How a new generation of grippers with improved 3D perception and tactile sensing is learning to manipulate a wide variety of objects This is a guest post. The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not represent positions of IEEE Spectrum or the IEEE. While robots have prepared entire breakfasts since 1961, general manipulation in the real world is arguably an even more complex problem than autonomous driving. It is difficult to pinpoint exactly why, though. Closely watching the […]

In a quest for penny-priced plastic sensors, Arm and its partners are demonstrating a stripped-down form of machine learning Body odor is a stubborn problem. Not just for people, but also for sensors. Sensors and the computing attached to them struggle to perceive armpit odors in the way humans do, because B.O. is really a complex mix of dozens of gaseous chemicals. The UK’s PlasticArmPit project is designing the first machine learning–enabled flexible plastic sensor chip. Its target audience: those who think […]

Creating intelligent solutions to solve real-world problems What is Industry 4.0 and Industrial IoT? Industry 4.0, Industrial IoT, and Industrial Internet are used interchangeably when talking about the new era of manufacturing. A digital ecosystem of connected machines, equipment and devices that communicate with one another, this cyber physical system with machine-to-machine (M2M) communication monitors and evaluates the physical processes in a manufacturing facility to ultimately make decentralized decisions. An evolution from Automation & Robotics, Industry 4.0 is the combination […]

Bandwidth limits mean AI systems need too much DRAM, embedded-FPGA startup thinks its technology can change that Deep learning has a DRAM problem. Systems designed to do difficult things in real time, such as telling a cat from a kid in a car’s backup camera video stream, are continuously shuttling the data that makes up the neural network’s guts from memory to the processor. The problem, according to startup Flex Logix, isn’t a lack of storage for that data; it’s […]

Engineers are building a prototype of a robotic factory that will create water, oxygen, and fuel on the surface of Mars .article-detail figure.rt { clear:none; } .article-detail .listicle li h3, .article-detail .listicle li .listicle-item-hed { color: #990000!important; font-family: “Theinhardt-Medium”,sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1em; margin: 4px 0 15px; } Illustration: Marek Denko/NoEmotion The Martians: This artist’s rendering shows excavating robots that may one day operate on Mars, long before humans ever set foot on the planet.  The year is 2038. […]

New IEEE site features 200 robots from 19 countries with hundreds of photos, videos, and interactives to get people excited about robotics and STEM We’re launching today a new massive guide to all things robotic, with over 820 photos, 680 videos, and 40 interactives. It’s a fun site designed for robot enthusiasts of all ages and backgrounds. You should go check it out right now. Seriously, stop reading this and go to robots.ieee.org. ⏳ ⏳ ⏳ Hey you’re back! Found some cool robots? Clicked […]

Analysis of computational propaganda in the 2016 U.S. presidential election reveals the reach of bots .mobileShow { display: none;} /* Smartphone Portrait and Landscape */ @media only screen and (min-device-width : 320px) and (max-device-width : 480px){ .mobileShow { display: inline;}} .mobileHide { display: inline;} /* Smartphone Portrait and Landscape */ @media only screen and (min-device-width : 320px) and (max-device-width : 480px){ .mobileHide { display: none;}} a.zoom .magnifier { margin: -490px 6px 0 0 !important; Illustration: Jude Buffum In the summer […]

This Blockly-based robot unicorn can move around, nod its head, and light up its horn There are a number of robots designed to help kids learn the basics of coding, but this is the first we’ve seen that comes equipped with a purple mane and a light-up horn.

Couldn’t make it to IROS? Check out some pics of what you missed in Madrid IROS is over, and we have a huge pile of shiny new robotics research to bring you over the next few weeks. Before we start in on that, here’s a gallery of some pictures from the IROS keynotes and expo floor, featuring robots we know and love along with some brand new robots that we’ve never seen before. Enjoy!

This voice-controlled robot could walk, talk, and smoke, and it captivated crowds a.Link2RobotsSite { text-decoration: none; } Photo: Bettmann/Getty Images “Ladies and gentlemen, I’ll be very glad to tell my story. I am a smart fellow as I have a very fine brain of 48 electrical relays.” This is how Elektro the robot introduced itself to crowds at the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Standing 2.1 meters tall and weighing 118 kilograms, Elektro performed 26 different tricks, including walking, talking, counting, […]