Category: Science
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ETH scientists create one-wheel robot that balances with only a single reaction wheel
Robotics specialists from a group led by ETH professor Raffaello D’Andrea have created a new, cube-shaped robot that can balance on its pivot and compensate for external disturbances. What makes the One-Wheel Cubli unique? Unlike its predecessors, it only requires a single reaction wheel. It was almost ten years ago that researchers led by ETH…
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A legged robotic system for playing soccer on various terrains
The new system enables a quadruped robot to dribble a soccer ball on landscapes such as sand, gravel, mud, and snow, using reinforcement learning to adapt to varying ball dynamics If you’ve ever played soccer with a robot, it’s a familiar feeling. Sun glistens down on your face as the smell of grass permeates the…
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UCLA claims its humanoid robot footballer is ‘better than Messi’
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…
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Automation in Construction: Researchers develop automated system to measure strain and acceleration of precast concrete structures
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…
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National Science Foundation awards Michael Bartlett $590,600 to study soft composite manufacturing
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…
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Beyond Lithium: Scientists discover a promising cathode material for magnesium rechargeable batteries
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…
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Carnegie Mellon University’s new robot collaborates with humans to create art
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…
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Robotic pollinator: A fairy-like robot flies by the power of wind and light
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…
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Interactive cyber-physical human: Generating contact-rich whole-body motions
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…
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ABB robots help tackle Covid by automating testing, research and diagnostics
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…