New exosuit helps runners sprint faster

A team of mechanical engineers at Chung-Ang University in South Korea has developed an exosuit that can help runners cover short distances faster. Their project is reported in the journal Science Robotics. An exosuit is a type of device that can be worn over the body. Engineers and roboticists have been creating exosuits over the … Read more

Farm robots inspired by ant brains

With the rapid-paced rise of AI in everyday life, nothing, not even the traditional farmer, is untouched by the technology. A survey of the latest generation of farm tools provides a taste of just how far modern farming has come. The Ecorobotix, a seven-foot-wide GPS-assisted “table on wheels” as some have described it, is a … Read more

Exploring how to build better extraterrestrial robots

Running on the beach versus a paved road can change an athlete’s stride, speed and stability. Alter the force of gravity, and that runner may break their personal record or sink into the ground. Researchers have to consider such parameters when designing extraterrestrial rovers and landers—which can trawl where no person has stepped foot. To … Read more

A framework for risk-aware robot navigation in unknown environments

Mobile robots have become increasingly sophisticated and are now being deployed in a growing number of real-world environments, including airports, malls, museums, health care facilities and other settings. So far, however, most of these robots have been introduced in clearly defined indoor environments, as opposed to completing missions that would require them to travel across … Read more

AI-driven drones defeat human pilots in obstacle course

In what is being called a milestone in mobile robotics, an AI-assisted drone has defeated drones controlled by humans in an obstacle course testing precision flight patterns and speed. AI-assisted machines have conquered humans in non-physical games such as chess, checkers, Go, Othello and StarCraft, but a drone competition held by researchers at the University … Read more

Researcher team develops soft valve technology to enable sensing and control integration in soft robots

Soft inflatable robots have emerged as a promising paradigm for applications that require inherent safety and adaptability. However, the integration of sensing and control systems in these robots has posed significant challenges without compromising their softness, form factor, or capabilities. Addressing this obstacle, a research team jointly led by Professor Jiyun Kim (Department of New … Read more

Robotic driving seat helping to improve safety of highly automated vehicles

A newly developed robotic driving seat will be showcased at the British Science Festival by UCL researchers, as part of ongoing efforts to increase public trust in highly automated vehicles. The driving seat, developed by scientists from UCL’s Intelligent Mobility group (IM@UCL), signals to drivers in highly automated vehicles that human input is required and … Read more

‘Brainless’ robot can navigate complex obstacles

Researchers who created a soft robot that could navigate simple mazes without human or computer direction have now built on that work, creating a “brainless” soft robot that can navigate more complex and dynamic environments. The paper, “Physically Intelligent Autonomous Soft Robotic Maze Escaper,” was published Sept. 8 in the journal Science Advances. “In our … Read more