News

Expert warns of increasing drone swarms and the need for faster detection
Federal authorities have provided new details in the case of “the mysterious drones” spotted around the northeastern U.S.

Microrobots and the 'lazy agent problem': Swarm study demonstrates a solution
Imagine trying to move a heavy piece of furniture with a group of people. Everyone’s effort matters, but how do you ensure that each person is pulling their weight? This challenge of fairly distributing the load is a critical issue not only in human teamwork but also for coordinating robotic swarms.

Data on animal movements help Hungarian researchers create a swarm of autonomous drones
Moving in a dense cloud, like throngs of people walking across a crowded public square, 100 drones maneuver through the night sky in Hungary’s capital, the result of over a decade of research and experimentation that scientists believe could change the future of unmanned flight.

Autonomous robotics, sensors and advanced computing can now help with harvesting plant data
Scientists at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have demonstrated an autonomous robotic field monitoring, sampling and data-gathering system that could accelerate understanding of interactions among plants, soil and the environment.

Giving animal strength to medical robotics: 3D printing method uses shape-shifting liquid metal
University of Queensland researchers have developed a 3D printing method to produce shape-shifting liquid metal robotics with musculoskeletal qualities inspired by animal physiology.

New knit haptic sleeve simulates realistic touch
Wearable haptic devices, which provide touch-based feedback, can provide more realistic experiences in virtual reality, assist with rehabilitation, and create new opportunities for silent communication. Currently, most of these devices rely on vibration, as pressure-based haptics have typically required users to wear stiff exoskeletons or other bulky structures.

Listening for the right radio signals could be an effective way to track small drones
The recent spate of unidentified drone sightings in the U.S., including some near sensitive locations such as airports and military installations, has caused significant public concern.

What's behind the surge in mysterious drone sightings over New Jersey, Massachusetts and other states?
A month after mysterious drones were first reported over New Jersey, authorities are still trying to determine where they are coming from as sightings increase in frequency and spread into neighboring states.

Zero-shot strategy enables robots to traverse complex environments without extra sensors or rough terrain training
Two roboticists from the University of Leeds and University College London have developed a framework that enables robots to traverse complex terrain without extra sensors or prior rough terrain training. Joseph Humphreys and Chengxu Zhou outlined the details of their framework in a paper posted to the arXiv preprint server.

Sophia, a famous robot and global icon of AI, wins hearts at Zimbabwe's innovation fair
From answering questions from Cabinet ministers, academics and students on climate change, substance abuse and the law to children’s inquiries about her “birth” and links to God and being described as a talkative feminist, Sophia, the world-famous robot won hearts at an innovation fair in Zimbabwe this week.