Brook Hays of UPI writes that researchers from MIT have developed a new program that allows teams of robots to work together to pour and deliver drinks. Hays explains that the robots are “programmed to anticipate what drinks are needed where, taking orders and delivering drinks with the greatest possible level of efficiency.”
Lindsay Kalter writes for The Boston Herald about a new robot developed by MIT researchers called HERMES, which is controlled by a human operator wearing an exoskeleton. “The idea here is you have a humanoid robot that you can send into a disaster situation, with someone operating it remotely,” explains graduate student Albert Wang.
Nitya Rajan writes for The Huffington Post that MIT researchers have developed a new human-robot interface that allows robots to mimic human actions. Rajan explains that the system allows the robot’s movements to be controlled by a human operator.
Wired reporter Katie Collins writes that MIT researchers have developed a robot with a unique balance-feedback interface that allows a human operator to control the balance and movements of the robot. Collins explains that the reason the robot’s “reflexes are so ‘human’ is because he is, in fact, mimicking precisely the actions of that person.”
MIT researchers have developed a new human-robot interface that could prove useful in disaster response, reports Keith Wagstaff for NBC News. Wagstaff explains that if the robot’s “human operator grabs a power tool, it will do the same -- an ability that could prove useful in the aftermath of an earthquake or nuclear meltdown.”
Kelsey Atherton of Popular Science reports on a system created by MIT researchers that allows robots to work in tandem to serve drinks. “This has uses beyond bartending,” writes Atherton. “MIT sees it as a potential system for hospitals or rescue work.”
MIT researchers have developed a new algorithm that allows robots to work together to efficiently serve drinks, Nidhi Subbaraman writes for BetaBoston. Subbaraman explains that the technique provides a “smarter approach to collaboration, preparing for possible missteps like dropping a bottle, or picking up the wrong one.”
Kelsey Atherton writes for Popular Science about HERMES, a humanoid robot created by MIT researchers that is controlled by a human pilot strapped into a remote exoskeleton. PhD candidate Joao Ramos describes it as “trying to put the human’s brain inside the robot.”
Pheobe Gavin reports for Slate on self-assembling origami robots developed by Professor Daniela Rus’ team that could one day be refined for use in surgery or other medical applications: “The origami robot can walk, swim, push objects, climb inclines, and carry objects twice its weight.”
Popular Science reporter Levi Sharpe writes that MIT researchers have developed an object recognition system that can accurately identify and distinguish items. “This system could help future robots interact with objects more efficiently while they navigate our complex world,” Sharpe explains.
New York Times reporter John Markoff writes about Alias, a new system aimed at augmenting human pilots on flights. The system is being developed by Auroa Flight Sciences, which grew out of an MIT project, and with the assistance of researchers from MIT and Duke University.
Andrew Zaleski writes for CNBC about the thriving robotics industry in Massachusetts, highlighting the success of MIT startups like iRobot and Boston Dynamics. "There's a domain expertise in Massachusetts that's around how you make these robots useful, practical and affordable," explains Russ Campanello of iRobot.
Lauren Said-Moorhouse reports for CNN that Prof. Sangbae Kim and his colleagues have developed a new algorithm that allows their robotic cheetah to independently leap over objects. "You have to manage balance and energy, and be able to handle impact after landing,” says Kim. “Our robot is specifically designed for those highly dynamic behaviors."
In this video, CNN examines a new printable origami robot developed by MIT researchers that can dissolve in a variety of liquids. CNN explains that the researchers hope that the robot could one day be used to perform medical tasks inside the human body.
The July/August edition of Foreign Affairs features an in-depth piece by Prof. Daniela Rus on the future of robotics. Rus writes that robots will extend the digital revolution “into the physical realm and deeper into everyday life, with consequences that will be equally profound.”