Robotics

CartMan the logistics robot will pit its item-picking skills against 15 other international robots in the third annual Amazon Robotics Challenge.

A new camera that builds on technology first described by researchers more than 20 years ago could generate the kind of information-rich images that robots need to navigate the world. This camera, which generates a four dimensional image, can also capture nearly 140 degrees of information.

Joint development of robot-based innovation concepts for vehicles of the future has now been agreed.

Researchers have recently gained advanced understanding of a variety of processes through the information-theoretic concept of transfer entropy.

Access to clean, safe water is one of the world's pressing needs, yet today's water distribution systems lose an average of 20 percent of their supply because of leaks. These leaks not only make shortages worse but also can cause serious structural damage to buildings and roads by undermining foundations.

Autonomous robots can inspect nuclear power plants, clean up oil spills in the ocean, accompany fighter planes into combat and explore the surface of Mars. Yet for all their talents, robots still can't make a cup of tea.

Researchers have designed an energy-harvesting shoe to convert each stride into power. Air bladders embedded in the sole of the shoe convert the foot's impact into airflow along the runner's gait.

Australian robotic technology company, Fastbrick Robotics Limited has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Caterpillar Inc to discuss and develop a potential framework for collaboration regarding the development, manufacturing, sales, and services of Fastbrick Robotics' robotic bricklaying technology.

t a solar energy farm just outside Budapest in Hungary, a cleaning robot is industriously getting on with today's task. Hundreds of square metres of solar panels are waiting to be cleaned - as quickly and effectively as possible. And without the use of chemicals or any unwanted discharges to the natural environment. The robot is the result of a joint project between Norwegian researchers and the Hungarian company ProDSP Technology.

A team of researchers has created a highly sensitive soft capacitive sensor made of silicone and fabric that moves and flexes with the human body to unobtrusively and accurately detect movement.

Engineers have developed a smart glove that wirelessly translates the American Sign Language alphabet into text and controls a virtual hand to mimic sign language gestures.

Dr Richard Collins et al. discuss composites and their uses in drones and enabling internet infrastructure.

PA (the Press Association), the national news agency for the UK and Ireland, and Urbs Media, a start-up specialising in data-driven news, have received a grant worth €706,000 from Google to fund a new service which will create a stream of compelling local stories for hundreds of media outlets.

Expectations for care robots are growing against the backdrop of declining birthrates, an aging population, and a lack of care staff.

The agility and flexibility of a monkey swinging through the trees or a football player dodging opponents and scoring a goal can be breathtaking. Mastering this kind of sophisticated motor control is a hallmark of physical intelligence, and is a crucial part of AI research.

he East Japan Railway Company is hoping to introduce robots to its railway stations to assist passengers.

One of the immediate goals of the project is to be able to take an image of a surface that hasn't necessarily been seen before and pick out properties like how soft it will feel or how slippery it's going to be.

Empowerment could potentially replace Asimov's famous Three Laws of Robotics, to ensure robots behave in a socially acceptable way.

This robotic sorter uses its vision system to see the material, its artificial intelligence to think and identify each item, and a robot to pick targeted items.

The lack of clean water in many areas around the world is a persistent, major public health problem. One day, tiny robots could help address this issue by zooming around contaminated water and cleaning up disease-causing bacteria.