News

New control system enhances delta robots' speed and accuracy
Research in the International Journal of Computational Vision and Robotics could lead to faster and more accurate robots for high-precision tasks in factories.

Use of robotic hand exoskeleton helps pianists improve their playing speed
A team of roboticists at Sony Computer Science Laboratories Inc. and the NeuroPiano Institute, in Kyoto, reports that a robotic exoskeleton strapped to the top of a piano player’s hand allowed it to control the player’s fingers during speed exercises, leading to improvements in playing fast-moving piano tunes. In their study, published in the journal Science Robotics, the group conducted experiments with their exoskeleton hand robot with more than 100 trained piano players.

Transforming how AI systems perceive human hands
Making Artificial Intelligence systems robustly perceive humans remains one of the most intricate challenges in computer vision. Among the most complex problems is reconstructing 3D models of human hands, a task with wide-ranging applications in robotics, animation, human-computer interaction, and augmented and virtual reality. The difficulty lies in the nature of hands themselves, often obscured while holding objects or contorted into challenging orientations during tasks like grasping.

Artificial touch: Brain-controlled bionic hand now senses edges and motion
A complex sense of touch for individuals living with spinal cord injuries is a step closer to reality. A study published in Science, paves the way for complex touch sensations through brain stimulation while using an extracorporeal bionic limb, that is attached to a chair or wheelchair. The paper is titled “Tactile edges and motion via patterned microstimulation of the human somatosensory cortex.”

Innovative 6D pose dataset sets new standard for robotic grasping performance
Accurate object pose estimation refers to the ability of a robot to determine both the position and orientation of an object. It is essential for robotics, especially in pick-and-place tasks, which are crucial in industries such as manufacturing and logistics.

Robots should be repurposed rather than recycled to combat rising scale of e-waste, scientists warn
The robotics industry should be creating robots that could be reprogrammed and repurposed for other tasks once its life span is completed, University of Bristol and University of West England researchers have advised.

3D printing strategy can upgrade soft robots and extend their lifespan
Over the past decades, robotic systems have been rapidly advancing, fueled by the continuous introduction of more advanced electronics, mechanical components and software solutions. As a result, robots can easily become obsolete and outdated as newer systems emerge.

Robotic insects could someday aid in mechanical pollination
With a more efficient method for artificial pollination, farmers in the future could grow fruits and vegetables inside multilevel warehouses, boosting yields while mitigating some of agriculture’s harmful impacts on the environment.

Cat-like robot mimics bunting behavior to alleviate human tension
The behavior of a cat rubbing its head against a person, known as bunting, is an expression of affection and is believed to have a healing effect on humans.

Robots set to move beyond factory as AI advances
Today’s robots perform safety checks at industrial plants, conduct quality control in manufacturing, and are even starting to keep hospital patients company.