A digging robot inspired by the unique mechanisms employed by the Atlantic razor clam has been created by a group of researchers in the US. The robot, dubbed RoboClam, is able to dig with extreme efficiency by transforming the surrounding soil from a solid into a liquid, and could have a variety of applications from anchoring underwater robots to subsea cable installation and mine neutralization. ...
The Porton Man can walk, march, run, sit, kneel and even mimic the movement of a soldier sighting a weapon, allowing scientists to test the suits designed to protect UK personnel from chemical and biological attacks. ...
Termites, in their roles as construction workers, are simple agents, using only local information, yet they can build complex structures such as termite mounds. Taking inspiration from such swarm systems in nature, Justin Werfel and colleagues have created TERMES robots that build three-dimensional structures without the need for any leader or prescribed roles. In Robots Podcast #153, Sabine speaks...
An RQ-7 Shadow drone crashed near an elementary school in Lebanon County, Pa. during training operations. ...
A few days ago Robomow launched a humorous video introducing a new 3-in-1 Domestic Robot that mows your lawn, cleans your pool and vacuums your floors. They call it the Robowow. The only robot that can vacuum your home, clean your pool and mow your lawn! It’s no secret that creating Robowow proved to be [...] ...
Suppose you're trying to navigate an unfamiliar section of a big city, and you're using a particular cluster of skyscrapers as a reference point. Traffic and one-way streets force you to take some odd turns, and for a while you lose sight of your landmarks. When they reappear, in order to use them for navigation, you have to be able to identify them as the same buildings you were tracking before --...
An ultra-high security scheme that could one day get quantum cryptography using Quantum Key Distribution into mobile devices has been developed and demonstrated. Secure mobile communications underpin our society and through mobile phones, tablets and laptops we have become online consumers. The security of mobile transactions is obscure to most people but is absolutely essential if we are to stay protected...
In a series of research studies, spinal surgeons show that a new method of computer-guided spine surgery is beneficial for spinal reconstruction and for treating complex tumors and degenerative spine problems, resulting in fewer complications and better outcomes for patients. ...
Crabster CR200 is set for its maiden voyage in an area where lesser vehicles have failed. The key to the new robot’s success is its ability to maintain position in stormy conditions. ...
A coalition of Swiss robotics labs has announced the Cybathlon, the first international competition for bionic athletes that is designed to raise awareness performance-enhancing technology. ...
Festo has spent two years working on the Bionic Kangaroo that it hopes could help improve industrial automation systems that manufacture products such as cars and computers. ...
A new STEM robotics platform from Yaskawa Motoman will help students in secondary educational programs practice skills in advanced manufacturing and robotics. ...
The Defense Department’s new Biological Technology Office will serve as a clearinghouse for DARPA programs into brain research, synthetic biology and epidemiology. ...
Now being developed by researchers in Nebraska, the device is small and light and would be controlled by a human surgeon on Earth using joysticks. ...
Researchers have developed a method to allow a computer to give advice and teach skills to another computer in a way that mimics how a real teacher and student might interact. Researchers had the agents -- as the virtual robots are called -- act like true student and teacher pairs: student agents struggled to learn Pac-Man and a version of the StarCraft video game. The researchers were able to show...
Smartphones and tablets may hold the key to getting more clinicians to screen patients for tobacco use and advise smokers on how to quit. Even though tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S., clinicians often don’t ask about smoking during patient exams. ...
A few months ago, Eric Pinkel contacted RobotShop/Lynxmotion and myself asking if we wanted to be a consultant for their big VTail Medusa project. Very interested and amazed by the work already done by Eric and his team, we immediately stepped in to help whenever they needed it. As a UAV/Drones enthusiast, I really like to see [...] ...
A prototype of Robbie the Robot, designed to assist a teenager born without limbs, has been unveiled by Trinity College Dublin. ...
The Automated Planet Finder, a telescope located at Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton in California, started its self-directed operation in January 2014, and has just confirmed the existence of two new systems of planets. ...
LORD MicroStrain wins Manufacturing Leadership Award for its custom-designed Quality Management module, an integral part of its Product Lifecyle Management system. ...