Tag Archives: robotics

#441310 Biodegradable artificial muscles: Going ...

Artificial muscles are a progressing technology that could one day enable robots to function like living organisms. Such muscles open up new possibilities for how robots can shape the world around us; from assistive wearable devices that can redefine our physical abilities at old age, to rescue robots that can navigate rubble in search of the missing. But just because artificial muscles can have a strong societal impact during use, doesn't mean they have to leave a strong environmental impact after use. Continue reading

Posted in Human Robots

#441308 Robot caterpillar demonstrates new ...

Researchers at North Carolina State University have demonstrated a caterpillar-like soft robot that can move forward, backward and dip under narrow spaces. The caterpillar-bot's movement is driven by a novel pattern of silver nanowires that use heat to control the way the robot bends, allowing users to steer the robot in either direction. Continue reading

Posted in Human Robots

#441294 A soft polymer-based tactile sensor for ...

To effectively tackle everyday tasks, robots should be able to detect the properties and characteristics of objects in their surroundings, so that they can grasp and manipulate them accordingly. Humans naturally achieve this using their sense of touch and roboticists have thus been trying to provide robots with similar tactile sensing capabilities. Continue reading

Posted in Human Robots

#441276 Robotics has a diversity problem. Will ...

If you've ever wondered what a lack of diversity in robotics looks like, just do a Google image search for “humanoid robot” and check out the simulated skin color of the thousands of robots that fill your screen. (Hint: it's white.) Continue reading

Posted in Human Robots

#441264 Video Friday: ChatGPT for Robotics

Video Friday is your weekly selection of awesome robotics videos, collected by your friends at IEEE Spectrum robotics. We also post a weekly calendar of upcoming robotics events for the next few months. Please send us your events for inclusion.

HRI 2023: 13–16 March 2023, STOCKHOLMRobotics Summit & Expo: 10–11 May 2023, BOSTONICRA 2023: 29 May–2 June 2023, LONDONRoboCup 2023: 4–10 July 2023, BORDEAUX, FRANCERSS 2023: 10–14 July 2023, DAEGU, KOREAIEEE RO-MAN 2023: 28–31 August 2023, BUSAN, KOREACLAWAR 2023: 2–4 October 2023, FLORIANOPOLIS, BRAZILEnjoy today’s videos!
Have you ever wanted to tell a robot what to do using just words? Our team at Microsoft is introducing a new paradigm for robotics based on language, powered by ChatGPT. Our recent paper “ChatGPT for Robotics” describes a series of design principles that can be used to guide ChatGPT towards solving robotics tasks. In this video, we present a summary of our ideas, and experimental results from some of the many scenarios that ChatGPT enables in the domain of robotics: such as manipulation, aerial navigation, even full perception-action loops. Our goal is to empower even non-technical users to harness the full potential of robotics using ChatGPT.
[ Microsoft ]
In which we see the moderate amount of progress that Tesla has made with its humanoid robot (including a questionably cut together video of some manipulation), followed by Musk saying some stuff.

[ Tesla ]
It is very important to find out the dangerous situation at the rescue site in advance, so the emergency rescue robot came into being.
[ Unitree ]
The hairy caterpillar is a bug that poses a serious threat to everyday life in the Maldives, where it is devastating the local Indian Almond trees, a critical species at the heart of the islands’ ecosystem. DJI Agriculture’s T30 spraying drones have been deployed in a series of groundbreaking entomological projects, and have been shown to be effective at protecting against hairy caterpillars, with minimal use of pesticide.
[ DJI ]
Never get tired of watching this.

[ JPL ]
Teleoperation creates a unique opportunity for experts to embody general purpose robots and offer their services on a global scale.
[ Sanctuary ]
The qualification video for RoboCup 2023 in Bordeaux, France of the Middle Size League team, Tech United Eindhoven.
[ Tech United ]
New year, new look for our test fleet! We’re rolling out a new design of our test vehicles.
[ Zoox ]
TRI is using AI technology to augment and enhance human capabilities to advance its mission towards achieving carbon neutrality, driving future product innovations, and creating harmonious communities for Toyota’s goal of “happiness for all.”
[ TRI ]
Pranali Desai and Jamie Barnes, software engineers at Torc Robotics, talk about their experiences navigating a male-dominated workplace.
[ Torc Robotics ]
Athena 3D is a leading additive manufacturing service bureau located in Tempe, AZ, that prints parts on demand. Printers run according to programmed specifications, and as jobs are completed (many times at 3:00 AM), the cobot removes the print bed, sets it on a storage rack, and places a clean print bed back into the printer. The Application Programming Interface (API) then communicates to the printer to start the next job.
[ Fanuc ]
Robotic leg prostheses – the future of assistive technology or a step too far? Powered leg prostheses could make walking, climbing stairs and navigating obstacles easier for users. But despite their promise, robotic legs have remained elusive. Have you got a winning design? Register now to take part in our CYBATHLON Challenges, which will take place in March 2023.
[ Cybathlon ]
A robotic workcell that can pack novel and irregular 3D objects densely, and uses vision and tactile sensing to adjust for errors encountered during packing. 99/100 5-item packing attempts successful in these trials.
[ IML ]
The work on the ANT guidance, navigation, and control system for future planetary exploration walking system has finished. The final tests proofed its capabilities on unconsolidated, unstructured, and inclined terrains. The visual foothold adaptation can rely on a high-frequent and drift-free pose estimation and on an up-to-date map. Therefore, contact-information are additionally added to the map to incorporate changed surface structures. In addition, a load bearing assessment can be performed to evaluate the stability of the next foothold before relying on it. This way, a stable recovery from collapse rock formations is possible, which can increase the safety of future legged exploration missions.
[ DFKI ]
Hod Lipson is the James and Sally Scapa Professor of Innovation in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He is a roboticist who works in the areas of artificial intelligence and digital manufacturing, designing and building robots with his students that do what you’d least expect robots to do: Self replicate, self-reflect, ask questions, and even be creative.
[ Columbia ]
Auro from Ridecell introduces the Empty Vehicle Automation feature for car sharing – where an empty vehicle (with no passenger inside it) repositions itself autonomously to be at an easily accessible location for the next rider.
[ Auro ]
Founded in 2014, Verity delivers fully autonomous indoor drone systems that are trusted in environments where failure is not an option. Based in Zurich, Switzerland, with global operations, Verity’s system is used to complete thousands of fully autonomous inventory checks every day in warehouses everywhere.
We are happy to have been a part of Amazon Web Services (AWS) Swiss Cloud Day! Verity CEO Raffaello D’Andrea, shared the stage amongst other featured speakers.
[ Verity ]
In the ALMI project funded by Assuring Autonomy International Programme, University of YORK and PAL Robotics focuses on the development of adaptation methods enabling assistive-care TIAGo robot to cope with the uncertainty and disruptions unavoidable in a home environment. In this solution, the TIAGo robot has used both its speech interaction and its object manipulation capabilities to help a user with mild motor and cognitive impairments in the daily activity of preparing a meal, including reacting in emergency situations. To achieve this, we created an identical representation of the environment that the TIAGo robot operates in the kitchen by using the Gazebo simulator.
[ PAL Robotics ]
This Spring 2022 GRASP Industry Talk is from Mujin, Inc, entitled “We’re All About Robotics.”

Mujin started in 2011 in Tokyo, with founding members from USA, Japan, and China. Since our humble beginnings from a bike garage (40 m2), we’ve grown to Tokyo’s largest robotics lab (14,000 m2) through innovation and focus on quality. Mujin helped China’s e-commerce giant JD.com build the world’s first fully automated logistics warehouse in 2017, and now is partnered with firms like Uniqlo, Accenture, and others to automate logistics and manufacturing around the world.[ Mujin ] Continue reading

Posted in Human Robots