Astronauts could one day remotely control Moon and Mars rovers from orbit. An upcoming test aboard the International Space Station could help make this a possibility.

Skyscrapers are rising rapidly around the world, continuously transforming city skylines. However, their repair and maintenance is becoming more and more difficult. So, who can safely perform the job?

November 20-21, 2019, Santa Clara

Swarms of simple, interacting robots have the potential to unlock stealthy abilities for accomplishing complex tasks. Getting these robots to achieve a true hive-like mind of coordination, though, has proved to be a hurdle.

Researchers have developed a resilient RoboBee powered by soft artificial muscles that can crash into walls, fall onto the floor, and collide with other RoboBees without being damaged. It is the first microrobot powered by soft actuators to achieve controlled flight.

Technologies shaping future retailing

Autonomous driving holds great promises for increasing road safety and efficiency, as well as for decreasing future travel cost. According to IDTechEx's forecasts, global autonomous car (SAE Level 3+) and robotaxi services will become a $2.5 trillion market by 2040.

Two fully autonomous armoured vehicles were the centrepiece of a landmark demonstration for the Australian Army this week, providing crucial insights into the capabilities of integrated autonomous technologies on future battlefields.

For all our technological advances, nothing beats evolution when it comes to research and development. Take jumping spiders. These small arachnids have impressive depth perception despite their tiny brains, allowing them to accurately pounce on unsuspecting targets from several body lengths away.

In the not too distant future, robots may be dispatched as last-mile delivery vehicles to drop your takeout order, package, or meal-kit subscription at your doorstep — if they can find the door.

Imagine a runner who doesn't need to carry a stopwatch or cell phone to check her time: She could just gaze at the glowing stopwatch display on the back of her hand. Such human-machine interfaces are no longer science fiction, but they still have a way to go before becoming mainstream. Now, researchers have developed a stretchable light-emitting device that operates at low voltages and is safe for human skin.

Opening the IDTechEx Show! on November 20-21 at the Santa Clara Convention Center are three cornerstone speakers, highlighting key progress and future visions across the topics covered at the event.

A gardening robot has been developed that can self-navigate and automatically prune roses and trim bushes.

Researchers have compiled a dataset that captures the detailed behavior of a robotic system physically pushing hundreds of different objects. Using the dataset — the largest and most diverse of its kind — researchers can train robots to "learn" pushing dynamics that are fundamental to many complex object-manipulation tasks, including reorienting and inspecting objects, and uncluttering scenes.

The general trend in electronics is towards smaller and faster devices. Now something different is coming to market. The new competitive frontier is form factor: flexible, stretchable and structural electronics.

Imagine being able to build and use a robotic device without the need for expensive, specialist kit or skills. That is the vision that researchers have turned into reality, creating a lightweight, affordable and simple solution for everyday users.

Researchers have presented a swarm of tiny drones that can explore unknown environments completely by themselves.

New Report from IDTechEx Research forecasts the global market for lidar in autonomous vehicles growing to $5.4 billion by 2030. Analysis of 100+ 3D lidar companies; automotive focus. Mechanical, MEMS, OPA, flash, liquid crystal and other solid-state lidar for ADAS, autonomous vehicles, industrial, smart city, security and mapping.

This article offers an introduction to HD mapping for autonomous driving. It discusses the essential role that maps will play from L2 to L5 and how the map itself becomes richer and more complex as higher levels of autonomy are approached.