anil john : robotics news site
Out of the gait: Robot ranger sets untethered 'walking' record at 14.3 miles
The loneliness of the long-distance robot: A robot named Ranger walked 14.3 miles in about 11 hours, setting an unofficial world record. A human -- armed with nothing more than a standard remote control for toys -- steered the untethered robot.
Next generation surgical robots: Where's the doctor?
Feasibility studies conducted by bioengineers have demonstrated that a robot -- without any human assistance -- can locate a man-made, or phantom, lesion in simulated human organs, guide a device to the lesion and take multiple samples during a single session.
Researchers use robot to determine how human strangers develop trust
What can a wide-eyed, talking robot teach us about trust? A lot, according to psychology professors who are conducting innovative research to determine how humans decide to trust strangers -- and if those decisions are accurate.
Thermal-powered, insect-like robot crawls into microrobot contenders' ring
Engineers have built an insect-like robot with hundreds of tiny legs. Compared to other such microrobots, this new model excels in its ability to carry heavy loads -- more than seven times its own weight -- and move in any direction.
Hop, jump and stick; Robots designed with insect instincts
A swarm of flying robots soars into a blazing forest fire. With insect-like precision and agility, the machines land on tree trunks and bound over rough terrain before deploying crucial sensors and tools to track the inferno and its effects. This is a scenario one researcher thinks may not be so far off.
Robots big and small showcase their skills
Two robotics events were designed to prove the viability of advanced technologies for robotic automation of manufacturing and microrobotics.
Soccer-playing robots get creative with physics-based planning
Robot soccer players are warming up to compete in this month's RoboCup 2010 world championship in Singapore. A new algorithm will help newly created robots to predict the ball's behavior based on physics principles.
Advances made in walking, running robots
Researchers have made an important fundamental advance in robotics, in work that should lead toward robots that not only can walk and run effectively, but use little energy in the process. By achieving an optimal approach with robotic mechanisms, studies are moving closer to robots that could take on dangerous missions in the military, create prosthetic limbs for humans that work much better, or even help some people who use wheelchairs to gain "walking" abilities.
Spiders at the nanoscale: Molecules that behave like robots
A team of scientists has programmed an autonomous molecular "robot" made out of DNA to start, move, turn, and stop while following a DNA track. The development could ultimately lead to molecular systems that might be used for medical therapeutic devices and molecular-scale reconfigurable robots -- robots made of many simple units that can reposition or even rebuild themselves to accomplish different tasks.
Researchers create software for robot to improve rescue missions
In disaster emergencies, such as the recent West Virginia mine explosion or the earthquake in Haiti, it is often unsafe for responders to enter the scene, prolonging the rescue of potential survivors. Now, researchers have developed software for a robot with a laser sensor that can enter dangerous structures to assess the structure's stability and locate any remaining people. This technology could lead to safer and more efficient rescue missions.