by Alfred Poor | March 22, 2018 | Enabling Tech, General News
In traditional robot designs, different tasks are relegated to different components. For example, a rigid rod may serve the function of a limb or finger. A separate motor will cause the rod to move. And sensors placed at the tips or hinges provide feedback about...
by Alfred Poor | August 29, 2017 | Enabling Tech, General News
In general, living organisms can heal themselves when they suffer minor injuries, but machines can’t. They have to soldier on — if they can — until somebody comes along and repairs them. As we come to expect more human behavior from robots, however,...
by Alfred Poor | August 30, 2016 | Enabling Tech, General News
Take 3D printing technology, add some clever chemistry, and you have the recipe for a “soft” autonomous robot that can move without being tethered to an external power source. In fact, it does not contain any electronics at all. This marvel was created by...
by Alfred Poor | July 28, 2016 | Enabling Tech, General News
“Give a kid a hammer, and the whole world looks like a nail.” It’s natural to try to solve problems using familiar tools, which explains why engineers turn to gears and pulleys and wheels and hinges when trying to create a robot that simulates human...
by Alfred Poor | November 2, 2015 | Enabling Tech, General News
Researchers at Cornell University have a new polymer foam with characteristics that can be useful when making prosthetic devices or replacement organs such as a functioning heart. One feature is that the material can be poured into molds to create items of a...