10 years of progress in Boston Dynamics robotics. pic.twitter.com/m0NwlEbBXO — Wonder of Science (@wonderofscience) March 12, 2020 Admittedly, the video above is old. But it’s making the rounds again on social media and, frankly, it’s too astonishing to not share. The video shows capabilities of Boston Dynamics’ humanoid robots in 2009 and 2019 side-by-side. See more […]
A team of researchers at UC Berkeley recently developed a new multi-directional tactile sensor, called OmniTact, that overcomes some of the limitations of previously developed sensors. OmniTact, presented in a paper pre-published on arXiv, acts as an artificial fingertip that allows robots to sense the properties of objects it is holding or manipulating. The post […]
Soft robots are typically slower and are less precise for manipulation than more rigid devices, but biomechanics have inspired advances in those capabilities. Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed soft robots inspired by cheetahs. The post Cheetahs inspire NC State robots that can move faster, grasp more precisely appeared first on The Robot […]
More apps than ever are offering location services indoors, even without GPS, as we walk around malls or other large indoor areas. Could these technologies that are thriving on mobile devices be transferred to mobile robots, autonomous or otherwise? The post Q&A: The impact of indoor location on mobile robotics appeared first on Robotics Business […]
Designers and engineers require prototypes to verify product design and manufacturability and engineering, before moving on to full production. But how can start-ups and smaller companies, who lack the high level of resources and expertise of larger firms, rapidly develop their prototypes? Outsourcing provides one solution. The post Considerations When Working With Prototyping Outsourcers appeared […]
The difficulties of maintaining critical infrastructure are well known — millions of miles of cabling, pipelines, and railways to inspect, maintain, and repair, in all kinds of weather, in environments that are hazardous for humans. Even as pandemic restrictions begin to relax, spiking demand and labor shortages continue to affect the energy and utilities sectors. […]
A Beep driverless shuttle. Source: Mayo Clinic If you live in the downtown areas of Pittsburgh, Palo Alto, Miami, or other autonomous vehicle hotspots, you may have missed the Ford Fusion Hybrids with the bulky lidar sensors on their roofs. The COVID-19 crisis has resulted in many job cuts, as well as work-from-home orders, forcing […]
The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter can be seen between the left and center wheels of the Perseverance Rover. | Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech One week into its near seven-month journey to Mars with the Perseverance rover, NASA‘s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter recharged its power system. This was the first time the helicopter was powered up and its batteries were charged […]
The U.S. military is actively investigating the use of automation and robots in sustainment. Source: ARM The Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing, or ARM, Institute today announced that it has chosen five Robotics in Sustainment projects to help the U.S. Department of Defense with maintenance activities. The collaborative organization plans to spend up to $2.35 million […]
Amazon has already converted 23 retail spaces into industrial use cases. While this idea has been building for years, COVID-19 has accelerated the inevitable intersection: mall-to-distribution center conversion. Retail bankruptcies have left large, commercial buildings located near population centers vacant at a time when e-commerce companies are desperate for square footage close to their customers. […]
