Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Science

Virginia Tech physicists propose path to faster, more flexible robots

by

In a recent paper released in the journal Physical Review Letters, Virginia Tech physicists revealed a microscopic phenomenon that could greatly improve the performance of soft devices, such as agile flexible robots or microscopic capsules for drug delivery.

Virginia Tech physicist C. Nadir Kaplan (main image, left) and doctoral candidate Chinmay Katke (main image, right) discovered a microscopic phenomenon that could greatly improve the performance of soft devices, such as agile flexible robots or microscopic capsules for drug delivery.

The paper, written by doctoral candidate Chinmay Katke, assistant professor C. Nadir Kaplan, and co-author Peter A. Korevaar from Radboud University in the Netherlands, proposes a new physical mechanism that could speed up the expansion and contraction of hydrogels. [Read more…] about Virginia Tech physicists propose path to faster, more flexible robots

ANYmal can do parkour and walk across rubble

by

The quadrupedal robot ANYmal went back to school and has learned a lot. ETH Zurich researchers used machine learning to teach it new skills: the robot can now climb over obstacles and successfully negotiate pitfalls.

ANYmal has for some time had no problem coping with the stony terrain of Swiss hiking trails.

Now researchers at ETH Zurich have taught this quadrupedal robot some new skills: it is proving rather adept at parkour, a sport based on using athletic manoeuvres to smoothly negotiate obstacles in an urban environment, which has become very popular.

ANYmal is also proficient at dealing with the tricky terrain commonly found on building sites or in disaster areas. [Read more…] about ANYmal can do parkour and walk across rubble

Bio-Technical Resources Announces Expertise in Pichia Pastoris Protein Expression

by

Bio-Technical Resources (BTR), a leading contract research and manufacturing organization, announces the development of custom Pichia pastoris protein expression systems. The company can produce recombinant proteins using this versatile yeast expression host.

Pichia pastoris is a powerful protein production system widely adopted in numerous industries. The yeast expression host can produce proteins that resemble mammalian proteins, giving it a distinct advantage over traditional bacterial expression systems.

In addition, the yeast’s Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) status makes it particularly well-suited for manufacturing food ingredients and pharmaceutical proteins. [Read more…] about Bio-Technical Resources Announces Expertise in Pichia Pastoris Protein Expression

Korean scientists develop new navigation system for autonomous ships

by

Existing ship control systems using Model Predictive Control for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) do not consider the various forces acting on ships in real sea conditions.

Addressing this gap, in a new study, researchers developed a novel time-optimal control method, that accounts for the real wave loads acting on a ship, enabling effective planning and control of MASS at sea.

The study of ship manoeuvring at sea has long been the central focus of the shipping industry. With the rapid advancements in remote control, communication technologies and artificial intelligence, the concept of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) has emerged as a promising solution for autonomous marine navigation. [Read more…] about Korean scientists develop new navigation system for autonomous ships

Carnegie Mellon scientists demonstrate head-worn assistive device for robotics

by

Researchers say they have learned a lot from in-home test of adaptive robot interface

No one could blame Carnegie Mellon University students Akhil Padmanabha and Janavi Gupta if they were a bit anxious this past August as they traveled to the Bay Area home of Henry and Jane Evans.

The students were about to live with strangers for the next seven days. On top of that, Henry, a person with quadriplegia, would spend the week putting their Head-Worn Assistive Teleoperation (HAT) — an experimental interface to control a mobile robot – to the test. (See video below.)

HAT requires fewer fine motor skills than other interfaces to help people with some form of paralysis or similar motor impairments control a mobile robot and manipulator. It allows users to control a mobile robot via head motion and speech recognition, and versions of the device have featured a hands-free microphone and head-worn sensor. [Read more…] about Carnegie Mellon scientists demonstrate head-worn assistive device for robotics

Stanford scientists unveil new spring-assisted actuator: A replacement for traditional motors that could enhance next-gen robots

by

By Laura Castañón

Researchers at Stanford have designed a spring-assisted actuator – a device that can accomplish dynamic tasks using a fraction of the energy previously required. (See video below.)

Whether it’s a powered prosthesis to assist a person who has lost a limb or an independent robot navigating the outside world, we are asking machines to perform increasingly complex, dynamic tasks.

But the standard electric motor was designed for steady, ongoing activities like running a compressor or spinning a conveyor belt – even updated designs waste a lot of energy when making more complicated movements. [Read more…] about Stanford scientists unveil new spring-assisted actuator: A replacement for traditional motors that could enhance next-gen robots

Boosting Productivity and Precision in Small Labs with these Advanced Techniques

by

Small labs play a pivotal role in the advancement of science, driving innovation through research and testing.

Yet, the challenge of scaling operations without compromising quality or efficiency stands in their way. Fortunately, a solution exists in the form of advanced automation technologies.

These tools are not just about keeping pace; they’re about setting the stage for a new era of productivity and precision. The opportunities for transformation are vast and varied. [Read more…] about Boosting Productivity and Precision in Small Labs with these Advanced Techniques

International work puts robot avatars on the move 

by

The term “avatar” might be most familiar as a picture used on social media, but in the technology world, it can mean much more. 

When James Cameron’s hit movie “Avatar” came to theaters in 2009, it introduced a concept already cooking in the technology community: for a connected operator to be able to fully remotely opperate the movements of a robot.

In the movie, the robots were biological, but the technology in the real world is connected to more traditional robots with circuits and computers. These also are called avatars.  [Read more…] about International work puts robot avatars on the move 

Bio-inspired neuroprosthetics: Sending signals the brain can understand

by

Prostheses that connect to the nervous system have been available for several years. Now, researchers at ETH Zurich have found evidence that neuroprosthetics work better when they use signals that are inspired by nature.

A few years ago, a team of researchers working under Professor Stanisa Raspopovic at the ETH Zurich Neuroengineering Lab gained worldwide attention when they announced that their prosthetic legs had enabled amputees to feel sensations from this artificial body part for the first time.

Unlike commercial leg prostheses, which simply provide amputees with stability and support, the ETH researchers’ prosthetic device was connected to the sciatic nerve in the test subjects’ thigh via implanted electrodes. [Read more…] about Bio-inspired neuroprosthetics: Sending signals the brain can understand

ETH develops ‘lighter, safer, more robust’ artificial muscles for robots

by

Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed artificial muscles for robot motion. The researchers say their solution offers several advantages over previous technologies: it can be used wherever robots need to be soft rather than rigid or where they need more sensitivity when interacting with their environment.

Many roboticists dream of building robots that are not just a combination of metal or other hard materials and motors but also softer and more adaptable. Soft robots could interact with their environment in a completely different way; for example, they could cushion impacts the way human limbs do, or grasp an object delicately.

This would also offer benefits regarding energy consumption: robot motion today usually requires a lot of energy to maintain a position, whereas soft systems could store energy well, too. So, what could be more obvious than to take the human muscle as a model and attempt to recreate it? [Read more…] about ETH develops ‘lighter, safer, more robust’ artificial muscles for robots