The Robotics Roundup is a weekly newspost going over some of the most exciting developments in robotics over the past week.
In today’s edition we have:
- A robot that draws circuits with conductive ink to survive
- Watch a robot excavator controlled like a videogame
- Laugh at the Right Time, Robot. It’s How You’ll Really Fit in With Humans
- This robot crossed a line it shouldn’t have because humans told it to
- This robot catches grandma before she falls
A robot that draws circuits with conductive ink to survive
An international research team is experimenting with a robot designed to draw it’s own power delivery circuitry, as a first stepping stone in developing robots that are able to harness the resources in their environments to improve their own performance.
Watch a robot excavator controlled like a videogame
SRI international has developed technology allowing them to retrofit existing heavy construction machinery for remote control. This development lowers the barrier to entry for existing companies to transition to remote controlled equipment, as well as improves safety and ease of use for these machines.
Laugh at the Right Time, Robot. It’s How You’ll Really Fit in With Humans
Researchers at Kyoto University believe that one of the largest remaining barriers to more humanlike robots is natural sounding laughter.
This robot crossed a line it shouldn’t have because humans told it to
A delivery robot recently made headlines after intruding on an active crime scene. It’s since been revealed that the robot was under the control of a human operator at the time. This case highlights some of the remaining barriers to semi and fully autonomous control, including human operator error.
This robot catches grandma before she falls
Accidental falls are the leading cause of serious injuries among elderly persons. Researchers at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have developed a prototype robotic walker that catches it’s users before they fall.