Robotics

The friendliest new freshman arrives on campus stocked with snacks and beverages. Meet snackbot, the outdoor, self-driving robot bringing enticing snacks and beverages from Hello Goodness, a curated portfolio of better-for-you brands from PepsiCo, to hungry college students.

DoorDash announce their partnership with General Motors' Cruise Automation, starting in March 2019, DoorDash and Cruise will test the first food deliveries using autonomous vehicles in San Francisco.

Researchers have developed a new system to charge electronic devices such as smartphones and smartwatches wirelessly. The method involves a cuttable, flexible power transfer sheet which charges devices wirelessly and can be molded or even cut with scissors to fit different-shaped surfaces and objects.

These bio-inspired soft robotic devices could offer many more capabilities for movement and performance - such as real-time bio-sensing, self-organization, adaptability, or self-healing - than existing systems, which use solely artificial materials.

New investment to create tiny robots that can help repair the UK's vast underground pipe network and prevent disruption of roadworks in the future.

Sea Machines Robotics announced that it has closed a $10 million Series A investment.

The British Army have taken delivery of the first four cutting-edge bomb disposal robots following rigorous trials, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson has announced.

Jet engines can have up to 25,000 individual parts, making regular maintenance a tedious task that can take over a month per engine. Many components are located deep inside the engine and cannot be inspected without taking the machine apart, adding time and costs to maintenance. This problem is not only confined to jet engines, either; many complicated, expensive machines.

A robust, adaptable robot that responds to its environment on the fly and overcomes obstacles such as a broken leg without human intervention could be used to rescue people from an earthquake zone or clean up sites that are too hazardous for humans.

Rio Tinto has successfully deployed AutoHaul, establishing the world's largest robot and first automated heavy-haul, long distance rail network.

Researchers have invented a way to fabricate nanoscale 3-D objects of nearly any shape. They can also pattern the objects with a variety of useful materials, including metals, quantum dots, and DNA.

Thermal-sensing cameras mounted on drones may offer a safer and more cost-effective way to locate nests of the elusive European nightjar in forestry work and construction areas, according to new research presented at the British Ecological Society.

Hundreds of small robots can work in a team to create biology-inspired shapes - without an underlying master plan, purely based on local communication and movement. To achieve this, researchers introduced the biological principles of self-organisation to swarm robotics.

Honda will be seeking potential business and technology partners for its prototype off-road vehicle, the Honda Autonomous Work Vehicle.

Scientists have developed a 3D-printed robotic hand which can play simple musical phrases on the piano by just moving its wrist. And while the robot is no virtuoso, it demonstrates just how challenging it is to replicate all the abilities of a human hand, and how much complex movement can still be achieved through design.

Nuro has launched the first-ever unmanned delivery service for the general public. People in Scottsdale, Arizona can now have their groceries delivered by the R1, a self-driving, unmanned on-road vehicle.

The John Lewis Partnership has announced a three-year trial with the Small Robot Company to test its revolutionary farmbots at the company's farm in Leckford, Hampshire.

After years of research, development, and capital investment, S-Squared 3D Printers presents its patent pending Autonomous Robotic Construction System, which takes a completely new and futuristic approach to traditional construction. This machine builds everything from homes and commercial buildings, to infrastructure such as roads and bridges.

A research team have developed a new drone that can retract its propeller arms in flight and make itself small to fit through narrow gaps and holes. This is particularly useful when searching for victims of natural disasters.

An artificial soft skin imbued with flexible electronics could enhance the way robots sense and interact with their surroundings.