Robots

Scientists at Purdue University have developed a mobile docking station that enables underwater robots to stop by for a recharge and offload their data at the same time, offering a way for them to operate for far longer periods without human input.

Nothing breaks the immersion of VR like putting your hand through a wall. Haptics can give som sense of touch, but a new study has a clever alternative – robots that move physical furniture around, so there’s a real chair or wall waiting for you.

While many fighters train with a punching bag, it's not really a fair fight – after all, the bag can't punch back. Stryk's new RXT-1 training robot, however, does exactly that.

Robots are an increasingly common sight in stores, and now they’re getting a bit more hands-on. Japanese company Telexistence has begun trials in convenience stores of a robot shelf-stacker that can be controlled by a human via VR.

One day microscopic robots could be crawling through your body, clearing out disease or delivering drugs. And now we’re one step closer to that future, as scientists from Cornell University have created tiny robots powered by pulses of laser light.

Most futurists probably never saw it coming, but there are now several commercially available robots designed to entertain pets while their owners are at work. One of the latest, known as Pumpkii, features a unique modular design.

DJI is probably best known for its drones, but last year it launched an educational robot platform named after its annual RomoMaster Robotics Competition. Now the S1 has been joined by the EP Core, the first product in DJI's new Education branch.

Researchers have created a new camera system that’s so small and light it can perch on the back of a beetle. From there, it can be wirelessly controlled to focus on different things, streaming video and photos back to a phone connected via Bluetooth.

Engineers at the University of Liverpool have developed a robot scientist that can autonomously perform experiments, analyze results and decide what to do next based on those results – and it’s already making new discoveries on its own

Construction kits have been a blessing in lockdown, and a new one might appeal to those interested in tinkering with robots. ArmPal is a robot arm kit that you build yourself, then pit against other robot arms in battles based on picking stuff up.

Festo has good form for pushing the envelope in robot development, previously showing off bio-inspired bot versions of ants, a kangaroo, flying penguins and more. Now the firm has revealed the latest developments, including aerobatic BionicSwifts.

Robot toy maker Sphero has turned its Public Safety Division into a brand new company focused on developing robots and AI software for emergency personnel, government and defense clients, and folks with dangerous jobs.