ScienceDaily: Robot News

More than a good eye: Robot uses arms, location and more to discover objects

Mon, 06 May 2013 11:40:40 EDT

A robot can struggle to discover objects in its surroundings when it relies on computer vision alone. But by taking advantage of all of the information available to it -- an object's location, size, shape and even whether it can be lifted -- a robot can continually discover and refine its understanding of objects, say researchers.

Robots take part in a space simulation

Fri, 03 May 2013 09:41:41 EDT

The two robots Flobi and Nao worked full time for three weeks in an isolation study in Cologne. Scientists were studying how these intelligent assistance systems can help astronauts to keep fit – both physically and mentally. However, it was not just the people who were on trial, but the robots as well. The scientists were testing both their suitability and their durability. The experiment ended on Saturday.

Robotic insects make first controlled flight

Thu, 02 May 2013 14:26:26 EDT

In the very early hours of the morning, in a Harvard robotics laboratory last summer, an insect took flight. Half the size of a paperclip, weighing less than a tenth of a gram, it leaped a few inches, hovered for a moment on fragile, flapping wings, and then sped along a preset route through the air. This demonstration of the first controlled flight of an insect-sized robot is the culmination of more than a decade's work.

Seahorse's armor gives engineers insight into robotics designs

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:21:21 EDT

The tail of a seahorse can be compressed to about half its size before permanent damage occurs, engineers have found. The tail's flexibility is due to its structure, made up of bony, armored plates, which slide past each other. Researchers are hoping to use a similar structure to create a flexible robotic arm, which could be used in medical devices, underwater exploration and unmanned bomb detection and detonation.

Talking tissue boxes and other smart objects may be welcomed by most people

Wed, 01 May 2013 09:18:18 EDT

Just as people have embraced computers and smart phones, they may also give their blessing to talking tissue boxes and other smart objects, according to researchers.

How Would You Like Your Assistant -- Human or Robotic?

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:55:55 EDT

More than half of healthcare providers interviewed for a new study said that if they were offered an assistant, they preferred it to be a robotic helper rather than a human. However, they don’t want robots to help with everything.

FlipperBot: Sea turtles and flipper-driven robot reveal principles of moving on sand and other granular media

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 21:17:17 EDT

Based on a study of both hatchling sea turtles and "FlipperBot" -- a robot with flippers -- researchers have learned principles for how both robots and turtles move on granular surfaces such as sand.

Virtual, squishy creatures evolve to run using evolutionary algorithms

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:58:58 EDT

Scientists have created a computer algorithm that can be used to witness virtual creatures evolving their squishy, muscle-like features in order to teach themselves to walk.

Humans feel empathy for robots: fMRI scans show similar brain function when robots are treated the same as humans

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 09:11:11 EDT

How do we really feel about non-sentient objects on a human level? A recent study found that humans have similar brain function when shown images of affection and violence being inflicted on robots and humans.

Robot hands gain a gentler touch: Tactile sensing technology builds on tiny barometer chips

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:42:42 EDT

What use is a hand without nerves, that can't tell what it's holding? A hand that lifts a can of soda to your lips, but inadvertently tips or crushes it in the process? Scientists have now developed a very inexpensive tactile sensor for robotic hands that is sensitive enough to turn a brute machine into a dextrous manipulator.

Helpful for robotics: Brain uses old information for new movements

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 09:46:46 EDT

Information from the senses has an important influence on how we move. For instance, you can see and feel when a mug is filled with hot coffee, and you lift it in a different way than if the mug were empty. Neuroscientists have discovered that the brain uses two forms of old information in order to execute new movements well. This discovery can be useful for the field of robotics.

Frog-like robot will help surgeons

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 22:47:47 EDT

Researchers are using the feet of tree frogs as a model for a tiny robot designed to crawl inside patients' bodies during keyhole surgery.

Technique finds software bugs in surgical robots and helps developers fix flaws, ensure safety

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 10:33:33 EDT

Surgical robots could make some types of surgery safer and more effective, but proving that the software controlling these machines works as intended is problematic. Researchers have demonstrated that methods for reliably detecting software bugs and ultimately verifying software safety can be applied successfully to this breed of robot.

Robotic ants successfully mimic real colony behavior

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 09:06:06 EDT

Scientists have successfully replicated the behavior of a colony of ants on the move with the use of miniature robots.

Swarming robots could be the servants of the future

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 12:53:53 EDT

Swarms of robots acting together to carry out jobs could provide new opportunities for humans to harness the power of machines.

Robot-delivered speech and physical therapy a success

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 21:26:26 EDT

In one of the earliest experiments using a humanoid robot to deliver speech and physical therapy to a stroke patient, researchers saw notable speech and physical therapy gains and significant improvement in quality of life.

Humanoid robot helps teach children with autism

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 15:52:52 EDT

An interdisciplinary team of mechanical engineers and autism experts have developed an adaptive robotic system and used it to demonstrate that humanoid robots can be powerful tools for enhancing the basic social learning skills of children with autism.

From complex living systems to smarter computers

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 20:20:20 EDT

Compared to human-made technology, living organisms have an enviable ability to adjust to new situations, make complex decisions, and even to heal themselves when damaged. By contrast, technological systems struggle to cope with the unexpected. An important example of such clever biology is multicellular organization. The millions of cells, which make up an early embryo, can communicate only with their neighbors, and yet they are each capable of making the right decisions so that together they collaborate to build organs and whole bodies. Understanding how they achieve this will not only benefit biomedical research, but could also help us to build more intelligent technology.

Cloud-computing platform for robots launched

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 09:11:11 EDT

Researchers have developed a cloud-computing platform for robots. The platform allows robots connected to the Internet to directly access the powerful computational, storage, and communications infrastructure of modern data centers - the giant server farms behind the likes of Google, Facebook, and Amazon - for robotics tasks and robot learning.

Robotic fish gain new sense: Navigate water currents and turbulence

Wed, 06 Mar 2013 08:42:42 EST

Scientists have developed robots with a new sense -- lateral line sensing. All fish have this sensing organ but so far it had no technological counterpart on human-made underwater vehicles.

With robots, humans face 'new society'

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 08:30:30 EST

Humanity came one step closer in January to being able to replicate itself, thanks to the EU's approval of funding for the Human Brain Project. Danica Kragic, a robotics researcher and computer science professor at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, says that while the prospect of living among humanoid robots calls to mind terrifying scenarios from science fiction, the reality of how humans cope with advances in robotics will be more complex, and subtle.

Insects inspiring new technology: Autonomous navigation of mobile robots based on locust vision

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 08:46:46 EST

The way in which the locust's distinctive visual system could be transferred into technology for state of the art vehicle collision sensors, surveillance technology and video games has been detailed as part of robotics research.

'Simplified' brain lets the iCub robot learn language

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 10:26:26 EST

The iCub humanoid robot will now be able to understand what is being said to it and even anticipate the end of a sentence.

Robots with lift: Researchers use combustible gases to power leaping machines

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 15:24:24 EST

Using small explosions produced by a mix of methane and oxygen, researchers have designed a soft robot that can leap as much as a foot in the air. That ability to jump could one day prove critical in allowing the robots to avoid obstacles during search and rescue operations following a disaster.

Humans and robots work better together following cross-training; Swapping of roles improves efficiency

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 10:45:45 EST

Spending a day in someone else's shoes can help us to learn what makes them tick. Now the same approach is being used to develop a better understanding between humans and robots, to enable them to work together as a team.

Insect drives robot to track down smells

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 20:01:01 EST

A small, two-wheeled robot has been driven by a male silkmoth to track down the sex pheromone usually given off by a female mate. The robot has been used to characterize the silkmoth’s tracking behaviors and it is hoped that these can be applied to other autonomous robots so they can track down smells, and the subsequent sources, of environmental spills and leaks when fitted with highly sensitive sensors.

The ecological badminton robot: Optimizing energy efficiency in machine design

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 08:27:27 EST

A robot to play with! A childhood's dream has now come true for researchers in Belgium. Wim Symens and his team pioneered the development of the first robot ever to play badminton. But this robot is only a guinea pig to test a software application designed to optimize energy efficiency in machine design.

Engineers solve a biological mystery and boost artificial intelligence

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 08:23:23 EST

By simulating 25,000 generations of evolution within computers, engineering and robotics researchers have discovered why biological networks tend to be organized as modules -- a finding that will lead to a deeper understanding of the evolution of complexity. The new insight also will help evolve artificial intelligence, so robot brains can acquire the grace and cunning of animals.

Lane-swapping helps autonomous vehicles avoid collisions

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 08:15:15 EST

Autonomous, driverless vehicles look set to hit the streets in the near future and become increasingly common, so UK researchers have investigated algorithms that could help developers include escape maneuvers to allow such vehicles to quickly and safely switch lanes to avoid collisions with other road users.

Robot allows 'remote presence' in programming brain and spine stimulators

Wed, 16 Jan 2013 11:16:16 EST

With the rapidly expanding use of brain and spinal cord stimulation therapy (neuromodulation), new "remote presence" technologies may help to meet the demand for experts to perform stimulator programming, reports a new study.

Machine perception lab shows robotic one year old on video

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 18:56:56 EST

The world is getting a long-awaited first glimpse at a new humanoid robot in action mimicking the expressions of a one-year-old child. The robot will be used in studies on sensory-motor and social development – how babies “learn” to control their bodies and to interact with other people.

Virtual reality and robotics in neurosurgery: Promise and challenges

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 14:37:37 EST

Robotic technologies have the potential to help neurosurgeons perform precise, technically demanding operations, together with virtual reality environments to help them navigate through the brain, according to researchers.

'Liquid that thinks:' Swarm of ping-pong-ball-sized robots created

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 14:30:30 EST

If one robot can accomplish a singular task, think how much more could be accomplished if you had hundreds of them. A research team has developed a basic robotic building block, which they hope to reproduce in large quantities to develop increasingly complex systems. Recently the team created a swarm of 20 robots, each the size of a ping-pong ball, which they call "droplets." When the droplets swarm together, they form a "liquid that thinks."

Head-mounted cameras could help robots understand social interactions

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 11:18:18 EST

What is everyone looking at? It's a common question in social settings because the answer identifies something of interest, or helps delineate social groupings. Those insights someday will be essential for robots designed to interact with humans, so researchers have developed a method for detecting where people's gazes intersect. The researchers tested the method using groups of people with head-mounted video cameras.

Automation systems become flexible when robots make their own decisions

Wed, 05 Dec 2012 08:38:38 EST

Researchers in Sweden have created an automation system where machines and robots make their own decisions and adapt to external circumstances. They continue to work even when something goes wrong. You can reprogram them every day and easily vary equipment and manufactured products.

Squirrels and birds inspire researchers to create deceptive robots

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 12:52:52 EST

Using deceptive behavioral patterns of squirrels and birds, researchers have developed robots that are able to deceive each other. The applications could be implemented by the military in the future.

Robotic equivalent of a Swiss army knife: Reconfigurable robot a step toward something that can become almost anything

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 13:27:27 EST

The device doesn't look like much: a caterpillar-sized assembly of metal rings and strips resembling something you might find buried in a home-workshop drawer. But the technology behind it, and the long-range possibilities it represents, are quite remarkable.

Bioinspired robot meets fish: Robotic fish research swims into new ethorobotics waters

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 12:20:20 EST

New research is illuminating the emerging field of ethorobotics -- the study of bioinspired robots interacting with animal counterparts. They studied how real-time feedback attracted or repelled live zebrafish. The fish were more attracted to robots with tail motions that mimicked the live fish. The researchers hope that robots eventually may steer live animal or marine groups from danger.

Using skills gleaned from video games, high school and college students outmatch medical residents in surgical simulations

Thu, 15 Nov 2012 14:16:16 EST

What can high school and college-age video game enthusiasts teach young surgeons-in-training? According to a new study the superior hand-eye coordination and hand skills gained from hours of repetitive joystick maneuvers mimic the abilities needed to perform today's most technologically advanced robotic surgeries.

Experimental interplanetary Internet used to test robot from International Space Station

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 15:18:18 EST

NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) successfully have used an experimental version of interplanetary Internet to control an educational rover from the International Space Station. The experiment used NASA's Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN) protocol to transmit messages and demonstrate technology that one day may enable Internet-like communications with space vehicles and support habitats or infrastructure on another planet.

Virtual reality puts human in rat world: 'Beaming' technology transforms human-animal interaction

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 21:42:42 EDT

Using cutting-edge virtual reality technology, researchers have "beamed" a person into a rat facility allowing the rat and human to interact with each other on the same scale.

Smart as a bird: Flying rescue robot will autonomously avoid obstacles

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 17:30:30 EDT

Researchers have created an autonomous flying robot that is as smart as a bird when it comes to maneuvering around obstacles.

New soccer robot has human-like agility

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 14:28:28 EDT

Computer scientists have developed a new robot whose source code and design plan is publicly accessible. It is intended to facilitate the entry into research on humanoids, in particular, the TeenSize Class of the RoboCup. With its white head and black body, "NimbRo-OP" looks almost human and is very agile -- it has no problems kicking a soccer ball, and it can also get up from a prone position like a human.

Hopping robots could conserve energy

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 09:28:28 EDT

A new study shows that jumping can be more complicated than it might seem. In research that could extend the range of future rescue and exploration robots, scientists have found that hopping robots could dramatically reduce the amount of energy they use by adopting a unique two-part “stutter jump.”

Robots in the home: Will older adults roll out the welcome mat?

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 16:15:15 EDT

Robots have the potential to help older adults with daily activities that can become more challenging with age. But are people willing to use and accept the new technology? A new study indicates the answer is yes, unless the tasks involve personal care or social activities.

Biology-friendly robot programming language: Training your robot the PaR-PaR way

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 12:45:45 EDT

PaR-PaR, a simple high-level, biology-friendly, robot-programming language uses an object-oriented approach to make it easier to integrate robotic equipment into biological laboratories. Effective robots can increase research productivity, lower costs and provide more reliable and reproducible experimental data.

Robots that perceive the world like humans

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 10:01:01 EDT

Perceive first, act afterwards. The architecture of most of today’s robots is underpinned by this control strategy. The eSMCs project has set itself the aim of changing the paradigm and generating more dynamic computer models in which action is not a mere consequence of perception but an integral part of the perception process. It is about improving robot behavior by means of perception models closer to those of humans.

Scientists to research robots of the future

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 09:13:13 EDT

Inspired by squishy, flexible creatures like the common caterpillar, researchers will develop soft-bodied robots that will be continuously deformable and capable of crumpling into small volumes. They will have capabilities that are not currently available in conventional robots.

Robots using tools: Researchers aim to create 'MacGyver' robot

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 10:13:13 EDT

Robots are increasingly being used in place of humans to explore hazardous and difficult-to-access environments, but they aren't yet able to interact with their environments as well as humans. If today's most sophisticated robot was trapped in a burning room by a jammed door, it would probably not know how to locate and use objects in the room to climb over any debris, pry open the door, and escape the building. A research team hopes to change that by giving robots the ability to use objects in their environments to accomplish high-level tasks.

'Green Brain' project to create an autonomous flying robot with a honey bee brain

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 11:14:14 EDT

Scientists in the UK are embarking on an ambitious project to produce the first accurate computer models of a honey bee brain in a bid to advance our understanding of artificial intelligence, and how animals think.

Intuitive visual control provides faster robot operation

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 14:25:25 EDT

Using a novel method of integrating video technology and familiar control devices, a research team is developing a technique to simplify remote control of robotic devices.

Wearable sensor system automatic maps building while wearer is moving

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 14:47:47 EDT

Researchers have built a wearable sensor system that automatically creates a digital map of the environment through which the wearer is moving.

Sociable trash box: Proxemics in dynamic interactions

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 07:49:49 EDT

Researchers in Japan are using "robotic social trash boxes" to investigate interactions between humans and robots for improving robot-to-human communications.

Are older adults willing to accept help from robots?

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 16:15:15 EDT

Most older adults prefer to maintain their independence and remain in their own homes as they age, and robotic technology can help make this a reality. Robots can assist with a variety of everyday living tasks, but limited research exists on seniors' attitudes toward and acceptance of robots as caregivers and aides. Human factors/ergonomics researchers investigated older adults' willingness to receive robot assistance that allows them to age in place.

Who (and what) can you trust? How non-verbal cues can predict a person's (and a robot's) trustworthiness

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 11:30:30 EDT

People face this predicament all the time -- can you determine a person's character in a single interaction? Can you judge whether someone you just met can be trusted when you have only a few minutes together? And if you can, how do you do it? Using a robot named Nexi, psychologists have figured out the answer.

A whisker-inspired approach to tactile sensing

Thu, 30 Aug 2012 06:57:57 EDT

Inspired by the twitching whiskers of common rats and Etruscan shrews, researchers have developed rodent-like robots and an innovative tactile sensor system that could be used to help find people in burning buildings, make vacuum cleaners more efficient and eventually improve keyhole surgery.

Lifelike, cost-effective robotic hand can disable IEDs

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 22:20:20 EDT

Researchers have developed a cost-effective robotic hand that can be used in disarming improvised explosive devices, or IEDs.

'Soft robots' could camouflage themselves one minute, and stand out, the next

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 14:15:15 EDT

Researchers have developed a system -- inspired by nature -- that allows soft robots to either camouflage themselves against a background, or to make bold color displays. Such a "dynamic coloration" system could one day have a host of uses, ranging from helping doctors plan complex surgeries to acting as a visual marker to help search crews following a disaster.

Soft autonomous robot inches along like an earthworm: Flexible design enables body-morphing capability

Thu, 09 Aug 2012 15:13:13 EDT

Researchers have engineered a soft autonomous robot that moves via peristalsis, crawling across surfaces by contracting segments of its body, much like an earthworm.

Handy technologies for dextrous robots

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 07:31:31 EDT

Researchers have developed the world's first human-sized, five-fingered robotic hand that can learn to grasp and manipulate a range of delicate and oddly shaped objects just as humans do.