Robotics Archives

“It’s Obviously Quite Over the Top”: We Talked to the Company Behind This Eerie Four-Legged “Centaur” Robot That’s Going Viral

Ryan Whalen·July 31, 2026

Could a remotely operated centaur robot called Threehalves be the future of manual work in some of our planet’s most dangerous environments?

MIT Engineers Unleash New ‘Aerial-Aquatic’ Robot That Can Swim Underwater and Fly Like a Bird

Micah Hanks·July 12, 2026

Engineers have developed a new aerial-aquatic robot that can swim underwater, then rise to the surface and take flight.

This Color-Changing Material Could Give Robots a New Way to Detect Touch

Austin Burgess·July 11, 2026

Engineers at Queen Mary University of London have created a tactile sensor, described in a study published in Science Advances, that allows robots to detect touch using a simple camera.

Scientists Create Bio-Inspired Robots to Hack the Hovering Powers of This Exceptional Species to Build Better UAVs

Micah Hanks·June 29, 2026

An innovative new approach to building safer, more efficient small unmanned aerial vehicles is taking a cue from nature.

NASA’s JPL Is Testing the Next Generation of Autonomous Martian and Lunar Technology

Ryan Whalen·June 20, 2026

NASA is developing the next generation of surface exploration technology with its Exploration Rover for Navigating Extreme Sloped Terrain.

Elephant Trunk’s Hidden Design Could Inspire a New Generation of Soft Robots

Austin Burgess·June 20, 2026

The elephant's trunk has long been studied by engineers seeking to understand how it performs both powerful and delicate tasks effectively.

Transformers on the Moon? Japan Reveals Details of Tiny Shape-Shifting Rover’s Historic Lunar Exploration

Christopher Plain·June 13, 2026

Japan's space agency has revealed details from their historic SLIM mission, including an autonomous shape-shifting rover's lunar exploration.

After Swiss Scientists Injected ‘Repair’ Microrobots into the Injured Spinal Cords of Fish and Mice, Something Incredible Happened

Christopher Plain·June 7, 2026

After magnetically driven microrobots loaded with stem cells were injected into the injured spinal cord of a mouse, something happened.

Superhero Strength from Futuristic Clothing? Scientists Invent ‘Wearable Robot’ Fabric Muscle Clothing That Increases the Wearer’s Strength by 40%

Christopher Plain·May 26, 2026

Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials engineers reveal a fabric 'muscle' that makes the wearer stronger and increases range of motion.

Occam’s Robot? Harvard Researchers Build a Swarm of Simple Robots Called ‘RAnts’ That Can Collectively Build and Destroy Complex Structures

Christopher Plain·April 30, 2026

Harvard researchers have developed a swarm of ant-inspired robots called 'RAnts' that use three 'simple' rules to build complex structures.

A Ghostly Fish in the Amazon is Inspiring the Next Generation of Underwater Robots

Austin Burgess·April 23, 2026

Researchers studying the mechanics of the Black Ghost Knifefish say it could shape the next generation of underwater robots.

“Icarus is Building the Robotic Labor Force for Space”: Voyager Technologies is Sending a Next-Generation Zero Gravity Robot on a ‘Joyride’ to Space

Christopher Plain·April 22, 2026

Space launch company Voyager Technologies has agreed to test the Icarus Robotics zero-gravity robot 'Joy' on the International Space Station.

Violinists Wore Robot Exoskeletons While Performing Duets—New Research Reveals a Fascinating ‘Extrasensory’ Result

Marie Nicola·April 17, 2026

Robot exoskeletons improved physical coordination between musicians through transmitted touch, a recent study's findings reveal.

robots that learn by watching other robots

Robots Are Learning Complex Tasks by Watching Humans and Other Robots

Christopher Plain·April 16, 2026

A new kinetic intelligence framework allows robots to rapidly learn complex tasks by watching other robots without any human intervention

Robot Dogs on Mars? New Study Shows Semi-Autonomous Machines Could Transform Planetary Exploration

Tim McMillan·April 10, 2026

Robot dog ANYmal could transform Mars and Moon exploration, enabling faster, semi-autonomous missions across extreme terrain.

Tiny Robots Built From DNA Could Hunt Viruses and Deliver Drugs Inside the Human Body

Austin Burgess·April 7, 2026

A recent review published in the journal SmartBot says these DNA nanorobots could one day be capable of delivering drugs to specific locations in the body, capturing viruses like SARS-CoV-2, and even helping build tiny computing devices.

This New Invention Will Let Robots Work Directly Inside a Failed Nuclear Reactor

Christopher Plain·March 26, 2026

Tokyo scientists have developed a resilient Wi-Fi robot controller chip that can withstand the ultra-high radiation inside a nuclear reactor

New Research Could Help Prosthetic Legs Work More Like Natural Limbs

Chrissy Newton·March 25, 2026

For the first time, scientists have successfully decoded detailed leg movements from the existing nerves of individuals with above-knee amputations.

“We Have Taught the Robot to Understand Its Surroundings”: This Intelligent Robot Can Locate Lost Items For You

Christopher Plain·March 18, 2026

Researchers have revealed an intelligent robot that uses three-dimensional imaging and knowledge from the internet to find lost items.

Dolphin-Shaped Robot Skims Oil From Water Using Sea-Urchin-Inspired Technology

Austin Burgess·March 16, 2026

Researchers at RMIT University designed a small, remote-controlled robot that uses a sea urchin-inspired filter to remove oil from water.

After 10 Years of Training, NASA’s Humanoid Robot ‘Valkyrie’ Has Finally ‘Graduated’ College

Christopher Plain·March 11, 2026

After ten years of intense college 'training,' NASA's humanoid robot Valkyrie has finally returned home. But her advancements live on.

‘Adaptive’ Robotic Wing Senses and Reacts to Wind Changes More Rapidly Than a Barn Owl

Christopher Plain·March 3, 2026

Scientists have revealed an adaptive robotic wing equipped with artificial nerves so sensitive to air currents that it outperformed a barn owl

‘HoloRadar’ Equipped Robots Use Radio Waves and AI to ‘See’ Around Corners

Christopher Plain·February 12, 2026

University of Pennsylvania scientists have revealed the AI-driven HoloRadar system that lets robots see around corners using radio waves.

“Our Goal is to Make Robots Intelligent, Safe, and Truly Helpful”: This Researcher is Giving Robots a Human Touch

Chrissy Newton·January 29, 2026

Recent research at Kennesaw State University is working to create robots that better understand movement, touch, and real-world interactions.

“This is the Missing Link in Robotics”: Engineers Teach Robots to “Lip-Sync” Like Humans

Chrissy Newton·January 21, 2026

Researchers have designed a robot capable of displaying realistic lip movements, as used by humans in speech and singing.

Look: Engineers Invent Inflatable Apple-Picking Robotic Arm that Picks Apples Without Harming Trees

Christopher Plain·January 14, 2026

Scientists have invested an inflatable apple-picking robot that uses similar technology as the inflatable "tube guy" advertising tools.

Robots with Feelings: New Robotic Skin Reproduces the Human Experiences of Touch and Pain

Ryan Whalen·January 3, 2026

Chinese researchers have developed a novel "e-skin" that allows robots to mimic our ability to touch and feel pain.

A Robot Vanished, Then Mysteriously Reappeared Near Antarctica—Now Researchers Reveal What It Discovered While It Was Missing

Ryan Whalen·December 23, 2025

A rogue Argo oceanographic float drifted away to accidentally collect data on one of Antarctica’s most inaccessible regions.

“Turn Ideas into Physical Objects”: If You Describe an Object, This AI-Driven Robot Can Build It

Christopher Plain·December 22, 2025

MIT and Google DeepMind researchers have created an AI-driven robot that can turn ideas into physical objects with only simple text prompts

Self-Powered Soft Robots from China Could Transform Deep-Sea, Space, and Wearable Technology

Chrissy Newton·December 3, 2025

New research from Zhejiang University could reshape the future of robotics and wearable technology by enabling machines to power themselves using nothing more than ambient motion.