The Sixth Wave Alliance grouping aims to link the robotics expertise of Australian researchers with Australian industry, which could benefit from autonomous systems.…
robotics
Meet the engineer using rats to teach robots how to find their way
Humans have often looked to nature to build better machines. Professor Michael Milford discusses what path-finding robots can learn from the experts in this subject: rats.…
Swarms of pipe-mending robots could keep roadworks from slowing us down
Roadworks can be frustrating and time consuming. The UK is researching microrobotic tech that could carry out underground maintenance without disrupting traffic.…
What can robots learn from playing with Lego?
Why do robots play with Lego? It’s not just for fun – the toy is helping them learn the skills they need to work in factories and construction sites in tandem with people.…
‘Morphing’ gull-like wings could help drones soar farther
Canadian engineers and zoologists are working together to understand how gulls can change the shape of their wings to stabilise flight, with a view to designing super-efficient drones that can stay in…
Picking up objects within reach for robots thanks to new ‘grasp maps’
Picking up an object from a cluttered table is a task humans can do without even thinking. But for robots, that’s a much harder task. Although technology has come a long way over the past decade…
Drones deliver vaccines to remote areas of the South Pacific in world-first trial
A Melbourne-based startup founded by a robotics engineer and former RAAF pilot has bagged world-first commercial contracts to ship vaccines via drone delivery for international aid.…
Engineers are trying to help the Great Barrier Reef make a comeback
The Great Barrier Reef is in trouble – and time is running out. Two very different projects are using engineering innovation to lend a hand.…
Mining industry automation: “Let the robots take our dangerous and dirty jobs”
Should we fear automation taking over dangerous and dirty jobs? What if handing over these jobs to machines can save a considerable number of human lives?…
Collaborative robots and people: The perfect partnership?
The future of robotics is collaborative, according to one researcher hoping to help machines and humans work in harmony.…