Important Innovations

Microrobots with Controlled Flight Source:  Harvard University Search & Rescue Missions Harvard's RoboBees are the first microbots powered by soft actuators to achieve controlled flight. They have soft artificial muscles that enable them to survive crashes and collisions making them perfect for search and rescue missions in dangerous, cluttered environments. The robobees are so sturdy, dexterous and resilient they can even crash into a wall or collide with another robobee without any damage. Hoverbots The tiny robots are equipped with actuators made from dielectric elastomers that deform when hit with an electrical current.  The actuators are soft and the Harvard team says they're easily assembled and scaled up.  Unlike other drones made with soft actuators, the robobees have enough power density to hover in place. Going for Commercialization The Harvard team has created a number of models including one with 8 wings and 4 actuators th...

Highly Advanced Robotics from FAU Source:  FAU's Astro Astro, One of the World's Smartest Robodogs Florida Atlantic University's Astro is a very smart robodog.  It's loaded with cameras, sensors, radar imaging, a directional microphone and four teraflops of processing power which enables up to 4 trillion computations per second.  Astro learns like your dog, through repetition, trial and error. It could be a big player in search and rescue, bomb detection, work as a service dog and much more.  For a great news blog on this new invention, go to Important Innovations Collection: Smart Robodog Learns Like a Dog : Astro May Be One of the World's Smartest Dogs Source:  Florida Atlantic University New Invention from Florida Atlantic University...

New Hummingbird Drone Tiny Drone so Agile It Hovers and Turns Like a Hummingbird Researchers at Purdue University have created a tiny drone inspired by the aerial dynamics of hummingbirds.  The drone can fly, hover and make quick turns just like the hummingbird.  The drone is designed for use in search and missions and for surveillance.  For a great news blog on this, go to Important Innovations Collection: New Hummingbird Drone : Very Agile Flying Drone with Artificial Intelligence Source:  Stock Image Hovers and Turns Like a Hummingbird Purdue University rese...

Squishy, Droppable Robot for Search and Rescue Missions Source:  University of California - Berkeley Invented by Engineers at UC Berkeley It's a round, mobile sensor robot that's capable of surviving a drop of 600 feet.  The robot is designed for search and rescue missions in disaster areas.  It's the invention of engineers at UC Berkeley.  For more details, go to Important Innovations Collection: Squishy Robots from UC Berkeley : Disaster Bots Source:  Squishy Robotics For Search and Rescue Missions Round, squishy robots capable of being dropped 600 feet and su...

The Robot Olympics Source:  DARPA DARPA's Subterranean Robotic Challenge Gets Underway The Pentagon's DARPA believes the next robotic challenge is for robots to autonomously operate in dangerous underground areas such as cave networks, tunnel systems and urban undergrounds.  Missions include investigatory work and search and rescue.  The purpose is to keep humans out of harms way. DARPA will kick off its Subterranean Robotic Challenge this weekend.  Some of the world's leading roboticists and their technology are competing in the Challenge which continues through August 2021.  For a great news blog on this go to,  Important Innovations Collection: SubT - Next Challenge for Robots : DARPA's Subterranean Robotic Challenge Source:  DARPA The Robot Olympics Are About to Begin The US Defense Department's Adva...

Foldable, Very Agile Drones for Search and Rescue New Drone Innovation from University of Zurich This is important new flying drone innovation, that just has been invented by scientists at the University of Zurich in Switzerland.  The quadrotor drones morph in shape to fly through holes and crevices. The innovation, say the scientists, was inspired by the flight of birds, which fold their wings to fly through narrow spaces.  They've duplicated those mechanics in their drone. My colleague Ed Kane has posted a news blog on this just announced innovation Important Innovations Collection: Morphing Flying Drones to the Rescue : Drone Innovation Source:  UZH Foldable, Highly Agile Drones for Search and Rescue Researchers at the University of Zurich have inve...