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Project DEXMART sensitive robotic hand

By Damir Beciri
14 April 2012

dexmart-robot-hand-1Researchers at Saarland University together with associates in Bologna and Naples have developed a robotic hand that employs small electric motors to twist strings which mimic muscles in human body. Aside being powerful, the robotic hand is also delicate – making it useful to perform different tasks such as aid in your home or adding… »

Robotics»

Children’s social interactions with a humanoid robot

By Damir Beciri
4 Comments6 April 2012

uw-robovie-social-study-1Although development of robots meant to help us in our everyday lives has been hindered by the economy, there are efforts to develop social robots for children that could be used to monitor them and guard them from harm. A group of researchers from University of Washington used a Robovie robot to explore how children… »

Robotics»

Boston Dynamics Sand Flea – a recon robot that can jump

By Damir Beciri
5 Comments1 April 2012

sand-fleaAmong other characteristics, fleas are well known for their jumping ability because they are able to jump up to around 200 times of their own body length, making them the 2nd best jumper in the known world. Relying on previous joint development of Precision Urban Hopper robot, engineers from Boston Dynamics came up with Sand… »

Robotics»

TEX II – robotic planetary lake lander

By Damir Beciri
20 March 2012

ua-lakelanderA researcher from the University of Arizona has developed Tucson Explorer II (TEX II) – an autonomous robotic lake lander that could potentially be used to explore the lakes of liquid hydrocarbon known to exist on Saturn’s largest moon named Titan. The robot could be used in terrestrial applications such as search and rescue missions… »

Bionics| Robotics»

Human Grasp Assist device provides additional grip force

By Damir Beciri
15 March 2012

gm-nasa-robo-gloveDuring the GM and NASA collaboration Robonaut 2 (R2) development, they had to engineer a dexterous hand that could use tools built for humans. That development served as groundwork for Human Grasp Assist device – a robotic glove that can be used to lower the fatigue in hand muscles after long use of tools, and… »

Bionics| Robotics»

Robot Cheetah sets new land speed record for legged robots

By Damir Beciri
2 Comments7 March 2012

boston-dynamics-cheetahAs a part of DARPA’s Maximum Mobility and Manipulation (M3) program, with goal to create and demonstrate significant scientific and engineering advances in robot mobility and manipulation capabilities, engineers from Boston Dynamics developed Cheetah – a robot named after the animal it got inspired from that managed to beat the previous land speed record for… »

Architecture| Robotics»

Machine Metabolism project – robots capable to climb and build structures

By Damir Beciri
2 March 2012

cornell-blum-machine-metabolism-robotIn one of our previous articles, we wrote about two ideas that employ robots building construction, but researchers from Cornell University came up with a different approach in a project named Machine Metabolism – Truss Structure Manipulation using Robots. The project involves a robotic system capable to break down modular elements and reuse them to… »

Robotics| Tech»

Pop-up books inspire new fabrication method for small and complex devices

By Damir Beciri
16 February 2012

pop-up-fabrication-of-the-harvard-monolithic-bee-mobeeEngineers at Harvard University developed a new technique inspired by pop-up books which enables rapid fabrication of a broad range of electromechanical devices through layering and folding process. The method is also useful for parallel fabrication of Monolithic Bee (also known as “Mobee”) microrobots which rely on PARITy drivetrain we described in one of our… »