SMART launches research group to advance AI, automation, and the future of work
Mens, Manus and Machina (M3S) will design technology, training programs, and institutions for successful human-machine collaboration.
New quantum magnet unleashes electronics potential
Researchers discover how to control the anomalous Hall effect and Berry curvature to create flexible quantum magnets for use in computers, robotics, and sensors.
Magnetic robots walk, crawl, and swim
New soft-bodied robots that can be controlled by a simple magnetic field are well suited to work in confined spaces.
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.
Wiggling toward bio-inspired machine intelligence
Inspired by jellyfish and octopuses, PhD candidate Juncal Arbelaiz investigates the theoretical underpinnings that will enable systems to more efficiently adapt to their environments.
Soft robots that grip with the right amount of force
Researchers created a system that lets robots effectively use grasped tools with the correct amount of force.
Soft assistive robotic wearables get a boost from rapid design tool
Scientists have created a design and fabrication tool for soft pneumatic actuators for integrated sensing, which can power personalized health care, smart homes, and gaming.
A flexible way to grab items with feeling
MIT engineers Edward Adelson and Sandra Liu duo develop a robotic gripper with rich sensory capabilities.
A system for designing and training intelligent soft robots
“Evolution Gym” is a large-scale benchmark for co-optimizing the design and control of soft robots that takes inspiration from nature and evolutionary processes.
A robot that can help you untangle your hair
Robotic arm equipped with a hairbrush helps with brushing tasks and could be an asset in assistive-care settings.
“Sensorized” skin helps soft robots find their bearings
Flexible sensors and an artificial intelligence model tell deformable robots how their bodies are positioned in a 3D environment.
How to design and control robots with stretchy, flexible bodies
Optimizing soft robots to perform specific tasks is a huge computational problem, but a new model can help.
Soft robotics breakthrough manages immune response for implanted devices
Discovery could enable longer-lasting and better-functioning devices — including pacemakers, breast implants, biosensors, and drug delivery devices.
Soft robotic fish swims alongside real ones in coral reefs
Made of silicone rubber, CSAIL’s “SoFi” could enable a closer study of aquatic life.
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.