20 Sep 2017

Helping robots learn complex tasks
Using a robotics task to demonstrate the achievement, the platform successfully trained a simulated robotic arm to grasp and stack blocks on top of one another by breaking down the task into simpler sub-concepts.
25 Aug 2017

Cyborg bacteria outperform plants at photosynthesis
Photosynthesis provides energy for the vast majority of life on Earth. But chlorophyll, the green pigment that plants use to harvest sunlight, is relatively inefficient. To enable humans to capture more of the sun's energy than natural photosynthesis can, scientists have taught bacteria to cover themselves in tiny, highly efficient solar panels to produce useful compounds.
31 Jul 2017

Building the safe genes toolkit
DARPA created the Safe Genes program to gain a fundamental understanding of how gene editing technologies function; devise means to safely, responsibly, and predictably harness them for beneficial ends; and address potential health and security concerns related to their accidental or intentional misuse.
27 Jul 2017

How CRISPR proteins find their target
Researchers have discovered how Cas1-Cas2, the proteins responsible for the ability of the CRISPR immune system in bacteria to adapt to new viral infections, identify the site in the genome where they insert viral DNA so they can recognize it later and mount an attack.
12 Jul 2017

Towards a high-resolution, implantable neural interface
The goal of The Neural Engineering System Design program is developing an implantable system able to provide precision communication between the brain and the digital world.
10 Jul 2017

Teaching robots to feel with their eyes
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.
30 Jun 2017

Autonomous grocery delivery trials in Greenwich
CargoPod, developed by Oxbotica as part of the GATEway Project, is guided by their state-of-the-art autonomy software system Selenium, which enables real-time, accurate navigation, planning and perception in dynamic environments. The pod is able to carry a total of 128kg of groceries at a time.
30 Jun 2017

New class of 'soft' semiconductors could transform HD displays
A new type of semiconductor may be coming to a high-definition display near you.
23 Jun 2017

Deep learning technique for trial and error robot skills
Researchers have developed algorithms that enable robots to learn motor tasks through trial and error using a process that more closely approximates the way humans learn, marking a major milestone in the field of artificial intelligence.
14 Jun 2017

Research aims to make artificial intelligence explain itself
Eight computer science professors in Oregon State University's College of Engineering have received a $6.5 million grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to make artificial-intelligence-based systems like autonomous vehicles and robots more trustworthy.
7 Jun 2017

Meet the most nimble-fingered robot ever built
Grabbing the awkwardly shaped items that people pick up in their day-to-day lives is a slippery task for robots.
6 Jun 2017

Giving robots a sense of touch
By mounting GelSight sensors on the grippers of robotic arms, teams have given robots greater sensitivity and dexterity.
25 Apr 2017

Device pulls water from dry air, powered only by the sun
Imagine a future in which every home has an appliance that pulls all the water the household needs out of the air, even in dry or desert climates, using only the power of the sun.
21 Apr 2017

Project turns waste heat to electricity
Vast amounts of energy are wasted every year in the form of heat. A new project seeks to efficiently capture that heat and convert it to electricity.
19 Apr 2017

Wearable sweat sensor can diagnose cystic fibrosis
A wristband-type wearable sweat sensor could transform diagnostics and drug evaluation for cystic fibrosis, diabetes and other diseases.
30 Mar 2017

Looking beyond the debate of who 'owns' CRISPR gene editing technology
If you are hip to current events that impact the biotech world, then you have surely heard about the patent controversy over CRISPR gene editing technology.
23 Mar 2017

Origami-inspired robot can hitch a ride
The Pop-Up Flat Folding Explorer Robot was inspired by origami. Its lightweight design is capable of flattening itself, tucking in its wheels and crawling into places rovers can't fit.
2 Mar 2017

Physiological changes tracked moment to moment
Sweating it out on a treadmill, or racing to finish a half marathon, a runner might risk a potentially dangerous buildup of electrolytes in their blood.
31 Jan 2017

Apple joins Partnership on AI
Apple has joined the Partnership on AI as a founding member. The company has been involved and collaborating with the Partnership since before it was first announced and is thrilled to formalize its membership alongside Amazon, Facebook, Google/DeepMind, IBM, and Microsoft.
7 Dec 2016

Wall-jumping robot is most vertically agile ever built
Roboticists have designed a small robot that can leap into the air and then spring off a wall, or perform multiple vertical jumps in a row, resulting in the highest robotic vertical jumping agility ever recorded.