Robotics & Automation News

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Researchers develop robot fingertips for grasping and releasing objects in dry and wet conditions

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A team of researchers at Kanazawa University has developed a robot control system – or fingertips – for grasping and releasing objects in dry and wet conditions.

The researchers say that the study was able to verify that “object grasping by soft surface fluid fingertips with high friction was controllable by applying a suitable lubricant”.

However, they added that it was necessary to do more experiments under various conditions in order to apply the current controlling technology to manufacturing environments. [Read more…] about Researchers develop robot fingertips for grasping and releasing objects in dry and wet conditions

Scurrying cockroaches help researchers steady staggering robots

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Ew, a cockroach! But it zips off before the swatter appears. Now, researchers have leveraged the bug’s superb scurrying skills to create a cleverly simple method to assess and improve locomotion in robots.

Normally, tedious modeling of mechanics, electronics, and information science is required to understand how insects’ or robots’ moving parts coordinate smoothly to take them places.

But in a new study, biomechanics researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology boiled down the sprints of cockroaches to handy principles and equations they then used to make a test robot amble about better. [Read more…] about Scurrying cockroaches help researchers steady staggering robots

Want to know how safe your warehouse job is? There’s an app for that

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In 2017 there were nearly 350,000 incidents of workers taking sick leave due to injuries affecting muscles, nerves, ligaments or tendons – like carpal tunnel syndrome – according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Among the workers with the highest number of incidents: people who work in factories and warehouses.

Musculoskeletal disorders happen at work when people use awkward postures or perform repeated tasks. These behaviors generate strain on the body over time. So it’s important to point out and minimize risky behaviors to keep workers healthy on the job. [Read more…] about Want to know how safe your warehouse job is? There’s an app for that

Human-robot teams work better ‘when there’s an emotional connection’, say researchers

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Humans and robots work better together when there’s an emotional connection, according to a study by the University of Michigan.

The researchers observed that soldiers develop attachments to the robots that help them diffuse bombs in the field. They add that, despite numerous warnings about privacy, “millions of us trust smart speakers like Alexa to listen into our daily lives”.

“Some of us name our cars and even shed tears when we trade them in for shiny new vehicles,” they say. [Read more…] about Human-robot teams work better ‘when there’s an emotional connection’, say researchers

Nvidia unveils new reinforcement learning research at ICRA 2019

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Nvidia researchers from the newly opened robotics research lab in Seattle, Washington have presented a new proof of concept reinforcement learning approach that aims to enhance how robots trained in simulation will perform in the real world. (See video below.)

The work was presented at the recent International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) in Montreal, Canada.

The research is part of a growing trend in the deep learning and robotics community that relies on simulation for training. [Read more…] about Nvidia unveils new reinforcement learning research at ICRA 2019

Researchers create ‘extremely small’ sensor using ‘white graphene’

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Researchers from TU Delft in the Netherlands, in collaboration with a team at the University of Cambridge, have found a way to create and clean tiny mechanical sensors in a scalable manner.

They created these sensors by suspending a two-dimensional sheet of hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), or “white graphene” over small holes in a silicon substrate. This innovation could lead to extremely small gas and pressure sensors for future electronics.

Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is an interesting material, since it has a honeycomb lattice structure similar to that of graphite. But while graphite conducts electricity, h-BN acts as an insulator.  [Read more…] about Researchers create ‘extremely small’ sensor using ‘white graphene’

Zymo and Hamilton Robotics develop new system for genetic testing

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Hamilton robotics zymo

Zymo Research and Hamilton Robotics have agreed an ongoing collaboration that teams Zymo Research’s DNA methylation detection and quantitation products and RNA and DNA extraction products with Hamilton’s high-throughput automation platforms.

Zymo Research has already created optimized methods for microbiomics and RNA isolation for use on Hamilton’s automated liquid handling workstations, including a timesaving and robust automated method for non-biased extraction of DNA and RNA.

Additional integrated workflow methods will be released to the academic, biopharma and diagnostics markets in the future.  [Read more…] about Zymo and Hamilton Robotics develop new system for genetic testing

UCLA physicists map the atomic structure of an alloy

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nanoparticles

Researchers measured the coordinates of more than 23,000 atoms in a technologically important material.

The results demonstrate that the positions of tens of thousands of atoms can be precisely identified and then fed into quantum mechanics calculations to correlate imperfections and defects with material properties at the single-atom level.

This research will be published February 2 in the journal Nature. [Read more…] about UCLA physicists map the atomic structure of an alloy

Denso opens automotive research and development lab at Michigan university

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university-of-michigan

Global auto supplier Denso has opened a new research and development lab at the University of Michigan, in the US. 

Denso, which used to be part of Toyota, says the new research facility will “accelerate development of new auto safety technologies and create new research opportunities for engineering students”.

The company says the Denso R&D Lab gives Denso an opportunity to more closely collaborate with the university and North American automotive manufacturers on key safety technologies like machine learning, advanced driver assistance systems, and automated drive.

As part of the lab, 12 university students have been selected to participate in research projects, which will begin this month and run throughout 2017.  [Read more…] about Denso opens automotive research and development lab at Michigan university