We first saw these little blocks a few years ago but the 2.0 version, called M-Blocks 2.0, are a sigh to behold. Created by CSAIL at MIT, the blocks work as a sort of hive-mind, reorganizing themselves in real time by spinning, reconnecting, and even jumping.
(more…)Category: Robots
Researchers are letting robots push them around
MIT researchers are creating a data set of reactions designed to tell robots how various objects react to pushing. The goal? To train future robots how to interact with objects in the real world.
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Robots: why do we make them?
It seems like every week, Boston Dynamics has some gymnastic bi-ped robot, or a dancing dog opening a door. And they’re incredible, but also impractical. I mean, what are they good for?
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A drone in flight forever… with in-flight battery changes
Drones have become a fact of life, whether it’s the kid down the street crashing it for Christmas, or Amazon delivery. Drones save lives through organ transplant transfer between hospitals. But how can we keep them in the air?
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Atlas is now a robotic gymnast
Atlas is now as agile as a gymnast, allowing this self-contained little robot to tumble, twist, and dance like a kid at a rave. The robot, created by Boston Robotics, started out as a simple bipedal robot that could pick up boxes and the like. Now, thanks to new tech and machine learning, this wild robot is far more agile than anyone single one of us, barring circus performers.
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Not only can robots be gentle, they can gently heal themselves
In science fiction, there’s always the suspense trope of a cold, metallic hand reaching out and grasping someone. And it make sense – metal is cold and hard, just isn’t something you’d want to mess with. Enter soft-touch materials. These make more sense in applications where the robot would be interacting with humans, but they can also work in industrial settings.
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Disney robots are going to surprise you
Disney Research has been working on ways to make robots both lighter weight and more lifelike. That probably sounds obvious, but the lighter the robot, the harder it becomes to make movement look natural. Let me explain.
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Robots teach social skills to children with autism
Autism is a developmental delay disorder, which affects as many as 1 out of every 59 children in the United States. One of the symptoms is a difficulty to acquire social skills, and trouble recognizing and responding appropriately to social cues. Part of the problem is that it’s incredibly difficult as a parent to know what therapies are beneficial to intervene, therapists are incredibly expensive, and practitioners are few and far between. But what about robots?
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