Robotics

Lady Gaga kicked off last night’s Super Bowl halftime show by singing from the roof of the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. As she performed a rendition of God Bless America and This Land is Your Land, all eyes were drawn to the dancing drones which decorated the sky behind her and ultimately created the image of the American flag.

The Robotic Industries Association (RIA), a leading advocate in North America for safety and innovation in robotics, has announced that in 2016 the North American robotics market broke all-time records for orders and shipments. 

A new set of standards for the ethical design of robots and robotic devices has been released by the British Standards Institute (BSI). The standards highlight the growing need for guidelines on robotic safety, contact with human beings, robotic deception, addiction and possible sexism or racism exhibited by self-learning Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems. Graham Mackrell, Managing Director of robotic gearing specialist Harmonic Driv...

Advancements in robotics are moving at a very fast pace, spearing ahead the expected proliferation of robots in new and existing applications. Deploying sensors in robotics allows for the creation of robots that can ‘see’ and ‘feel’, in a biomimetic way, just like humans do.

Bats have long captured the imaginations of scientists and engineers with their unrivaled agility and maneuvering characteristics, achieved by functionally versatile dynamic wing conformations as well as more than forty active and passive joints on the wings. However, their wing flexibility and complex wing kinematics pose significant technological challenges for robot modelling, design, and control.

Engineers at MIT have fabricated transparent, gel-based robots that move when water is pumped in and out of them. The bots can perform a number of fast, forceful tasks, including kicking a ball underwater, and grabbing and releasing a live fish. The robots are made entirely of hydrogel — a tough, rubbery, nearly transparent material that’s composed mostly of water. Each robot is an assemblage of hollow, precisely designed hydroge...

Unless you have been living under a rock for the last decade, it is becoming apparent that robotic technology is getting more and more intelligent. Robots can already choose the ripest tomato and perform precision injections. However, they are not renowned for their delicate nature. Now, online grocer Ocado is testing a ‘soft’ robot hand that can pick fruit without damaging it.

Driven by the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), the global market for robotics in manufacturing is steadily gathering pace, despite the fact that some manufacturing companies are unclear about the benefits of the industrial cloud.

  International Radio Frequency (RF) and Microwave solutions provider, NuWaves Engineering has announced the addition of their latest miniaturised bidirectional amplifier to their line of NuPower Xtender bidirectional amplifier products. 

Spring showers will no longer discourage outdoor explorers, with a new revolutionary concept of the Umbrella Drone. The UAV which is available from DronesDirect.co.uk, will set you back around £1,299, but will make a useful companion for this season’s outings, by protecting operators from the unpredictable British weather.