Scientists have created a prototype robot that can grow, heal and improve itself by integrating material from its environment or by “consuming” other robots. It’s a big step forward in developing robot autonomy, the researchers say. The researchers coined the term “robot metabolism” to describe the process that enables machinery to absorb and reuse parts … Read more
Earlier this year, a robot completed a half-marathon in Beijing in just under 2 hours and 40 minutes. That’s slower than the human winner, who clocked in at just over an hour — but it’s still a remarkable feat. Many recreational runners would be proud of that time. The robot kept its pace for more … Read more
A Norwegian robotics firm has unveiled a knitted-nylon-covered humanoid robot designed to complete household chores. “Neo Gamma,” built by robotics company 1X, is a bipedal android equipped to perform everyday tasks such as vacuuming, tidying clothes and making coffee. In a promotional video released Feb 21. On YouTube, the machine is shown serving tea, fixing … Read more
A robotics company has built an eerily lifelike humanoid robot which they claim is the “world’s first bipedal musculoskeletal android” — and the internet hates it. Created by Polish startup Clone Robotics, the “Protoclone” robot is a faceless android with an anatomically accurate bone structure and musculature. The android’s designers claim it can walk, talk … Read more
If you’re worried about humanoid robots taking your job in 2025, rest easy. The few commercially available models are slow, ponderous and best suited to menial jobs that humans hate — think lifting a 20-pound (9 kilograms) object onto a conveyor belt. But things are set to change. By the end of this decade, many … Read more
A new computer vision system inspired by cats’ eyes could enable robots to see the world around them more accurately than ever before. Robots, drones, self-driving cars and other autonomous systems are becoming more common, but they still struggle to see well in all environments and conditions. For example, self-driving cars perform poorly in rain … Read more
Robots smaller than most bacteria could deliver drugs right to the site of a brain aneurysm, preventing a devastating stroke, a new animal study suggests. The new technology has been tested only in rabbits so far. But with further study, it could become an alternative to the stents and coils that are currently used to … Read more
Researchers have developed a hair-thin battery that can power robots no larger than the dot at the end of this sentence. The zinc-air battery captures oxygen from its surroundings and oxidizes miniscule amounts of zinc, a reaction that can create up to 1 volt. This energy can then power things like sensors or a tiny … Read more
A pioneering surgical procedure provides amputees with bionic limbs that are directly controlled by the nervous system, enabling patients to sense the limb’s position in space. Scientists demonstrated the success of this technique in a new study of seven people who received bionic legs, which was published Monday (July 1) in the journal Nature Medicine. … Read more
Engineers have assembled an autonomous underwater drone that the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) plans to use for long-range missions in the ocean, pictures show. Dubbed “Manta Ray,” the drone is modeled after filter-feeding fish of the same name with diamond-shaped bodies and wing-like fins. The prototype, designed and built by the aerospace … Read more
