Humans innately learn to adapt their movements based on the materials they are handling and the tasks that they are trying to complete. When chopping specific fruits or vegetables, for instance, they might learn to cut around harder parts, such as avocado or peach...
Robotics
A deep learning and model predictive control framework to control quadrotors and agile robots
In recent years, computer scientists have developed increasingly advanced algorithms for controlling the movements of robotic agents. These include model predictive control (MPC) techniques, which use a model of the agent's dynamics to optimize its future behavior...
A robot that can autonomously explore real-world environments
Roboticists have developed many advanced systems over the past decade or so, yet most of these systems still require some degree of human supervision. Ideally, future robots should explore unknown environments autonomously and independently, continuously collecting...
A new approach to improve robot navigation in crowded environments
While robots have become increasingly advanced over the past few years, most of them are still unable to reliably navigate very crowded spaces, such as public areas or roads in urban environments. To be implemented on a large-scale and in the smart cities of the...
A robot that can help firefighters during indoor emergencies
Robots could be valuable assistants for most first responders, as they could help them to remotely monitor or intervene in areas that are inaccessible or life-threatening for humans. Firefighters, who are at high risk of getting injured during their missions, would...
A bat-inspired framework to equip robots with sound-based localization and mapping capabilities
Bats have the innate ability to move around in the dark, even when they cannot visually perceive their surroundings. This fascinating ability is grounded in their emission of ultrasonic chirps, which produce unique patterns of echoes that offer information about the...
Researchers design a new efficient automated garage system
Advances in the field of robotics and computer science have led to the creation of various automated systems aimed at simplifying everyday tasks. In urban and largely populated areas, these systems could also help to increase efficiency, reduce congestion and improve...
A model that could improve robots’ ability to grasp objects
When completing missions and tasks in the real-world, robots should ideally be able to effectively grasp objects of various shapes and compositions. So far, however, most robots can only grasp specific types of objects.
A lizard-inspired robot to explore the surface of Mars
Technological advances have opened exciting possibilities for space exploration, which could potentially lead to new discoveries about the celestial bodies in our galaxy. Robots have proved to be particularly promising tools to explore other planets, particularly...
A framework that could improve the social intelligence of home assistants
Existing artificial intelligence agents and robots only help humans when they are explicitly instructed to do so. In other words, they do not intuitively determine how they could be of assistance at a given moment, but rather wait for humans to tell them what they...