A worm-inspired robot based on an origami structure and magnetic actuators

The fabrication of the origami backbone. Credit: Jin et al Bio-inspired robots, robotic systems that emulate the appearance, movements, and/or functions of specific biological systems, could help to tackle real-world…

New simulation tool helps robots handle fluids

Researchers created “FluidLab,” a simulation environment with a diverse set of manipulation tasks involving complex fluid dynamics. Credit: Alex Shipps/MIT CSAIL via Midjourney Imagine you’re enjoying a picnic by a…

Robotic proxy brings remote users to life in real time

Robotic seal’s gait may be graceless, but it could help save lives

(A) Bioinspiration from pinnipeds (i.e., seals, sea lions, and walruses) that use fore flippers and body (or hind flipper) for terrestrial locomotion. (B) Pinniped robot in an unactuated pose. Credit:…

Speedy robo-gripper reflexively organizes cluttered spaces

MIT researchers (from left): Elijah Stanger-Jones, Hongmin Kim, and Andrew SaLoutos have designed a robot gripper that incorporates reflexes to quickly grasp and sort everyday objects. Credit: Jodi Hilton When…

Robot fish makes splash with motion breakthrough

Credit: University of Bristol A coil-powered robot fish designed by scientists at the University of Bristol could make underwater exploration more accessible. The robot fish was fitted with a twisted…

How a horse whisperer can help engineers build better robots

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Humans and horses have enjoyed a strong working relationship for nearly 10,000 years—a partnership that transformed how food was produced, people were transported and even how…

Grad student helps design ‘artificial muscles’ you can toss in the compost bin

An “artificial muscle” made, in part, from material designed for biodegradable grocery bags. Credit: Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems Say “hello” to the robots of the future: They’re soft…

Using drones and lasers, researchers pinpoint greenhouse gas leaks

The retroflector mounted onto the drone. Credit: Bumper DeJesus, Princeton University As evidence mounts that gas drilling and sewer systems leak far more greenhouse gases than previously believed, a team…