Making life friendlier with personal robots
Sharifa Alghowinem, a research scientist at the Media Lab, explores personal robot technology that explains emotions in English and Arabic.
AI helps robots manipulate objects with their whole bodies
With a new technique, a robot can reason efficiently about moving objects using more than just its fingertips.
A simpler method for learning to control a robot
Researchers develop a machine-learning technique that can efficiently learn to control a robot, leading to better performance with fewer data.
A faster way to teach a robot
A new technique helps a nontechnical user understand why a robot failed, and then fine-tune it with minimal effort to perform a task effectively.
A step toward safe and reliable autopilots for flying
A new AI-based approach for controlling autonomous robots satisfies the often-conflicting goals of safety and stability.
Bioinspired robotics class offers intriguing surprises
Students learn about the complexity behind simple, everyday movement before experimenting with mechanical models.
A more effective way to train machines for uncertain, real-world situations
Researchers develop an algorithm that decides when a “student” machine should follow its teacher, and when it should learn on its own.
2.007 Forever!
With winches, spinners, and telescoping contraptions, bots go head to head in student robot competition inspired by “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
There’s something for everyone at the “front porch of campus”
The MIT Sailing Pavilion, the oldest collegiate organization of its kind, offers community members a chance to sail for free — or just enjoy the good vibes.
Open-source platform simulates wildlife for soft robotics designers
SoftZoo is a soft robot co-design platform that can test optimal shapes and sizes for robotic performance in different environments.
Speedy robo-gripper reflexively organizes cluttered spaces
Rather than start from scratch after a failed attempt, the pick-and-place robot adapts in the moment to get a better hold.
Robotic hand can identify objects with just one grasp
The three-fingered robotic gripper can “feel” with great sensitivity along the full length of each finger – not just at the tips.
A four-legged robotic system for playing soccer on various terrains
“DribbleBot” can maneuver a soccer ball on landscapes such as sand, gravel, mud, and snow, using reinforcement learning to adapt to varying ball dynamics.
Resilient bug-sized robots keep flying even after wing damage
New repair techniques enable microscale robots to recover flight performance after suffering severe damage to the artificial muscles that power their wings.