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columbia university

Columbia engineers develop ‘tactile robot finger with no blind spots’

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Researchers at Columbia Engineering say they have developed a new type of robotic finger with a sense of touch. Their finger can localize touch with very high precision – less than 1 mm – over a large, multicurved surface, much like its human counterpart. (See video below.)

Matei Ciocarlie, associate professor in the departments of mechanical engineering and computer science, says: “There has long been a gap between standalone tactile sensors and fully integrated tactile fingers–tactile sensing is still far from ubiquitous in robotic manipulation.”

Ciocarlie led this work in collaboration with Electrical Engineering Professor Ioannis Kymissis. [Read more…] about Columbia engineers develop ‘tactile robot finger with no blind spots’

Scientists take first step towards creating terrifying liquid metal robot last seen in Terminator 2

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Researchers create new kind of robot composed of many simple particles with no centralized control or single point of failure

The concept of “gray goo”, a robot comprised of billions of nanoparticles, has fascinated science fiction fans for decades. But most researchers have dismissed it as just a wild theory.

Current robots are usually self-contained entities made of interdependent subcomponents, each with a specific function. If one part fails, the robot stops working. In robotic swarms, each robot is an independently functioning machine.

In a new study published today in Nature, researchers at Columbia Engineering and MIT Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Lab demonstrate for the first time a way to make a robot composed of many loosely coupled components, or “particles”. (See video below.) [Read more…] about Scientists take first step towards creating terrifying liquid metal robot last seen in Terminator 2

Columbia University engineers create ‘a robot that can imagine itself’

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Columbia University engineers say they have created “a robot that can imagine itself”, taking the industry one step closer to self-aware machines. (See video below.)

Robots that are self-aware have been science fiction fodder for decades, and now we may finally be getting closer.

Humans are unique in being able to imagine themselves – to picture themselves in future scenarios, such as walking along the beach on a warm sunny day.  [Read more…] about Columbia University engineers create ‘a robot that can imagine itself’

Robotic device developed by Columbia University ‘improves balance and gait’ in Parkinson’s disease patients

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Columbia engineers find that a single session of perturbation-based training, using their Tethered Pelvic Assist Device, increased stability of patients during walking while exposed to unexpected perturbations

Some 50,000 people in the US are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease every year.

The American Institute of Neurology estimates there are 1 million people affected with this neurodegenerative disorder, with 60 years as average age of onset.

Falls and fall-related injuries are a major issue for people with Parkinson’s up to 70 percent of advanced PD patients fall at least once a year and two-thirds suffer recurring falls.  [Read more…] about Robotic device developed by Columbia University ‘improves balance and gait’ in Parkinson’s disease patients

Columbia University develops soft actuator three times stronger than human muscle to make robots more lifelike

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Columbia University says it has developed a self-contained soft actuator that is three times stronger than natural muscle, without the need of externals.

The researchers say the development means robotic motion will be more lifelike, and that it signals a breakthrough in soft robotics.

The creation of untethered soft robots whose actions and movements can help mimic natural biological systems have been a long-standing issue, and the scientists at Columbia Engineering say they have solved it.  [Read more…] about Columbia University develops soft actuator three times stronger than human muscle to make robots more lifelike