Robotics & Automation News

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assistive robotics

Hello Robot unveils Stretch 4: A simply useful robot that puts people first

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Hello Robot, the team behind the Stretch mobile manipulation platform, have announced the release of Stretch 4.

Available now for $29,950, Stretch 4 is an open-source robotics platform designed for researchers, developers, and application engineers building the next wave of Physical AI applications for general purpose robotics.

“In the last few years, Physical AI has brought us videos of robots doing amazing stunts. But these videos are missing something critical – the people the robots are meant to benefit,” says Aaron Edsinger, co-founder and CEO of Hello Robot. [Read more…] about Hello Robot unveils Stretch 4: A simply useful robot that puts people first

SMART and NUS pioneer neural blueprint for human-like intelligence in soft robots

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Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology’s (SMART) Mens, Manus & Machina (M3S) interdisciplinary research group, and National University of Singapore (NUS), alongside collaborators from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore), have developed an AI control system that enables soft robotic arms to learn a wide repertoire of motions and tasks once, then adjust to new scenarios on the fly without needing retraining or sacrificing functionality.

This breakthrough brings soft robotics closer to human-like adaptability for real-world applications, such as in assistive robotics, rehabilitation robots, and wearable or medical soft robots, by making them more intelligent, versatile and safe.

Unlike regular robots that move using rigid motors and joints, soft robots are made from flexible materials such as soft rubber and move using special actuators – components that act like artificial muscles to produce physical motion. [Read more…] about SMART and NUS pioneer neural blueprint for human-like intelligence in soft robots

Covvi releases two lighter, shorter variants of advanced bionic hand

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Covvi has unveiled two new wrist options for the Covvi Hand, which will make the advanced prosthesis available to more people with upper-limb differences than ever before.

Engineered to meet the unique needs of every user, Covvi’s bionic hand will soon be available in three distinct wrist options – the original Covvi Hand featuring a flexing wrist, alongside the new Straight Wrist, and Friction Wrist variants.

The original Covvi Hand’s ‘Flex Wrist’ enables users to adjust the angle of their hand for various tasks, offering 27 degrees of flexion and extension that can be securely locked. [Read more…] about Covvi releases two lighter, shorter variants of advanced bionic hand

Robotics for good: Startups tackling social and environmental challenges

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Robotics is most often discussed in terms of productivity, efficiency, and cost reduction. Factory automation, warehouse robots, and autonomous vehicles dominate the conversation.

Yet a quieter strand of innovation is focused elsewhere:

  • on helping people live more independently;
  • protecting fragile ecosystems; and
  • responding to crises where human access is limited or dangerous.

This feature looks at a selection of startups and emerging technologies applying robotics to social and environmental challenges. The aim is not to romanticise the field, but to show how practical machines are being designed to solve problems that markets and policy alone have struggled to address. [Read more…] about Robotics for good: Startups tackling social and environmental challenges

Georgia Tech team designs robot guide dog to assist the visually impaired

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People who are visually impaired and cannot afford or care for service animals might have a practical alternative in a robotic guide dog being developed at Georgia Tech.

Before launching its prototype, a research team within Georgia Tech’s School of Interactive Computing, led by Professor Bruce Walker and Assistant Professor Sehoon Ha, is working to improve its methods and designs based on research within blind and visually impaired (BVI) communities.

“There’s been research on the technical aspects and functionality of robotic guide dogs, but not a lot of emphasis on the aesthetics or form factors,” says Avery Gong, a recent master’s graduate who worked in Walker’s lab. “We wanted to fill this gap.” [Read more…] about Georgia Tech team designs robot guide dog to assist the visually impaired

But first, pizza: Virginia Tech team creates assistive robotics that can make you a meal

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For the millions of Americans who live with a mobility issue, making a pizza can be a lot more challenging than just choosing between pepperoni or sausage.

Now, Virginia Tech researchers have developed a robotic arm with novel assistive grippers that can help those with disabilities accomplish complex everyday tasks, including building a pizza.

The results of the research, which can increase independence for people with limited mobility, were published in Soft Robotics.

Creating new tools that can mimic the motions of human users is the work of Dylan Losey and Michael Bartlett, both associate professors of mechanical engineering. [Read more…] about But first, pizza: Virginia Tech team creates assistive robotics that can make you a meal

Beyond Beeps and Boops: Why Natural AI Voice is Critical for Next-Gen Robotics

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Today’s robots aren’t limited to the factory floor – they’re guides at airports, assistants in hospitals, and companions in homes.

As engineers have refined their mechanics and coding, there remains one aspect keeping them from really flawless human interaction: voice. Not merely the capacity to speak but the capacity to sound natural.

We are moving into a new era where computer-generated voices must reflect true human expression – warmth, hesitation, excitement, and empathy. [Read more…] about Beyond Beeps and Boops: Why Natural AI Voice is Critical for Next-Gen Robotics