Researchers at Rutgers University have recently developed a probabilistic approach for building 3-D models of unknown objects while they are being manipulated by a robot. Their approach, outlined in a paper pre-published on arXiv, uses a physics engine to verify...
Robotics
A swarm robotics approach inspired by behavior observed in microorganisms
Many animals and microorganisms are able to complete complex tasks, such as finding food or building nests, as a team, or "swarm." One of the most obvious examples of this is bees, as their survival as a group heavily depends upon cooperation with other members of...
A system to automatically detect and collect garbage
Numerous countries worldwide are currently facing major problems related to waste collection, particularly in urban areas, due to the large amount of waste generated daily by the population. Technology could play a significant role in tackling these issues, for...
A new supervised learning approach to grasp planning in robots
Researchers at the University of Utah have recently developed a probabilistic grasp planner that can explicitly model grasp types to plan high-quality precision and power grasps in real time. Their supervised learning approach, outlined in a paper pre-published on...
An IKEA furniture assembly environment to train robots on complex manipulation tasks
In order to complete complex everyday tasks such as using equipment, cooking or building furniture, robots should be able to plan their actions and manipulate objects in their surroundings. So far, however, teaching robots to complete complicated tasks, such as those...
An interactive drone to assist humans in office environments
Researchers at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany have recently developed an interactive drone designed to assist humans in indoor environments such offices or laboratories. In a paper prepublished on arXiv, the researchers presented the results achieved by...
Applying active inference body perception to a humanoid robot
A key challenge for robotics researchers is developing systems that can interact with humans and their surrounding environment in situations that involve varying degrees of uncertainty. In fact, while humans can continuously learn from their experiences and perceive...
A simple technique allows robots to recognize touch and proximity
Researchers at the University of Hertfordshire have recently proposed an easy and configurable technique that enhances a robot's ability to perceive and interact with people in its surroundings. Their technique, presented in a paper pre-published on arXiv, utilizes...
A sliding mode control scheme for nonlinear positive Markov jumping systems
Researchers at Anhui University in China have recently developed a new method to enable sliding mode control in a class of nonlinear positive Markov jumping systems (MJSs) with uncertain parameters. Their approach is outlined in a paper published in Springer's...
A social robot to enhance children’s handwriting skills
Researchers at CHILI Lab (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) in Switzerland and GAIPS Lab (University of Lisbon) in Portugal have recently developed an autonomous system designed to assist children in improving their handwriting skills. The system they created,...