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Microtechnics - 15.07.2022

Roboticists Go Off Road To Compile Data That Could Train Self-Driving ATVs
TartanDrive dataset likely largest for off-road environments Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University took an all-terrain vehicle on wild rides through tall grass, loose gravel and mud to gather data about how the ATV interacted with a challenging off-road environment. They drove the heavily instrumented ATV aggressively at speeds up to 30 miles per hour.

Microtechnics - Environment - 14.06.2022

A drone that can both fly and dive
A new dual drone can both fly and land on water to take aquatic samples and monitor water quality, for example. The drone was developed by researchers at Imperial College London and Empa and recently tested together with researchers at the aquatic research institute Eawag for the first time on Lake Zurich.

Life Sciences - Microtechnics - 01.06.2022

E-skin that can feel pain could create new generation of touch-sensitive robots
An electronic skin which can learn from feeling 'pain' could help create a new generation of smart robots with human-like sensitivity. A team of engineers from the University of Glasgow developed the artificial skin with a new type of processing system based on 'synaptic transistors, which mimics the brain's neural pathways in order to learn.

Innovation - Microtechnics - 30.05.2022

Self-flying drones that monitor greenhouse diseases and pests
Back to (previous) overview TU Delft's latest news TU Delft, Royal Brinkman and start-up Mapture have developed the next step in drone technology for agriculture. Their new AI-enabled drone takes off completely independently, flies over rows of plants and people in a greenhouse, takes high-resolution photos, and lands safely back on its charging station.

Microtechnics - Computer Science - 20.05.2022

Using Everyday WiFi To Help Robots See and Navigate Better Indoors
Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a low cost, low power technology to help robots accurately map their way indoors, even in poor lighting and without recognizable landmarks or features. The technology consists of sensors that use WiFi signals to help the robot map where it's going.

Environment - Microtechnics - 19.05.2022

A drone for ultrafast transitions between air and water
A new robot is capable of switching from an underwater drone to an aerial vehicle in less than one second. The robot also features a suction disc inspired by the remora fish, which enables it to hitchhike on wet or dry moving objects to significantly reduce its power consumption. It is designed for biological and environmental monitoring in marine ecosystems such as surveying ocean pollution in the open sea as the scientist of Beihang University, Imperial College London and Empa point out in a new study published in Science Robotics.

Computer Science - Microtechnics - 17.05.2022

Researchers design ’socially aware’ robots that can anticipate - and safely avoid - people on the move
A team of researchers led by University of Toronto Professor  Tim Barfoot  is using a new strategy that allows robots to avoid colliding with people by predicting the future locations of dynamic obstacles in their path. The project, which is supported by Apple Machine Learning, will be presented at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Philadelphia at the end of May.

Health - Microtechnics - 12.05.2022

Bacteria with recording function capture gut health status
Microrobots have the potential to revolutionize medicine. Researchers at the Max Planck ETH Centre for Learning Systems have now developed an imaging technique that for the first time recognises cell-sized microrobots individually and at high resolution in a living organism. How can a blood clot be removed from the brain without any major surgical intervention? How can a drug be delivered precisely into a diseased organ that is difficult to reach? Those are just two examples of the countless innovations envisioned by the researchers in the field of medical microrobotics.

Computer Science - Microtechnics - 22.04.2022

Reinforcement Learning Bolsters Automated Detection of Concrete Cracks
Method could enable autonomous drones to monitor safety of bridges Rust never sleeps, and cracking concrete doesn't get a day off either. The Jan. 28 collapse of Pittsburgh's Fern Hollow Bridge was a dramatic reminder of that fact. The exact cause of the collapse won't be known until the National Transportation Safety Board completes a months-long study, but Carnegie Mellon researchers have developed autonomous drone technology that someday might prevent similar catastrophes and lesser mishaps caused by deterioration.

Physics - Microtechnics - 21.04.2022

Microdrones With Light-driven Nanomotors
04/21/2022 Propelling micrometre-sized drones using light only and exerting precise control: Physicists at the University of Würzburg have succeeded at this for the first time. Their microdrones are significantly smaller than red blood cells. A hand-held laser pointer produces no noticeable recoil forces when it is "fired" - even though it emits a directed stream of light particles.

Microtechnics - 30.03.2022

Silicone raspberry used to train harvesting robots
EPFL engineers have developed a silicone raspberry that can help teach harvesting robots to grasp fruit without exerting too much pressure. Raspberries are the ultimate summer fruit. Famous for their eye-catching scarlet color and distinctive structure, they consist of dozens of fleshy drupelets with a sweet yet slightly acidic pulp.

Microtechnics - Computer Science - 29.03.2022

Control for wheelchair robots to mitigate risk of collision in crowds
Robotic wheelchairs may soon be able to move through crowds smoothly and safely. As part of CrowdBot, an project, researchers are exploring the technical, ethical and safety issues related to this kind of technology. The aim of the project is to eventually help the disabled get around more easily. Shoppers at Lausanne's weekly outdoor market may have come across one of EPFL's inventions in the past few weeks - a newfangled device that's part wheelchair, part robot.

Microtechnics - 18.02.2022

Self-healing materials for robotics made from ’jelly’ and salt
Researchers have developed self-healing, biodegradable, 3D-printed materials that could be used in the development of realistic artificial hands and other soft robotics applications. It's a really good sensor considering how cheap and easy it is to make Thomas George-Thuruthel The low-cost jelly-like materials, developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge, can sense strain, temperature and humidity.

Computer Science - Microtechnics - 06.01.2022

Taking a step towards self-walking robotic exoskeletons
Preparing for an online start to the winter term: for more information. Trailblazing research is transforming the field of rehabilitation medicine by developing robotic exoskeleton legs capable of autonomous control and decision making  Brokoslaw Laschowski is using his interdisciplinary education - spanning four academic degrees - as a toolkit to integrate robotics technology with rehabilitation medicine.

Chemistry - Microtechnics - 08.12.2021

These Liquid Robots Never Run Out of Juice as Long as They Have Food
By removing electricity from equation, discovery overcomes yearslong hurdle in robotics W hen you think of a robot, images of R2-D2 or C-3PO might come to mind. But robots can serve up more than just entertainment on the big screen. In a lab, for example, robotic systems can improve safety and efficiency by performing repetitive tasks and handling harsh chemicals.

Computer Science - Microtechnics - 08.12.2021

Engineers Teach AI to Navigate Ocean with Minimal Energy
Research could enable monitoring of our oceans or exploration of alien ocean worlds Engineers at Caltech, ETH Zurich, and Harvard are developing an artificial intelligence (AI) that will allow autonomous drones to use ocean currents to aid their navigation, rather than fighting their way through them.

Computer Science - Microtechnics - 23.11.2021

Robots build new hanging gardens
With the help of artificial intelligence and four collaborative robots, researchers at ETH Zurich are designing and fabricating a 22.5-metre-tall green architectural sculpture. Working with Müller Illien Landscape Architects, Timbatec and other partners from industry and research, researchers from the group led by ETH architecture professors Fabio Gramazio and Matthias Kohler are creating a green architectural sculpture for the Tech Cluster Zug.

Health - Microtechnics - 09.11.2021

Finding inspiration in starfish larva
Researchers at ETH Zurich have developed a tiny robot that mimics the movement of a starfish larva. It is driven by sound waves and equipped with tiny hairs that direct the fluid around it, just like its natural model. In the future, such microswimmers could deliver drugs to diseased cells with pinpoint accuracy.

Microtechnics - 07.10.2021

Flying High-Speed Drones into the Unknown with AI
Researchers at the University of Zurich have developed a new approach to autonomously fly quadrotors through unknown, complex environments at high speeds using only on-board sensing and computation. The new approach could be useful in emergencies, on construction sites or for security applications. When it comes to exploring complex and unknown environments such as forests, buildings or caves, drones are hard to beat.

Microtechnics - Life Sciences - 14.09.2021

Tuning Collagen Threads for Biohybrid Robots
Carnegie Mellon University The idea of incorporating actual muscles or neurons into a robotic system might sound like some sort of science fiction, but researchers in Carnegie Mellon University's Mechanical Engineering (MechE) Department are taking steps to make it a reality. This field, known as "biohybrid robotics," is the central focus of the Biohybrid and Organic Robotics Group (B.O.R.G.), led by Victoria Webster-Wood , an assistant professor of mechanical engineering.