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AI robots fill in for weed killers and farm hands

Oblivious to the punishing midday heat, a wheeled robot powered by the sun and infused with artificial intelligence carefully combs a cotton field in California, plucking out weeds.

Using generative AI to help robots jump higher and land safely

Diffusion models like OpenAI's DALL-E are becoming increasingly useful in helping brainstorm new designs. Humans can prompt these systems to generate an image, create a video, or refine a blueprint, and come back with ideas ...

The physics of popping: Building better jumping robots

Inspired by a simple children's toy, a jumping popper toy, researchers have unlocked a key to designing more agile and predictable soft robots. Soft robots, made from flexible materials, hold immense promise for delicate ...

Tiny robots could help fix leaky water pipes

Micro-robots that can inspect water pipes, diagnose cracks and fix them autonomously—reducing leaks and avoiding expensive excavation work—have been developed by a team of engineers led by the University of Sheffield.

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Robotics
Vision-language model creates plans for automated inspection of environments
Robotics
Customizable soft robot modules allow for new haptic interactions
Robotics
New system reliably controls prosthetic hand movements without relying on biological signals
Robotics
Humanoid robot achieves controlled flight using jet engines and AI-powered systems
Robotics
Seeing through a new LENS allows brain-like navigation in robots
Robotics
Two-actuator robot combines efficient ground rolling and spinning flight in one design
Robotics
Engineers develop blueprint for robot swarms, mimicking bee and ant construction
Robotics
Aerial robot with 'elephant trunk' developed for complex mid-air manipulation tasks
Robotics
AI generates data to help embodied agents ground language to 3D world
Robotics
Vision-language models gain spatial reasoning skills through artificial worlds and 3D scene descriptions
Robotics
Robots to the rescue: Miniature robots offer new hope for search and rescue operations
Robotics
Training robots without robots: Smart glasses capture first-person task demos
Robotics
Q&A: Why improving robot design is essential to achieving true intelligence
Robotics
Bio-mimetic robotic hand seamlessly integrates tactile feedback to outperform predecessors
Robotics
Single-material electronic skin gives robots the human touch
Robotics
Debut of LLM-enabled humanoid robot at event met with mixed reviews by human attendees
Robotics
AI-enabled control system helps autonomous drones stay on target in uncertain environments
Robotics
Robotic hand with unprecedented tactile sensitivity achieves human-like dexterity in real-world tasks
Robotics
Light and AI drive precise motion in soft robotic arm
Robotics
Single-sensor 3D microphone enables robots to locate humans in noisy environments

Other news

Bio & Medicine
Gene-based nanotherapy offers targeted approach to drug-resistant Candida infections
Bio & Medicine
Gelatin-based nanoparticle targets molecular 'seesaw' behind lung cancer drug resistance
Planetary Sciences
A young giant planet orbits one star, while a planet-forming disk exists around same-aged companion star
Plants & Animals
New 'bone-digesting' cell type discovered in pythons
Planetary Sciences
Massive boulders ejected during DART mission may complicate future asteroid deflection efforts
Earth Sciences
Decade-long study shows reduced winter snowpack impairs forests' ability to store carbon
Astronomy
Probing the cosmic 'Dark Ages' from the far side of the moon
Planetary Sciences
Youngest basaltic lunar meteorite fills nearly one billion-year gap in moon's volcanic history
Astronomy
Artificial solar eclipses in space could reveal inner workings of the sun
Environment
How a volatile mix of skin oil, hygiene and ozone affects indoor air quality
Social Sciences
Seeking moral advice from large language models comes with risk of hidden biases
Plasma Physics
Physicists observe image rotation in plasma
Mathematics
Hybrid model reveals people act less rationally in complex games, more predictably in simple ones
Astronomy
Astronomers investigate pulsar PSR J1930+1852 and its pulsar wind nebula
General Physics
Measuring individual radioactive decays enables faster detection method for nuclear applications
Earth Sciences
Heat wave duration is accelerating faster than global warming, researchers find
Analytical Chemistry
Targeting MXenes for sustainable ammonia production
Optics & Photonics
Quantum clocks deliver navigation accuracy far beyond current GPS systems in naval tests
Condensed Matter
Spin as an input parameter: Machine learning predicts magnetic properties of materials
Biotechnology
First-ever ribosomal synthesis of cyclic peptides opens new avenues for next-generation drug design

Engineers develop self-healing muscle for robots

A University of Nebraska–Lincoln engineering team is another step closer to developing soft robotics and wearable systems that mimic the ability of human and plant skin to detect and self-heal injuries.