Robotics

‘Smart’ Fabrics: The Future of Technology

Future technology won’t be a device you carry in your pocket, a computer you put in your bag, or a watch you wear on your wrist. Instead, it will be woven into the threads of your shirt and pants. Researchers all over the world are developing “smart” fabrics or textiles that can charge electronics, cool Read More
Women Killin’ It in Robotics

Robots have long been imagined in science fiction novels and films, but current technology shows that such machines are no longer a point of fantasy. Now, robots are capable of carrying out extremely detailed tasks — from flying vehicles, to data computation, emergency response and medical assistance. Each day, great strides are made to further Read More
‘Smart’ Fabrics Lead to Clothes That Can Detect Human Motion

Engineers at the University of Delaware have developed a technique to create touch-sensitive smart textiles by coating a variety of fibers, including nylon, cotton and wool, with carbon-based nanomaterials. The resulting fabrics are equipped with novel sensing abilities that can detect a wide range of pressure — from the light touch of a fingertip to Read More
New Method Leads to Tiny, Soft Robots for Delicate Procedures

Researchers have developed a new method to fabricate soft millimeter-scale materials, paving the way for flexible microrobots to be used in medical procedures and other hard-to-access environments. The research team, consisting of members from Harvard’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), and Boston University, Read More
Future High-Speed Electronics to Be Printed Like Newspapers

Researchers from Purdue University have developed a new, low-cost manufacturing technique that could make it possible to print electronics in a similar way to newspapers. The technique could be used to form smooth, flexible metals that could improve the speed and battery-life of electronics. It also eliminates many fabrication barriers, so it could make printing Read More
Robotic Cheetah to Act as Emergency Responder

The robotic cheetah is one of the most popular inventions MIT has developed in the 21st century. Its design, speed, size, strength and jumping ability has made it a fan favorite and given it real-world applications. Now, a third generation robot, named the Cheetah 3, can travel swiftly across rough terrain, climb up stairs covered Read More
Why Robots Might Pack Your Next Amazon Order

A team of three roboticists from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) has developed a faster and more accurate way for robots to grasp objects in real-time, opening doors for applications in both industrial and domestic settings. Their paper was presented at the Carnegie Mellon University’s international robotics conference, Robotics: Science and Systems, last week. Read More
Scientists Create Real-Life Cyborg with Living Muscle

While a half-man, half-robot might seem like the epitome of science fiction, it’s a developing reality to a team of researchers at the University of Tokyo. The team has created a method to successfully grow and integrate living muscle into a robotic skeleton that can function for over a week. The result is a human-like Read More
Researchers Develop Electronic Skin for Soft Robots

A team of engineers from Seoul National University has developed a skin-like electronic system for soft robots to move with more flexibility, making them safer around humans. Soft robotics is a subfield of robotics that aims to copy the way living organisms, such as human hands, move and adapt to their surroundings and tasks. Unlike Read More
Tiny Ultrasound-Powered Robots Remove Harmful Bacteria From Blood

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed microscopic robots that can swim through blood and remove harmful bacteria and toxins. These nanorobots are about 25 times smaller than the width of a human hair, and could lead to an efficient and safe way to decontaminate biological fluids in the body. The research Read More
No More Chores: Robot ‘Agents’ Will Do Them All

Have you ever fantasized about having a robot sidekick? How about a machine for all your daily, time-consuming household chores, so you can sit back and relax? That could well be in our future if a team of researchers headed by MIT and the University of Toronto has anything to do with it. The researchers Read More
Robotic Glider Flies Like an Albatross and Sails Like a Boat

A team of engineers at MIT has developed a robotic glider capable of both soaring through the air in high winds and riding rapidly along the water’s surface. In drafting the unique design of their robot, which they call the “wind-powered Unmanned Nautical Air-water vehicle,” or UNAv, the researchers drew inspiration from both biological and Read More
Robots: Counselors That Truly Listen

Researchers at the University of Plymouth have proven, for the first time, that robots can conduct a helpful, enjoyable motivational interview (MI). MI is a technique used in psychiatry that involves a counselor asking questions and encouraging someone to explain their need and reasons for wanting change in their lives. The use of robots allows Read More
Ancient Paper Art to Spur Development of Smart Clothing

Inspired by the ancient Japanese paper art of kirigami, a team of researchers from the University at Buffalo (UB) has developed a method to create flexible electronic materials made of polymers and nanowires. This new technique could lead to improvements in smart clothing, bendable display screens, electronic paper, and other applications that require malleable circuitry. Read More
Advancing the Manufacture of Stretchable Electronics and Soft Robots

A research team from the Collaborative Robotics and Intelligent Systems Institute at Oregon State University’s College of Engineering have developed a method for modified, 3D-printable metal alloy. This development could lead to the rapid manufacture of stretchable electronics, including flexible computer screens and soft robots. The study is published in the journal Advanced Materials Technologies. Read More