Researchers have created a new low-cost, human friendly robot named Blue, designed to use recent advances in artificial intelligence and deep reinforcement learning to master intricate human tasks, all while remaining affordable and safe enough that every AI researcher could have one. The team hopes Blue will accelerate the development of robotics for the home.

When dealing with disasters or searching for objects, robots or drones with cameras are usually used. However, conventional cameras are of rather limited use in murky, dark water, such as in a sewage pipe or a lake that is cloudy with sediment.

Walmart is adding additional robotic technologies to stores across America. And they are going big.

A field robotics start-up based on technology created by the University of Sydney's Australian Centre for Field Robotics has received a $6.5 million investment.

The world's elderly population is booming. The number of older people -- those age 60 years or older -- is expected to more than double by 2050 and is growing faster than all younger age groups across the globe. This trend comes with an increasing demand for caregivers capable of providing 24-hour care, not only at hospitals or nursing homes, but also at private homes and apartments.

Along developed riverbanks, physical barriers can help contain flooding and combat erosion. In arid regions, check dams can help retain soil after rainfall and restore damaged landscapes.

There are some things only humans can do in space. The rest can be left to robots. To free up valuable time for astronauts living and working aboard the International Space Station, NASA is sending three robotic helpers to the orbiting outpost.

In the past decade, soft materials have surged into the metal-dominant world of robotics. Soft robots already require simpler control systems than their hard counterparts.

Humans have a remarkable ability to learn to drive quickly and can obtain a licence to drive across a whole country after tens of hours of practice. But after 10 years of commercial self-driving car development, over 10 million autonomous miles and $5B per year spent, we still do not have commercial self-driving vehicles on our roads.

IDTechEx Research analyse the changing trends in the robotics industry in their report New Robotics and Drones 2018-2038: Technologies, Forecasts, Players, as new and emerging firms challenge the norm.

Two firefighting robots: the "Water Cannon Robot" and the "Hose Extension Robot" are expected to play an active role in situations too hazardous for firefighting crews, such as fires at petrochemical plants.

The program will utilize Matternet's M2 quadcopter, which is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, and can carry medical payloads weighing up to about 5 lbs. over distances of up to 12.5 miles.

Cellulose soaked in a carefully designed polymer mixture acts as a sensor to measure pressure, temperature and humidity - at the same time! The measurements are completely independent of each other. The sensor may be highly significant in fields such as robotics, healthcare and security.

To apply pesticide to weeds, rollers can be mounted onto small robots or tractors.

Integrate electronics with a small footprint into cars / Increased safety. Assistance systems, safety features or infotainment - more and more electronics are finding their way into cars. With HARTING 3D-MID technology, customers can integrate complex electronics with minimal space requirements into cars.

Developing soft, artificial muscles that are also fast and strong is an important step in developing soft robots that can both safely interact with people and complete important tasks.

Imagine smart materials that can morph from being stiff as wood to as soft as a sponge - and also change shape.. Engineers have created flexible, lightweight materials with 4D printing that could lead to better shock absorption, morphing airplane or drone wings, soft robotics and tiny implantable biomedical devices.

Inspired by underwater invertebrates such as the jelly fish, researchers have created an electronic skin with similar functionality.

Taking a cue from biological cells, researchers have developed computationally simple robots that connect in large groups to move around, transport objects, and complete other tasks.

Building robots that can help people with dementia has been a longtime goal for roboticists. Yet until now, no one has sought to survey informal caregivers, such as family members, about what characteristics and roles these robots should have.