2023Many people are already creeped out by quadruped robots, which walk on four legs instead of rolling on wheels or tracks. Well, the MARVEL robot likely won't do much to change such feelings, as it can walk straight up ferromagnetic metal walls. -
Ant-inspired robot swarm works together to bust out of jail
December 21, 2022One ant is not very smart, but together they can achieve some remarkable things. Inspired by this emergent cooperative behavior, Harvard researchers have built robots that can work together to escape from a “prison,” without needing a specific plan. -
Three-legged MARM robot could soon be tending to spacecraft in orbit
December 20, 2022Sci-fi fans may recall the bipedal robots from the 1972 film Silent Running, which performed maintenance on the outside of the spaceship. Well, the new MARM robot is reminiscent of them – except it has three limbs, for optimum dexterity and mobility. -
Forabot robot searches through tiny shells from prehistoric times
December 13, 2022Imagine if you were tasked with sorting and separating thousands of tiny fossils, most of them less than a millimeter wide. It would quite a tedious, time-consuming task … which is why scientists have recently created a robot to do the job. -
Quick soft-bodied robots move at the speed of a hair clip
December 05, 2022In order for a soft-bodied robot to be practical, it has to be simple, light and energy-efficient, yet still reasonably quick. A newly developed mechanism fits the bill, and it's inspired by the humble hair clip. -
Ketchup bottles inspire new method of moving soft-bodied robots
November 25, 2022Plastic ketchup bottles have a valve in the lid that opens to let ketchup out, and that "sputters" if the bottle is squeezed too hard. Scientists have copied that mechanism to create an actuator that could be used in autonomous soft robotic devices. -
Swimming robot performs butterfly to move with unmatched speed
November 20, 2022Scientists regularly draw ideas from the natural world in a bid to improve robotic performance, and the latest creation in this space is a soft robot that mimics butterfly stroke in humans to move through the water with unparalleled speed.
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