Robotics

"We've had a bit of a breakthrough." Toyota, MIT and Columbia Engineering have shown off wild results from a new AI learning approach that massively accelerates how quickly robots can acquire new skills. It looks like a ChatGPT moment for robotics.

Agility Robotics is well into construction of a 70,000-sq-ft facility in Salem, Oregon, with the capacity to produce more than 10,000 units per year of the company's Digit humanoid robot – which will work alongside humans on the factory floor.

Most robots use electric actuators, but this little fella packs a lot more punch. Researchers have created a new type of minuscule combustion engine that gives this tiny frog robot explosive leaping abilities, as well as fine movement control.

It goes without saying that it is very important for airliners' jet engines to be regularly inspected. Such inspections could soon be easier and more thorough than ever before, thanks to a robot that moves like an inchworm.

In recent years we've seen quadruped robots, self-balancing robots, and omnidirectional robots. Should you want one of your own, the UGOT Robotic Kit now allows users to build all of those bots and more.

One of the most commonly suggested uses for tiny robots is the search for trapped survivors in disaster site rubble. The CLARI robot could be particularly good at doing so, as it can make itself skinnier to squeeze through tight horizontal gaps.

Most of German Bionic's power suits are designed to assist workers in industrial facilities, but the company's latest device is aimed at supporting healthcare professionals in hospitals, elderly care or rehab units.

Humanoid robots: so hot right now. Apptronik out of Austin, Texas, has pulled the covers off Apollo, a friendly-faced general purpose humanoid designed to hit the workforce and start making a useful impact as quickly as ... inhumanly possible?

While forklifts do work well for lifting and moving heavy loads indoors, they're bulky (in close quarters), expensive, and can't lift loads over a certain footprint size. That's where the FORMIC robotic transportation system is designed to come in.

While we've seen a number of quadruped "robotic dogs" lately, they all require control motors to maintain their running gait. An experimental new one, however, keeps running on its own once it's been set in motion.

A team of researchers has developed PIBOT, the world’s first humanoid robot pilot. Able to slide easily into the pilot’s seat and flip switches in the cockpit, the robot also uses AI technology to memorize flight charts and emergency protocols.

It can really get us down watching as AIs learn to write music, poetry and technology news, but watching this clever autonomous toilet-bot mop up the bogs somehow makes it all worthwhile. It's good to know robots are coming for the crappy jobs too.

China's consumer technology giant Xiaomi has unleashed the second iteration of its robot pooch. The CyberDog 2 looks much less business-like and more like a family companion, comes packed with sensors, and can still do back flips.

Just last week, we heard about a robotic baby sea turtle that can "swim" through the sand. It's not the only robo-turtle in town, though, as another one has been developed to possibly one day lead real baby turtles to the safety of the sea.

Keeping panels clear of dust in large solar farms can be a time-consuming, wasteful and costly business. A startup called the Reiwa Engine has developed an autonomous robot called SandStorm to reduce maintenance and cleaning costs by as much as 80%.