Robotics

Squishy, Metal-Free Magnets Power Robots and Guide Medical Implants

“Soft robots,” medical devices and implants, and next-generation drug delivery methods could soon be guided with magnetism — thanks to a metal-free magnetic gel...

Researchers Explore the Phenomenon of Holonomy

BB-8 of Star Wars fame is known for its adorable beeps, dome-shaped head, and spherical body. But fighting alongside the Resistance is just one of its many talents. As this spherical robot...

Roboticists Develop Robots for Resilient Extraterrestrial Habitats

Justin Werfel, Senior Research Fellow in Robotics at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), is leading a team tasked with developing...

A Self-Driving Needle Steers Through Living Lung Tissue

The lungs are one of the most difficult organs for physicians to navigate. They have a dense network of blood vessels, bronchi, and other critical anatomical structures that makes...

5Ws of the Light Sail

A light sail developed by Cornell’s Space Systems Design Studio (SSDS) could one day propel small spacecraft through interstellar realms.

The Rising Presence of Women in Engineering

In the U.S., women make up 14 percent of the engineering workforce. The number of female engineers across the globe is on the rise but compared to male engineers it is still much lower.

Products of Tomorrow

See the products of tomorrow, including: a new wireless smart textile technology that can boost hand mobility of stroke patients, a metal-free magnetic gel, and a new fuel cell that harvests energy from microbes living in dirt.

A Thermoelectric Cooler to Restore Sensation in Amputees

This advancement, one of the first of its kind, enables a useful new capability for a variety of applications, including improved prostheses, haptics for new modalities in augmented reality (AR), and thermally modulated therapeutics for applications such as pain management. The technology also has a variety of potential industrial and research applications.

Light-Harnessing Sensors Give Hope to Limited-Mobility Patients

A research team has successfully overcome the limitations of soft strain sensors by integrating computer vision technology into optical sensors. The team developed a sensor technology known as computer vision-based optical strain (CVOS) during its study. Unlike conventional sensors reliant on electrical signals, CVOS sensors employ computer vision and optical sensors to analyze microscale optical patterns, extracting data regarding changes.

AI Co-Pilot Enhances Human Precision for Safer Aviation

Meet Air-Guardian: A system developed by researchers at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL). As modern pilots grapple with an onslaught of information from multiple monitors, especially during critical moments, Air-Guardian acts as a proactive co-pilot; a partnership between human and machine, rooted in understanding attention.

A Soft Robotic Hand Uses AI to Improve Hand Dexterity

A first-of-its-kind robotic glove is lending a “hand” and providing hope to piano players who have suffered a disabling stroke. Developed by researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science, the soft robotic hand exoskeleton uses artificial intelligence to improve hand dexterity.

Scurrying Centipedes Inspire Many-Legged Robots

Intrigued to see if many limbs could be helpful for locomotion in this world, a team at the Georgia Institute of Technology is using a centipede's style of movement to its advantage. They developed a new theory of multilegged locomotion and created many-legged robotic models.

Generative AI Models Solve Multistep Robot Manipulation Problems

MIT researchers developed a machine-learning technique called Diffusion-CCSP. Diffusion models learn to generate new data samples that resemble samples in a training dataset by iteratively refining their output.

New on the Market

See what's new on the market, including igus' two- and four-hole fixed flange bearings; FixtureBuilder 3D fixture-modelling software from Renishaw; XENON Corporation's X-1100/2x Pulsed Light Research System; Rad Source NDT's NDT 1000 X-ray Inspection System; and more.

Are Shapeshifting “Soft Machines” In Our Future?

Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have furthered a new type of soft material that can change shape in response to light, a discovery that could advance “soft...

Scientists Design a Two-Legged Robot Powered by Muscle Tissue

Compared to robots, human bodies are more flexible, capable of fine movements, and can efficiently convert energy into movement. Drawing inspiration from human gait, researchers...

RISING STAR AWARDS 2025 SPONSORS

Home How to Enter Terms & Conditions Meet the Judges Hall of Stars Sponsors   We are deeply grateful to our sponsors for their invaluable support of this year’s Rising Star Awards...

RISING STAR AWARDS NOMINATION

Home How to Enter Terms & Conditions Meet the Judges Hall of Stars Sponsors   Nominations for the 2025 Rising Star Awards have closed. All entries are being evaluated by a panel of judges...

RISING STAR AWARDS 2025 WINNERS ANNOUNCED

Home How to Enter Terms & Conditions Meet the Judges Hall of Stars Sponsors   Platinum Sponsors See all sponsors The wait is over. We’re thrilled to announce the...

RISING STAR AWARD RULES

Home How to Enter Terms & Conditions Meet the Judges Hall of Stars Sponsors   The Women in Engineering: Rising Star Awards program celebrates and recognizes women engineers who are enhancing the...

RISING STAR AWARDS 2025 JUDGES

Home How to Enter Terms & Conditions Meet the Judges Hall of Stars Sponsors   Thank you to our esteemed panel of judges, comprising leaders from engineering and technology fields, who bring...

RISING STAR AWARDS: PAST WINNERS

Home How to Enter Terms & Conditions Meet the Judges Hall of Stars Sponsors   Meet the trailblazing women engineers who made history as winners of last year’s Rising Star Awards, chosen...

How Is Generative AI Transforming Engineering?

As generative AI continues to evolve, we are seeing many new applications emerge across industries. How much do you know about generative AI? Take this quiz to test your knowledge.

5Ws of the Smart Yard Robot

A smart modular yardwork robot that can blow leaves and plow snow as well as achieve reductions in carbon emissions at the same time.

Videos of the Month

See the videos of the month, including one on Purdue University researchers teaching robots how to navigate the swaying deck of a boat, one on a Carnegie Mellon-led team developing a soft robot to better understand an organism — the pleurocystitid — that existed 450 million years ago, and more.

Automated Tow/Tape Placement System

NASA’s Langley Research Center has developed a simplified, tool-less automated tow/tape placement (ATP) system. This invention enables several benefits that mitigate limitations associated with conventional ATP systems. Read on to learn more.

Products of Tomorrow

See the products of tomorrow, including the University of Maryland's "cooling glass"; the Reconfigurable Robotics Lab's sensor that can perceive combinations of bending, stretching, compression, and temperature changes using color; Tufts' tiny biological robots; and more.