Robotics

An Imperial Snowtrooper inspects a competitor’s entry at the 2017 MIT Mechanical Engineering 2.007 Student Design Final Robot Competition.

The Force was strong in this robot competition

MechE class ends semester with ingeniously designed robots battling on a “Star Wars”-themed playing field.

May 15, 2017

MIT doctoral candidate Claudia Pérez-D'Arpino discusses her work teaching the Optimus robot to perform various tasks, including picking up a bottle.

Teaching robots to teach other robots

CSAIL approach allows robots to learn a wider range of tasks using some basic knowledge and a single demo.

May 10, 2017

MIT spinout New Valence Robotics (NVBOTS) has brought to market the only fully automated commercial 3-D printer that’s equipped with cloud-based queuing and automatic part removal, making print jobs quicker and easier for multiple users, and dropping the cost per part.

Making 3-D printing as simple as printing on paper

Startup’s cloud-based system allows for project queuing by multiple users and automated part removal.

May 4, 2017

MIT researchers have designed a system that can 3-D print the basic structure of an entire building. The system consists of a tracked vehicle that carries a large industrial robotic arm, which has a smaller, precision-motion robotic arm at its end.

3-D printing offers new approach to making buildings

Technology developed at MIT could enable faster, cheaper, more adaptable building construction.

April 26, 2017

Making better decisions when outcomes are uncertain

A simple statistical trick could help make a ubiquitous model of decision processes more accurate.

March 21, 2017

Engineers have designed a microfluidic device they call a “tree-on-a-chip,” which mimics the pumping mechanism of trees and other plants.

Engineers design “tree-on-a-chip”

Microfluidic device generates passive hydraulic power, may be used to make small robots move.

March 20, 2017

The Nereis virens worm inspired new research out of the MIT Laboratory for Atomistic and Molecular Mechanics. Its jaw is made of soft organic material, but is as strong as harder materials such as human dentin.

Worm-inspired material strengthens, changes shape in response to its environment

A bio-inspired gel material developed at MIT could help engineers control movements of soft robots.

March 20, 2017

Researchers including MIT professor Daniela Rus (left) and research scientist Stephanie Gil (right) have developed a technique for preventing malicious hackers from commandeering robot teams’ communication networks. To verify the theoretical predictions, the researchers implemented their system using a battery of distributed Wi-Fi transmitters and an autonomous helicopter.

Security for multirobot systems

New technique could protect robot teams’ communication networks from malicious hackers.

March 16, 2017

A new system from CSAIL uses EEG brain signals to detect if a person notices robots making a mistake.

Brain-controlled robots

CSAIL system enables people to correct robot mistakes using brain signals.

March 6, 2017

“Hydrogels are soft, wet, biocompatible, and can form more friendly interfaces with human organs,” says Xuanhe Zhao, associate professor of mechanical engineering and civil and environmental engineering at MIT.

Transparent, gel-based robots can catch and release live fish

Made from hydrogel, robots may one day assist in surgical operations, evade underwater detection.

February 1, 2017

Fadel Adib has joined the Media Lab faculty to head the new research group Signal Kinetics.

Fadel Adib joins Media Lab faculty

Adib is directing a new research group at the Media Lab, aiming to uncover, analyze, and engineer natural and human-made networks.

January 27, 2017

Professor Daniela Rus stands with autonomous SMART vehicles on the MIT campus.

SMART automation

MIT Professor Daniela Rus combines automation and mobility to create a smarter world.

January 19, 2017

The Ethics and Governance of Artificial Intelligence Fund will support work around the world that advances the development of artificial intelligence in the public interest.

MIT Media Lab to participate in $27 million initiative on AI ethics and governance

Fund establishes a global initiative to advance artificial intelligence research for the public good.

January 10, 2017

In 2016, MIT CSAIL researchers worked on a range of projects in robotics, theory, wireless technology, software systems, and other disciplines.

Ingestible robots, glasses-free 3-D, and computers that explain themselves

A look at 16 of the coolest things that happened at the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory in 2016.

December 16, 2016

“Say there are toxic gases leaking in a building, and you need to close a valve inside, but it’s dangerous to send people in,” says Sangbae Kim, associate professor of mechanical engineering at MIT. “Now, there is no single robot that can do this kind of job. I want to create a robotic first responder that can potentially do more than a human and help in our lives.”

Taking a leap in bioinspired robotics

Mechanical engineer Sangbae Kim builds animal-like machines for use in disaster response.