Robotics

Scientists at Carnegie Mellon University have spent a number of years developing modular snake-like robots for all kinds of purposes, and the latest adaptation sees its serpent-inspired tech headed underwater.

Austrian startup Printstones has been developing robotic 3D-printing robots since 2017, and has just pulled back the curtain on its latest prototype, a mobile multi-tasking construction bot called the Baubot.

When studying underwater marine life, it helps if you can use a device that doesn't scare the animals by appearing unnatural to them. MIT scientists have created a robo-starfish with that in mind, utilizing a new rapid development system.

Robots are now regularly used in applications such as picking purchased items from shipping warehouses … but most of them still can't see through walls. That said, a new bot is essentially able to do so, with a little outside help.

Continuing the wave of extraordinary digital art sales manifested by new blockchain-based NFT technology, an artwork co-created by the famous humanoid robot Sophia has now sold for just under US$700,000.

Boston Dynamics has revealed its first robot developed specifically for commercial applications. Named Stretch, the robot has been designed for warehouse work, purpose-built for mobile deployment in existing spaces.

While most of us can't afford to pay a person to patrol our home at night, it would still be nice to know that something was checking up on stuff as we slept. That's where Moorebot's Scout robot is designed to come in.

A new creation out of Duke University is yet another interesting example of an environmental sensing robot, taking after a dragonfly to skim across water and check for oil spills and other abnormalities, and doing so without any electronics onboard.

We've been hearing a lot lately about micro-robots, that could one day perform tasks such as capturing pollutants from the environment. Scientists have now created a sturdy batch of such bots, that heal back together when cut in two.

Fish have a sensory system known as the lateral line, which allows them to detect movements and pressure gradients in the water. Scientists have now given a robotic fish its own version of that system, letting it determine the best swimming speed.

Scientists at Norway's University of Oslo have developed a four-legged robot that can adjust its leg length and walking gait on the fly as it encounters different surfaces, improving its energy efficiency and performance in unpredictable settings.

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.