Robotics

UPS subsidiary UPS Flight Forward Inc has received the US government's first full Part 135 Standard certification to operate a drone airline. The company will initially expand its drone delivery service further to support hospital campuses around the country, and to provide solutions for customers beyond those in the healthcare industry.

A multidisciplinary robotics team is designing autonomous systems for 3D printers on robotic arms attached to mobile, roving platforms.

Invasive species control is notoriously challenging, especially in lakes and rivers where native fish and other wildlife have limited options for escape. Using biomimetic robots to understand and modify animal behavior demonstrates how robotic fish can be a valuable tool in the fight against one of the world's most problematic invasive species, the mosquitofish.

Mechanical engineers have created the first robotic fish proven to mimic the speed and movements of live yellowfin tuna.

Just like our senses of hearing and vision, our sense of touch plays an important role in how we perceive and interact with the world around us. And technology capable of replicating our sense of touch - also known as haptic feedback - can greatly enhance human-computer and human-robot interfaces for applications such as medical rehabilitation and virtual reality.

Human hands are remarkably skilled at manipulating a range of objects. We can pick up an egg or a strawberry without smashing it. We can hammer a nail. One characteristic that allows us to perform a variety of tasks is the ability to alter the firmness of our grip, and engineers have developed a two-fingered robotic hand that shares this trait.

Human hands are remarkably skilled at manipulating a range of objects. We can pick up an egg or a strawberry without smashing it. We can hammer a nail. One characteristic that allows us to perform a variety of tasks is the ability to alter the firmness of our grip, and engineers have developed a two-fingered robotic hand that shares this trait.

Researchers have developed soft robotic devices driven by neuromuscular tissue that triggers when stimulated by light - bringing mechanical engineering one step closer to developing autonomous biobots.

This technology transforms construction equipment — including excavators, bulldozers, and skid steers — into fully autonomous robots. The automated guidance systems can be installed on existing equipment from any manufacturer, while still maintaining complete manual operation capabilities.

Boeing and the U.S. Navy successfully completed the first test flight of the MQ-25™ unmanned aerial refueler.

Building conventional robots typically requires carefully combining components like motors, batteries, actuators, body segments, legs and wheels. Now, researchers have taken a new approach, building a robot entirely from smaller robots known as "smarticles" to unlock the principles of a potentially new locomotion technique.

Combining new classes of nanomembrane electrodes with flexible electronics and a deep learning algorithm could help disabled people wirelessly control an electric wheelchair, interact with a computer or operate a small robotic vehicle without donning a bulky hair-electrode cap or contending with wires.

In this premium article we offer a detailed analysis of the past, present and future of industrial robotics arm market in terms of unit numbers and value.

Scientists are developing new approaches for improved control of robotic hands - in particular for amputees - that combines individual finger control and automation for improved grasping and manipulation.

A bio-inspired bot uses water from the environment to create a gas and launch itself from the water's surface. The robot, which can travel 26 metres through the air after take-off, could be used to collect water samples in hazardous and cluttered environments, such as during flooding or when monitoring ocean pollution.

Hyundai Motor Group has developed the new Vest EXoskeleton, a wearable robot created to assist industrial workers who spend long hours working in overhead environments.

The IDTechEx Show! in Santa Clara, California on November 20-21 has it all. There will be over 270 exhibitors engaging with 3,500 attendees; seven parallel conferences and even masterclasses on November 19 and 22, with matchmaking services and awards. Land the big order or at least come away "married" and famous!

This is the final article of a three-part series on haptics. Haptics involves the use of technology to stimulate the sense of touch. IDTechEx have been covering the technology behind this important market sector for the last five years, and have just released their latest report: Haptics 2020-2030.

Silent Arrow is the world's first production-ready, 1-ton, autonomous cargo aircraft, which delivers up to 1,631 pounds (740 kg) of supplies at less than half the cost of JPADS with more than double the glide ratio, dramatically improved landing accuracy, zero vertical impact force and with far greater stealth.

In this article series we examine trends in mm-wave radar technology mainly in the automotive sector. These articles will provide a comprehensive overview of trends in this technology from high-level market drivers to radar systems to board-design considerations, and to packaging and semiconductor technologies.