Using a transparent elastomer, Iowa State University scientists have created tiny tentacles that robots can wrap around delicate objects to handle them safely. The spiraling microrobotic tentacles are described in a research paper published in the journal Scientific Reports. Demonstrating how one of the tentacles encircled an ant’s thorax, softly trapping the insect, lead researcher […]
Harvard computer scientists have demonstrated how a self-organizing swarm of 1,024 small robots can collaborate to enact complex behaviors. According to lead developer Radhika Nagpal, the small, simple robots (named “Kilobots”) represent a significant milestone in the development of collective artificial intelligence. The three-legged Kilobots and their swarming behaviors are detailed in the latest issue […]
Giving robots a sense of touch has traditionally been an expensive and complex exercise with results that were often less than useful. Now, however, a newly developed tactile sensor using off-the-shelf cell phone components could dramatically change how robots interact with the world around them. The developers of the new TakkTile sensor at the Harvard […]
From the Trojan Horse to D-Day, deception has frequently played a vital role in wartime. Now, with an eye on the future and the increasing military use of drones and other robotic devices, the Navy is funding the development of robots that use the deceptive behavioral patterns of animals to mislead and disinform the enemy. […]
The annoying guy at parties who keeps changing the music may be facing redundancy, thanks to a new robot DJ docking station that chooses music, reacts to crowd feedback and dances appallingly. Developed by Georgia Tech’s Center for Music Technology, Shimi the robot is being demonstrated today at Google’s I/O conference in San Francisco and […]
A metal skullcap with electrodes sticking out has turned a sci-fi cliché into reality, with the wearer being able to control a robot’s movements with thought power alone. University of Washington researcher, Rajesh Rao, has demonstrated that an individual can “order” the robot to move to specific locations and pick up specific objects merely by […]
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have put together a new type of robot – dubbed “Ballbot” – that balances and moves on a single large ball, rather than legs or wheels. Created by Carnegie robotics boffin Ralph Hollis, Ballbot is a self-contained, battery-operated, omnidirectional robot that balances dynamically on a single urethane-coated metal sphere. Ballbot […]
One of science fiction’s scariest ideas – the out-of-control von Neumann machine – has been realized, albeit on a simple level. A report in Nature says that Cornell University researchers have created a machine that can build copies of itself. The researchers admit that the machine is just a proof of concept – it performs […]
