robotic | Common News Update

Oct72020 by adminNo Comments

First U.S. robotic moon lander since Apollo era planned for mid-2021

Science

Oct. 7 (UPI) -- A private company handling NASA's long-awaited return to the moon's surface said its robotic Peregrine lander is on track for launch in the spring. The lander project, which received funding from NASA, would become the first private, commercial mission to the moon, said Sharad Bhaskaran, mission director for Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic Technology. Advertisement The Peregrine mission is planned to help prepare for a 2024 crewed landing in NASA's Artemis program. Astrobotic's lead role in the lunar return follows its founding in 2007 by robotics research professor Red Whittaker at Carnegie Mellon University. "We are trying to become the first to land an American spacecraft on the moon since Apollo," Bhaskaran said Tuesday. "Within a few years, we want to fly Peregrine once e...

Jul72020 by adminNo Comments

Robotic birds take to the air in amazingly realistic flight

Technology

German engineering company Festo has created robotic birds capable of amazingly realistic flight.The firm acknowledges that the robo-birds don't have any business applications yet, but hopes one could be found in future. Until then, a whole fleet (or flock) of the birds have been unveiled in a video showing off how they can take to the air. Image: The birds fly along a programmed flight path indoors Festo has built miniaturised robots before, but nothing quite like these birds, which are able to flutter through the air, gliding and even directing themselves thanks to a radio system.Officially called the BionicSwift, the next generation robot is able to fly thanks to ultra-lightweight artificial feathers. ...

Jul62020 by adminNo Comments

Robotic scientists will ‘speed up discovery’

Science

Media playback is unsupported on your device Scientists at the University of Liverpool have unveiled a robotic colleague that has been working non-stop in their lab throughout lockdown. The £100,000 programmable researcher learns from its results to refine its experiments."It can work autonomously, so I can run experiments from home," explained Benjamin Burger, one of the developers. Such technology could make scientific discovery "a thousand times faster", scientists say. A new report by the Royal Society of Chemistry lays out a "post-Covid national research strategy", using robotics, artificial intelligence and advanced computing as part of a suite of technologies that "must be urgently embraced" to help socially distancing scientists contin...

Sep152019 by adminNo Comments

Robotic surgeons set to spark ‘revolution in healthcare’

Technology

By Noel Phillips, Sky News reporter Surgeons operating on patients while controlling robotic arms could become a new norm in hospitals.The assistance of robots in surgical rooms are predicted to transform the way operations are performed by allowing surgeries to be carried out as keyhole procedures. As the use of robotic surgery becomes more popular, an increasing number of medics are being trained in how to use them. They allow doctors to perform complex techniques using a minimally invasive approach.Consultant colorectal surgeon Jonathan Morton is among a handful of physicians who have tried out the machinery. Image: Surgeon Jonathan Morton is among those who have tried out the technol...

Jun202019 by adminNo Comments

‘Robot blood’ powers robotic fish in Cornell laboratory

Science

June 20 (UPI) -- Robot's still aren't conscious, but now they have blood, thanks to engineers at Cornell University. Scientists have developed a robotic fish powered by "robot blood." The hydraulic liquid circulatory system allows the robot to use, store and transfer energy. "In nature we see how long organisms can operate while doing sophisticated tasks. Robots can't perform similar feats for very long," Rob Shepherd, associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Cornell, said in a news release. "Our bio-inspired approach can dramatically increase the system's energy density while allowing soft robots to remain mobile for far longer." The unique hydraulic system powers undulating fan-like fins of the lionfish-inspired robot, helping it glide through its underwater envir...