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A new robotic hand capable of switching between multiple grippers using a single motor
Kanazawa University researchers built a multi-gripper robotic hand driven by one motor. Its MaGDri mechanism uses gravity to redirect torque between grippers, allowing prototypes to select grips for differently shaped and sized objects while potentially reducing weight, space, and cost.
Undergrads’ weed-killing robot wins top prize
Cornell students won The Farm Robotics Challenge with an autonomous, low-energy electric weeding robot for vineyards and orchards. Their $50,000 prize supports Rootline Robotics, which will refine and validate the herbicide-free system with growers before market.
Engineers develop robot that judges its surroundings and walks, runs, and jumps like an animal
KAIST’s KAIST HOUND uses APT-RL, a depth camera, and LiDAR to choose walking, running, jumping, trotting, or bounding for changing terrain. Tests on campus and forest trails showed stable obstacle traversal and a peak instantaneous speed of six meters per second.
Fujitsu and leading Japanese robotics companies to use Nvidia technology in 'physical AI'
Fujitsu, Nvidia, Fanuc, Yaskawa Electric, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries will collaborate on physical-AI robots for workplaces, homes, and hospitals. The effort aims to address Japan’s labor shortage and aging population, with an initial phase planned for later in 2026.
A flapping robot swims and flies like a diving bird
EPFL and MIT engineers built a sub-300-gram flapping robot that swims underwater and takes off into flight, offering a platform for bird-mechanics research and potential aquatic sampling missions.
AI agents create virtual playgrounds to help robots get crucial training data
MIT researchers developed SceneSmith, a three-agent system that generates detailed, physics-ready indoor simulations from text prompts. The virtual scenes help test robot policies before real-world deployment, though creating each scene can take hours.
Batter up, bias down: Robot umpires curb favoritism for star hitters
A University of Michigan study found that South Korea’s automated ball-strike system reduced the apparent advantages of famous hitters, who recorded more strikeouts, fewer walks and lower on-base rates than lesser-known batters after its introduction. No comparable pattern was found for star pitchers.
Wristband enables wearers to control a robotic hand with their own movements
MIT researchers created an AI-enabled ultrasound wristband that tracks hand motion from wrist images and wirelessly controls a robotic hand or virtual objects. Tests with eight volunteers showed tracking across gestures, grasps, sign-language letters, and object handling.