Formless 'slime' robots that shape-change to complete complex tasks – it sounds like science fantasy. However, MIT researchers have developed a machine-learning technique that brings shape-changing ...

Researchers have demonstrated miniature soft hydraulic actuators that can be used to control the deformation and motion of soft robots that are less than a millimeter thick. The researchers have also ...

But shape-shifting robots, which are controlled by magnetic fields, can dynamically squish, bend, or elongate their entire bodies. "Such a robot could have thousands of small pieces of muscle to ...

Picture a robot capable of changing its shape on demand, squishing, bending, or stretching to perform various tasks like navigating tight spaces or retrieving objects. While this may sound like ...

In a nutshell: Researchers have developed minuscule robots that can "assemble" and behave like a collective, building new shapes and tools. Inspired by nature, the team identified and developed the ...

Kaushik Jayaram envisions a day when swarms of tiny robots, some weighing no more than a paperclip, will crawl through airplanes or into buildings after an earthquake—searching for survivors or ...

(Nanowerk Spotlight) The next generation of robots may not look anything like the rigid, mechanical machines we’re used to. Instead, imagine a robot that moves more like an octopus or a human hand, ...

Bacteria-scale robots that can run for months without human control are no longer a lab fantasy. Researchers have now built fully programmable micro-machines, smaller than a grain of salt, that can ...

(Nanowerk Spotlight) Building robots that can effortlessly mimic the movements of insects on water has been a persistent challenge in robotics. The ability to move autonomously and efficiently in ...

"MSR is a very self-starter program with a lot of responsibility and freedom to explore personal passions," he said. "The whole program was set up to foster this kind of mindset and it made a project ...