Robotics

To allow stroke patients to recover, many rehabilitation centers have looked to robotic exoskeletons. But although there are now a range of exciting devices that are enabling people to walk again who initially were utterly unable to do so, there remains significant active research trying to understand how to best apply wearable robotics for rehabilitation after stroke.

Scientists took a leukocyte as the blueprint and developed a microrobot that has the size, shape and moving capabilities of a white blood cell. They covered the ball-shaped microroller with a magnetic nanofilm on one side and with anti-cancer drugs on the other. Simulating a blood vessel in a laboratory setting, they succeeded in magnetically navigating the microroller through this dynamic and dense environment.

In this webinar, Dr Na Jiao provides an overview of the autonomous car and robotaxi market. Dr Jiao is a technology analyst at IDTechEx focusing on autonomous mobility, electric vehicles and energy storage related areas.

An important new trend is buying electrics and electronics you customise to function not just shape. See the new IDTechEx report, "Complete Electronics as Smart Material, User-Customized 2020-2040". Builders, textile manufacturers, those doing home improvement and others are starting to buy electrically-smart materials direct from materials companies, bypassing the electronics industry.

Researchers have discovered that certain crystals are more flexible and stretchable compared to current materials used for electronic applications. These new materials could therefore be used for making sensors and in robotics.

By implementing high precision 3D scanning and robotic based fabrication technology, Emerald-Ash-Borer-infested "waste wood" is transformed into an abundantly available, affordable, and sustainable building material.

Inspired by the biomechanics of cheetahs, researchers have developed a new type of soft robot that is capable of moving more quickly on solid surfaces or in the water than previous generations of soft robots. The new soft robotics are also capable of grabbing objects delicately - or with sufficient strength to lift heavy objects.

Mobile robots and autonomous vehicles are impacting every step of the logistic and delivery chain from the warehouse and fulfillment centres to the customers' hand. In this article, we consider autonomous side-walk delivery robots which seek to autonomize the last mile delivery.

Robots with toes? Experiments suggest that climbing robots could benefit from having flexible, hairy toes, like those of geckos, that can adjust quickly to accommodate shifting weight and slippery surfaces.