Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Science

UCLA claims its humanoid robot footballer is ‘better than Messi’

by

Mechanical engineers at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering have developed a full-sized humanoid robot with “first-of-its-kind technology”.

Named Artemis, for Advanced Robotic Technology for Enhanced Mobility and Improved Stability, the robot is scheduled to travel in July to Bordeaux, France, where it will take part in the soccer competition of the 2023 RoboCup, an international scientific meeting where robots demonstrate capabilities across a range of categories.

The robot was designed by researchers at the Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory at UCLA, or RoMeLa, as a general-purpose humanoid robot, with a particular focus on bipedal locomotion over uneven terrain. [Read more…] about UCLA claims its humanoid robot footballer is ‘better than Messi’

Automation in Construction: Researchers develop automated system to measure strain and acceleration of precast concrete structures

by

Reserarchers at Chung-Ang University, South Korea have developed a smart portable sensing system for monitoring precast structures during delivery. The multimetric portable system uses an IoT sensor to simultaneously measure strain and acceleration of the structures real-time during delivery.

Precast concrete structures (PCS) reduce workforce dependency and construction time. However, they are subjected to vibrations and strain during transport from their manufacturing site to the construction site.

Effective quality control measures require continuous logging of vibration and strain measurement during the delivery, an essential feature that is missing in current systems. To this end, researchers have now developed a novel portable sensing system that can monitor strain and acceleration to enable efficient PCS delivery. [Read more…] about Automation in Construction: Researchers develop automated system to measure strain and acceleration of precast concrete structures

National Science Foundation awards Michael Bartlett $590,600 to study soft composite manufacturing

by

Michael Bartlett, an assistant professor in Virginia Tech’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, has been granted a $590,600 National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award to research and understand new strategies for manufacturing liquid metal-based soft composites.

These functional composites are deformable robust materials that could be used to make robots and electronics that are soft, stretchable, and compatible for skin-like wearable devices.

The CAREER award is the foundation’s most prestigious award for early career faculty, encouraging them to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their organizations. [Read more…] about National Science Foundation awards Michael Bartlett $590,600 to study soft composite manufacturing

Beyond Lithium: Scientists discover a promising cathode material for magnesium rechargeable batteries

by

Scientists discover the optimal composition for a magnesium secondary battery cathode to achieve better cyclability and high battery capacity

Magnesium is a promising candidate as an energy carrier for next-generation batteries. However, the cycling performance and capacity of magnesium batteries need to improve if they are to replace lithium-ion batteries.

To this end, a research team focused on a novel cathode material with a spinel structure, Mg1.33V1.67−xMnxO4.

Following extensive characterization and electrochemical performance experiments, they have found a specific composition that could open doors to high-performance magnesium rechargeable batteries. [Read more…] about Beyond Lithium: Scientists discover a promising cathode material for magnesium rechargeable batteries

Carnegie Mellon University’s new robot collaborates with humans to create art

by

Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute has a new artist-in-residence.

FRIDA, a robotic arm with a paintbrush taped to it, uses artificial intelligence to collaborate with humans on works of art. Ask FRIDA to paint a picture, and it gets to work putting brush to canvas.

“There’s this one painting of a frog ballerina that I think turned out really nicely,” says Peter Schaldenbrand, a School of Computer Science PhD student in the Robotics Institute working with FRIDA and exploring AI and creativity. [Read more…] about Carnegie Mellon University’s new robot collaborates with humans to create art

Robotic pollinator: A fairy-like robot flies by the power of wind and light

by

The loss of pollinators, such as bees, is a huge challenge for global biodiversity and affects humanity by causing problems in food production. At Tampere University, researchers have now developed the first passively flying robot equipped with artificial muscle. Could this artificial fairy be utilised in pollination?

The development of stimuli-responsive polymers has brought about a wealth of material-related opportunities for next-generation small-scale, wirelessly controlled soft-bodied robots.

For some time now, engineers have known how to use these materials to make small robots that can walk, swim and jump. So far, no one has been able to make them fly.

Researchers of the Light Robots group at Tampere University are now researching how to make smart material fly. Hao Zeng, Academy Research Fellow and the group leader, and Jianfeng Yang, a doctoral researcher, have come up with a new design for their project called FAIRY – Flying Aero-robots based on Light Responsive Materials Assembly. They have developed a polymer-assembly robot that flies by wind and is controlled by light. [Read more…] about Robotic pollinator: A fairy-like robot flies by the power of wind and light

Interactive cyber-physical human: Generating contact-rich whole-body motions

by

Performing human-like motions that involve multiple contacts is challenging for robots. In this regard, a researcher from the Tokyo University Science has envisioned an interactive cyber-physical human (iCPH) platform with complementary humanoid (physical twin) and simulation (digital twin) elements.

iCPH combines human measurement data, musculoskeletal analysis, and machine learning for data collection and augmentation. As a result, iCPH can understand, predict, and synthesize whole-body contact motions.

Humans naturally perform numerous complex tasks. These include sitting down, picking something up from a table, and pushing a cart. These activities involve various movements and require multiple contacts, which makes it difficult to program robots to perform them. [Read more…] about Interactive cyber-physical human: Generating contact-rich whole-body motions

ABB robots help tackle Covid by automating testing, research and diagnostics

by

ABB Robotics has developed an automated neutralizing antibody testing system with the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) that is the most effective means of determining an individual’s immunity to various strains of Covid.

Developed by ABB Robotics, Life Sciences and Healthcare Lab, located at the Texas Medical Center Campus in Houston, Texas, the system dramatically increases the number of neutralizing antibody tests performed, from 15 to over 1,000 daily.

With a greater number of people assessed for immunity against the different strains of the Covid virus, automating the testing will help UTMB researchers gain a greater understanding of the effectiveness of Covid vaccines. [Read more…] about ABB robots help tackle Covid by automating testing, research and diagnostics

Thermo Fisher Scientific partners with Celltrio to build fully automated cell culture system

by

Thermo Fisher Scientific, one of the world’s leading science companies, and Celltrio, a manufacturer of robotics-based solutions for the life sciences industry, have collaborated to bring a fully automated cell culture system to biotherapeutics customers.

The collaboration will integrate the Thermo Scientific Momentum workflow scheduling software with the Celltrio RoboCell cell line automation platform to address the critical unmet market need for high-throughput automated cell line culturing and maintenance.

Celltrio’s RoboCell systems distributed in Europe will now use Momentum software for work scheduling and data management. [Read more…] about Thermo Fisher Scientific partners with Celltrio to build fully automated cell culture system

Three strikes and you’re out! Humans give up on robots after multiple mistakes

by

Humans are less forgiving of robots after multiple mistakes – and the trust is difficult to get back, according to a new University of Michigan study.

Similar to human co-workers, robots can make mistakes that violate a human’s trust in them. When mistakes happen, humans often see robots as less trustworthy, which ultimately decreases their trust in them.

The study examines four strategies that might repair and mitigate the negative impacts of these trust violations. These trust strategies were apologies, denials, explanations and promises on trustworthiness. [Read more…] about Three strikes and you’re out! Humans give up on robots after multiple mistakes