Bots & Brains

The University of Massachusetts Lowell is conducting research to understand the impact of AI-powered robots on consumer purchasing behaviors. Associate Professor Mark Yi-Cheon Yim from the Manning School of Business is spearheading a project to determine if robots, such as the Sony aibo, can establish a level of interaction that influences buying decisions.

Researchers led by mechanical engineering professor Nader Motee at Lehigh University are addressing the challenges of ambiguity in robot perception to enhance autonomous decision-making. The project, funded by a $680,000 grant from the Office of Naval Research (ONR), aims to develop an innovative multi-stage, perception-based control paradigm that promises to make autonomous systems both safer and more efficient.

In the challenging environment of space, on-orbit assembly is a pivotal operation. The complexity of these assembly processes often involves manipulators interacting directly and frequently with objects. Traditional manipulator control, however, has shown limitations in adapting to diverse tasks and is susceptible to vibration, which can lead to assembly failure.

Do physical connections improve the control and performance of robot swarms? A Lehigh University research team explores the question by building novel control algorithms and linked robots. Prototypes will be put to the test in the Defend the Republic Drone Competition Nov. 17.

Sanctuary AI, a company working to create human-like intelligence in general-purpose robots, has been named on the annual TIME’s Best Inventions list for 2023, which features 200 innovations changing our lives. Sanctuary AI has been recognized for its sixth-generation general-purpose robots, Phoenix, which features human-like intelligence and a humanoid physical form that is specifically designed to perform work tasks. 

Anyone who has grappled with packing a sizable amount of luggage into a car trunk knows it’s no easy feat. Robots face similar challenges when it comes to dense packing tasks, but MIT researchers may have found a solution.

Generative AI models like ChatGPT are rapidly becoming adept at replicating existing content, but MIT engineers believe there’s a significant gap when it comes to innovation, especially in the realm of engineering design. A new study from MIT claims that while these models are great mimics, they may lack the potential to truly innovate.

Recent advancements in technology have enabled robots to work alongside humans. While this has introduced a new dynamic of teamwork, researchers from the Technical University of Berlin have discovered that humans might be prone to “social loafing” when working with robots.

Australian researchers have designed an algorithm that can intercept a man-in-the-middle (MitM) cyberattack on an unmanned military robot and shut it down in seconds.

Singapore and Japan have joined forces in a pioneering telesurgery trial spanning over 5,000 kilometers. This preclinical surgery trial involves clinician-scientists from the National University of Singapore’s (NUS) Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and the National University Hospital (NUH), in partnership with Fujita Health University (FHU) in Japan.