To successfully cooperate with humans on manual tasks, robots should be able to grasp and manipulate a variety of objects without dropping or damaging them. Recent research efforts in the field of robotics have thus focused on developing tactile sensors and...
Robotics
A new design that equips robots with proprioception and a tail
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)'s Robomechanics Lab recently introduced two new approaches that could help to improve the ability of legged robots to move on rocky or extreme terrains. These two approaches, outlined in a paper pre-published...
A hybrid unicycle that can move on the ground and fly
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, can help humans to tackle a variety of real-world problems; for instance, assisting them during military operations and search and rescue missions, delivering packages or exploring environments that are difficult...
A soft polymer-based tactile sensor for robotics applications
To effectively tackle everyday tasks, robots should be able to detect the properties and characteristics of objects in their surroundings, so that they can grasp and manipulate them accordingly. Humans naturally achieve this using their sense of touch and roboticists...
An effective strategy to remotely operate snake robots
Animals have always been a great inspiration for robotic systems, as they offer fascinating natural examples of how different body structures can produce specific movements and locomotion styles. While most animal-inspired robots are inspired by legged animal species,...
A system that allows robots to cut objects made of multiple materials
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...
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...