Robot vacuum cleaner company iRobot has developed a surprisingly effective and inexpensive hand for DARPA’s Autonomous Robotic Manipulation (ARM) program.
Robots clean rivers and sort waste, monitor ecosystems, and inspect renewable-energy infrastructure. But even the greenest robot has an environmental footprint.
EPFL engineers have designed acoustic cavities that convert sound waves into thrust, propelling small robots and ultralight aerial vehicles without on-board actuators or electronics.