Bizarre Material Combines the Best Traits of Gel and Metal
A new material was used in a simple snail robot, but it could one day make artificial nervous systems for more complex machines
Robotics
Soft Robots Take Steps toward Independence
Squishy robots can now heal themselves and grow as they explore
Transforming Robots Help to Transfer Skills
How do you teach a new robot old tricks?
Drones Sample Rare Specimens from Cliffs and Other Dangerous Places
Flying robots help researchers identify and protect threatened plants and other species in places that are inaccessible to humans
People Come to Grips with Having an Extra Pair of Arms—in VR
New experiments show simulated robotic limbs can feel like a part of our own body with a little practice
Electronic Skin Lets Humans Feel What Robots Do—And Vice Versa
An integration of soft materials, sensors and flexible electronics is bringing robotic “skin” closer than ever to reality
Tiny, Tumbling Origami Robots Could Help with Targeted Drug Delivery
The design’s origami pattern creates the flexibility needed to deliver compounds to specific areas of the body
Drones Could Spot Crime Scenes from Afar
A system could aid forensic searches and crime-scene mapping by detecting reflections from human materials
Record-Breaking Jumping Robot Can Leap a 10-Story Building
To propel itself higher than any known engineered jumper or animal can, it had to ignore the limits of biology
Birds Make Better Bipedal Bots Than Humans Do
A new machine called BirdBot balances walking efficiency and speed
Lego Robot with an Organic ‘Brain’ Learns to Navigate a Maze
The neuromorphic computing device solved the puzzle by working like an animal brain would
3-D-Printed Chicken Dinner Cooked by Lasers
A laser-focused chef prints and cooks complex designs