VIDEO: Humanoid drives vehicle autonomously
Researchers from the University of Tokyo, Japan, have taught a musculoskeletal humanoid robot to drive a car autonomously, providing an alternative approach to sensor-equipped robotic vehicles.
VIDEO: Bricklaying bot heads to Florida to build 10 houses
Australian startup FBR are taking their bricklaying bot Hadrian X to Florida for its first international demonstration project consisting of the construction of 10 homes.
New snail-inspired robot can climb walls
Researchers at the University of Bristol in the UK have developed a snail-inspired robot with a sliding suction mechanism for efficient wall-climbing and high-load carrying capabilities.
VIDEO: Swam of snail bots slither over each other to get around
Researchers from Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen have created collaborative robot snails to attach to each other and traverse obstacles through a dual-mode connection mechanism.
VIDEO: DARPA test autonomous tank and off-roader in challenging terrain
DARPA’s Robotic Autonomy in Complex Environments with Resiliency (RACER) program successfully tested autonomous RACER Heavy Platform (RHP) tanks and Fleet Vehicles (RFVs) in the Texas countryside, navigating vegetation cover, trees, bushes, rocks, slopes, obstructed ditches, and creek crossings.
Scientists harness the wind as a tool to move objects
Researchers at Aalto University in Finland have developed a novel technique using jets of air to manipulate objects remotely, promising advances in robotics and other fields.
VIDEO: Flamethrowing robot dog available for just over £7k
US-based Throwflame have launched a fire spitting robot dog, Thermonator, built on Unitree’s Go2 bot with applications including wildfire prevention, agriculture and entertainment.
Why can’t robots outrun animals?
Researchers at Simon Fraser University in Canada are examining the remarkable movement capabilities of animals to advance robotics technology.
Flying bot can also form a wheel and roll
University of Tokyo engineers have built a novel flying bot that consists of deformable multilinked multirotor sections that can maneuver in the air as well perform a rolling locomotion on the ground.
‘Whale tail’ cycloid propeller could boost marine propulsion
Swedish-Swiss automation giant ABB have designed a new form of propulsion for ships, Dynafin, which mimics the movement of a whale’s tail to boost efficiency by up to 22% compared to conventional propellers.