Robotics & Automation News

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Baker-Polito Administration awards Harvard and Boston universities $3 million for assistive robotics research

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The Baker-Polito Administration, or the Massachusetts state government, has awarded a new grant award of $3,057,320 to Harvard University and Boston University to support the development of next-generation robotics and wearable technologies.

Researchers aim to improve the lives of people with neuro-motor impairments and to help individuals achieve ambitious fitness goals, driving innovation in a new category of rehabilitation, diagnostic, and assistive devices that are more lightweight, affordable, and connected.

Led by Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), the project involves a collaboration with Boston University College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College, as well as with industry partners that are poised to bring innovations to market. [Read more…] about Baker-Polito Administration awards Harvard and Boston universities $3 million for assistive robotics research

Startup awarded $5 million to build autonomous car that ‘runs on light’

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Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), an agency of the US military akin to Darpa, is funding a $4.8 million project spearheaded by Boston University College of Engineering, the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Lightmatter, a startup developing “photonic supercomputing” chips.

Electro-photonic computing, or optical computing, is thought to hold the promise of solving one of the biggest technical hurdles that self-driving cars face today – delivering high performance, low latency computing power that is also energy efficient.

At the end of the IARPA-funded experiment, the scientists hope to have “a fully functioning prototype of a self-driving car that runs on light”. [Read more…] about Startup awarded $5 million to build autonomous car that ‘runs on light’

Harvard unveils robot that builds walls

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Harvard’s Wyss Institute has unveiled a robot that can build walls. The university says the idea is to have the robot build barriers against floods, among other things. (See video below.)

In a blog post, the Wyss Institute says the robot that can “autonomously drive interlocking steel sheet piles into soil”.

The structures that the robots builds “could function as retaining walls or check dams for erosion control”, it adds.  [Read more…] about Harvard unveils robot that builds walls

Green buildings provide $6 billion in benefits to health and climate, says Harvard study

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Environmentally-firendly buildings provide $6 billion in benefits to health and climate, says a new Harvard study supported by United Technologies.

These previously undocumented benefits are in addition to $7.5 billion in energy savings, for a combined $13 billion in total benefits.

The public health benefits include fewer hospitalizations and reduced climate impacts.  [Read more…] about Green buildings provide $6 billion in benefits to health and climate, says Harvard study