robotics

The term robot conjures up different images for different people. For some, SciFi has taken its toll, and killer Terminator-style robots instill fear and trepidation. For others, the Jetson's vision of an automated robotic future is…

The University of Cambridge researchers have created a low-cost and energy-efficient robotic hand that grasps a range of objects without dropping them. Their success lies in using just the movement of its wrist and the feeling in its…

Physicians monitor the brain's electrical signals via an EEG and specialized electrodes implanted into, or placed on, the surface of the head. Scientists can incorporate EEGs into “brain-machine interfaces,” that use brain waves to control…

Efficient Power Conversion (EPC) expanded its family of footprint-compatible ePower Stage ICs to boost power density and simplify design for power requirements in DC-DC apps, motor drives, and class-d audio amplifiers. The company…

Refractive lenses have been around forever—800 years, in fact. The basic architecture of lenses, however, may be changing. Metamaterials could revolutionize lensing systems. Conventional lenses rely on refraction at interfaces to focus…

Robots as mental well-being coaches in the workplace may be useful– but it depends on what the robot looks like. University of Cambridge researchers used two robot well-being coaches for their study; 26 employees participated in weekly…

Columbia computer scientists and the Toyota Research Institute are making advanced home robots a reality. Robots are improving the quality of human life, augmenting our abilities, freeing up time, and enhancing our safety and well-being.…

Octopus arms have almost infinite degrees of freedom and perform complex movements such as reaching, grasping, fetching, crawling, and swimming. The abilities come from the intricate organization and biomechanics of the internal muscles.…

Stimuli-responsive polymers, materials capable of altering their chemical and/or physical properties in response to external stimuli, have changed the game in robotics. Substances like dielectric elastomers, hydrogels (spider warning),…

Untethered soft robots mechanically adapt to their surroundings and tasks and are becoming more agile and controlled. Cornell University researchers led by Kirstin Petersen, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering,…