Autonomous vehicles are often considered safer than human drivers, but would you feel comfortable with a mushroom in control? A new type of “biohybrid” robot is designed to move based on signals from a fungus’s nervous system. A few decades of human engineering are no match for billions of years of evolution, so instead of […]
Fungus Figures Out How to Steer Biohybrid Robots Read More »
Imagine you’re injured on a remote mountain trail and have contacted emergency services. If Italian research is successful, a small humanoid robot with a jetpack might be the first responder to reach you. This project, developed by the Artificial and Mechanical Intelligence group at the Italian Institute of Technology (Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia), is focused
Engineers are Creating a Jet-Powered Flying Robot for Disaster Response Read More »
Just a few months after Chinese startup Astribot shared stunning video footage of its humanoid assistant, the company has now released a launch video for the S1. The new footage features the bot making waffles, feeding the cat, serving tea, and shooting hoops. When the S1 was initially unveiled in April, we questioned why the
Watch: Humanoid Homebot Handles a Remarkable Range of Household Tasks Read More »
Google used extensive data to train a table-tennis-playing robot to compete against humans and improve over time. The results are impressive, showcasing significant advancements in robotic speed and dexterity, and the robot’s performance looks quite entertaining. “Reaching human-level speed and performance in real-world tasks is a key goal for the robotics research community.” This is
Video: Google Robot Plays Table Tennis with Humans Read More »
California-based robotics company Figure has announced its second-generation humanoid robot. Initially targeting commercial production lines, the company promises that a bipedal butler for home use will be available soon. Figure was established in 2022 by entrepreneur Brett Adcock, known for Vettery and Archer Aviation, with the goal of introducing a “commercially viable general-purpose humanoid robot.”
Figure Unveils a Redesigned Humanoid Robot with the Sleek New F.02 Model Read More »
Researchers have created prototype robot bugs equipped with sensors that replicate biological digestive systems to generate energy, use a Janus interface for a continuous nutrient supply, and glide across water like water striders. In 2017, DARPA introduced a program to develop and deploy thousands of floating sensors to collect environmental data, including ocean temperature, sea
Water-Skimming Ocean-of-Things Bugbots use Bacteria-Powered Fuel Cells Read More »
Around this time last year, the Chinese robotics company Unitree impressed us with the circus tricks and GPT chat capabilities of its $1,600 second-generation robot dog. Now, the company has introduced an all-terrain upgrade. While robot quadrupeds can be fast, agile, useful, and even cute, moving on all fours isn’t always ideal. In some scenarios,
Watch: Wheeled Robodog Conquers Walls, Furniture, and Stairs Read More »
Disney Research Hub has different priorities compared to other robot developers; its robots must move efficiently and effectively, but also with a lot of style and personality. This adorable biped, inspired by the BD-1 droid, exemplifies this approach. For those unfamiliar, BD-1 first appeared in the 2019 video game Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order. A
Disney Infuses Robot Movements with Beauty and Character Read More »
A robotic truck with a 105-ft (32-m) telescopic boom arm has recently traveled from Australia to Florida. Now, this construction robot is set to begin constructing up to 10 houses, aiming to establish itself as the preferred choice for building entire communities. Robotics company FBR developed the truck with its brick-laying arm, known as the
The World’s Fastest Brick-Laying Construction Robot Debuts in America Read More »
A fully automated “smart factory” in Changping, Beijing, manufactures Xiaomi’s upcoming foldable phones, the MIX Fold 4 and MIX Flip, at a rate of about one every three seconds, 24/7. This 80,000-square-meter (860,000-sq-ft) facility, Xiaomi’s new Changping production facility, operates without human intervention thanks to its 11 fully automated production lines. Xiaomi’s proprietary “Pengpai Intelligent
Xiaomi’s Autonomous Factory Will Produces 10M+ Phones Annually Read More »