"Here ya go, bud. I got you." Running a single Helix instance across two robots allows levels of bot-to-bot collaboration never before seenFigure.aiJust weeks after Figure.ai ended its collaboration with OpenAI, the Silicon Valley startup introduced Helix—a commercial-ready, AI-powered "hive-mind" humanoid robot capable of performing nearly any task on command.A New AI Brain for...
he biohybrid hand was floated in a liquid to reduce friction and allow the joints to float back to their original shape after electrical stimulationX. Ren, Y. Morimoto and S. Takeuchi, 2025/ Science RoboticsResearchers have made significant progress in creating an artificial hand that can grip and perform gestures by integrating lab-grown muscle tissue...
Apple's lamp-bot can depict joy and sadness, and even do a little danceAppleLuxo Jr. has been a charming presence in every Pixar film since 1995, when the animated desk lamp first hopped onto the screen, playfully stomping on the studio's logo in the opening credits. This iconic character has now inspired Apple researchers to...
A robot dog makes short work of a bombMinistry of DefenceWe've seen robot dogs perform all kinds of unusual tasks, but what about using them to enhance safety? The British Ministry of Defence is deploying these mechanical canines to improve the efficiency and safety of bomb detection and defusal.While bomb disposal robots have been...
A head-on view of the Beatbot Amphibious RoboTurtle, on display last week at CES 2025BeatbotWhen designing a fast, agile, and adaptable underwater robot, why not take inspiration from nature? That’s precisely what China’s Beatbot did with its bio-inspired Amphibious RoboTurtle.Unveiled as a prototype at CES last week, this autonomous robot is built for tasks...
Sanctuary AI's robotic hand can now perform tasks such as simultaneously holding and adjusting a wrenchSanctuary AISanctuary AI's Phoenix robot is undeniably remarkable, featuring hydraulically powered hands with exceptional dexterity. These hands have recently become even more versatile, as each can now simultaneously hold and manipulate an object.Typically, robotic fingers are operated using cables...
A side view of the speedy new manta ray robot swimming along the surfaceHaitao Qing, NC State UniversityJust two years ago, a tiny robotic manta ray set a record as the fastest-swimming soft-bodied robot. Now, its upgraded successor has shattered that record while using less energy in the process.The original 22.8-mm-long robot was developed by...
The RAVEN robot in flight, showing off its bird legs© 2024 EPFL/Alain Herzog (CC-BY-SA 4.0)While autonomous flying robots hold promising potential, their usefulness is limited if they cannot navigate uneven terrain after landing. However, an experimental bio-inspired robot overcomes this limitation by mimicking the raven's gait.Named RAVEN (Robotic Avian-inspired Vehicle for Multiple Environments), the...
The Conit Runner robot has been nominated for a CES 2025 innovation awardItoneWhen we imagine freshly poured concrete, we usually think of leaving it to dry smoothly. However, a new robot, the Conit Runner, rolls over wet concrete, carving grooves to strengthen structures while reducing costs.Deep layers of wet concrete can crack as they...
A view of PigeonBot II without covering, showing the feathers and some of the mechanics. Credit: Eric Chang, Lentink LabEver wondered why airplanes have a vertical tailfin? It stabilizes their flight. While flying without one would be more energy-efficient, efforts to achieve this in aviation have yet to succeed. Interestingly, birds manage just fine...
