Robohub.org
Little-known uses for robots
Five little known uses for robots: (1) explosives handling by explosives manufacturers and also by armed forces that must dispose or handle them; (2) using lasers on robotic arms to strip paint from air force plans; (3) having a robot scale the heights of a dam or nuclear chimney to inspect and analyze the concrete; (4) securely store valuable vehicles in vaults or robotically park cars in special car parks, and (5), wacky art. See photos and videos.
Explosives Handling
 |
| Source: Dreamstime Stock Photos. |
A Chinese firm specializing in explosives manufacturing has decided to upgrade over 100 installations with parallel handling robots from Adept Technology. In a similar vein, iRobot just won a $30 million contract from the U.S. Army for robotic systems to be used for bomb disposal and other dangerous handling missions by troops and first responders.
Paint Stripping
 |
| Rendering of robots lasering paint removal from plane. Source: CTC. |
Paint stripping of air force jets by robot arms gripping lasers. “Automated laser de-coating is expected to significantly reduce labor, waste, environmental risk and overall cost,” said the project manager of a joint effort between CMU’s NREC, the US Air Force and CTC. The laser coating remover uses a continuous wave laser to strip paint and other coatings; it replaces the traditional abrasives or chemical paint removers which generate significant hazardous wastes and air emissions.
Concrete Checking
 |
| Click to see EPRI and NY Power Authority video of robot crawler climbing dam face with echo sounding sensor. Source: EPRI |
A new crawler robot developed by the EPRI (Electric Power Industry Institute) climbs up vertical surfaces and inspects, analyzes, cleans and paints. The robot is perfect for places with difficult accessibility like the face and walls of a large dam or particularly hazardous places like nuclear facilities.
Vehicle Vault and Robotic Parking
 |
| Source: RoboVault brochure. |
Vehicle vaults for secure storage of valuable vehicles and robot parking systems: the RoboVault system accepts and then transports the vehicle to a controlled storage area. When it is time to retrieve the vehicle, the process is repeated in reverse. Robotic Parking Systems has robotic parking installations from Florida to Dubai, and from Abu Dhabi to Hoboken, NJ.
Just Plain Wacky
A Brooklyn-based robot artist uses his creatures for various purposes. His latest production is as a choir and musician for a performance in a church. Chico MacMurtrie is his name and his website is Amorphic Robot Works. The NY Times did an in-depth story with lots of pics. A 2012 youTube video about the artist’s New Year’s Eve party suggests how it might sound.
Frank Tobe
is the owner and publisher of The Robot Report, and is also a panel member for Robohub's Robotics by Invitation series.
Frank Tobe
is the owner and publisher of The Robot Report, and is also a panel member for Robohub's Robotics by Invitation series.
AUAI is supported by:
Related posts :
How green is your robot? And other awkward questions
IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (RAS)
26 Aug 2026
Robots clean rivers and sort waste, monitor ecosystems, and inspect renewable-energy infrastructure. But even the greenest robot has an environmental footprint.
These tiny drones are powered by sound
EPFL
24 Aug 2026
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.
#AAMAS2026 blue sky award winner: Foundation world models for agents in changing environments
AIhub and Lucy Smith
21 Aug 2026
Hear from the AAMAS 2026 Best Blue Sky Paper Award winner.
Robotics roadmaps from around the world spotlight of the month: Japan
IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (RAS)
19 Aug 2026
Robots have been a prolific theme in Japanese pop culture and media since the 1950s
Intermittent swimming promotes the energy efficiency of fish-like robot movements
How zebrafish-inspired robots save energy by swimming in bursts.
What does it take for a robot to hold a conversation with a room, not just a person?
Umar Farooq and UK RAS STEPS
14 Aug 2026
Find out about a summer school held at Imperial College London.
Robotics roadmaps from around the world
IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (RAS)
12 Aug 2026
We embark on a tour into some of the recent and prominent robotics roadmaps from around the world.
A ‘5-in-1’ seed-sized surgical robot
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
10 Aug 2026
Mini robot can move, cut tissue, release drugs, grip and store samples, and generate heat wirelessly
