MIT

A self-arranging fleet of FloatForm robots requires minimal coordination for navigating, avoiding collisions, magnetically adhering to each other, and detaching themselves. FloatForms could create emergency platforms or future work and living space.

Scientists have created a robotic bird that swims, dives, and rockets out of water to fly, all without propellers, legs, or folding tricks. Just clever engineering solving a problem nature already does gracefully.

In a new MIT study – in partnership with Purdue, Northwestern, and Duke universities – chemists have discovered that inserting weaker bonds into polystyrene actually makes the material more resistant to damage.

MIT engineers have tested a thumbnail-sized thruster that runs on a single green fuel to power both chemical and electric propulsion, potentially sending inexpensive CubeSats all the way to Mars, and beyond.

A patent filed in 1985 is being dusted off as a source of inspiration for a new 3D-printed triangular-shaped zipper that seamlessly fastens chairs, tents, robots and purses, making them simpler to pack and set up just with a press of a button.

MIT researchers have developed an ultrasound wristband that uses AI to translate wrist movements into precise, real-time robotic actions. So far, this is one of the most effective methods for teaching robots to move like humans.

A new method converts user-selected 3D structures into string-pulled pop-up structures of connected tiles. Ideal for rapid creation and deployment in disaster zones, these pop-ups can also “pop-down” for re-use and easy transport.

Although they're constantly improving, robots aren't necessarily known for their gentle touch. A new robotic system from MIT and Stanford takes a unique stab at changing that, with a robot that uses vine-like tendrils to do its lifting.

A startup founded by MIT alumni wants robots to do some heavy lifting, literally. Pickle Robot Company's systems feature AI smarts and single-armed machines to quickly unload shipping containers filled with cases weighing up to 50 lb each.

MIT researchers have found a way to use the mechanical vibrations of sound waves to shake water molecules free from a storage medium. The breakthrough significantly speeds up the process of harvesting drinking water from thin air.

At MIT, a new kind of AI model has come online. A supercomputer capable of two AI-exaflops, fuses more than six hundred GPUs into a single pulse of intelligence. It promises to accelerate breakthroughs in medicine, climate modeling, and beyond.

Scientists have been working on enhancing concrete to store energy. That includes researchers at MIT, who found a way to combine cement, water, and carbon black to create a 'supercapacitor' for this purpose back in 2023. It's now 10x better at this.