A menagerie of robots that visitors can poke, pet and even program are on display at the Robot Petting Zoo at South by Southwest Interactive Festival this week.
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.