Robots somehow seem most lifelike when they’re not working quite right. Watching a spidery mechanical creature struggle to keep going after losing a limb feels like watching a wounded animal, with…
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.