Imagine stirring a salad, turning food in a pan and cutting an ingredient. One tool would be awkward for all three jobs. Researchers designed a robot interface that changes ordinary tools without replacing the whole arm. The work appeared on October 29 and describes a laboratory system rather than a ready-made kitchen assistant.
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Pulling a suitcase around a corner can be harder than walking around the corner yourself. The wheels may catch an obstacle even when you pass safely. A four-legged robot pulling a wagon faces a similar problem. Researchers built a navigation system that considers the path of both the robot and its trailer.
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One robot moves blocks quickly while another carefully lifts a delicate object. Which is better? A single success number cannot answer that when the tasks and testing conditions differ. Researchers proposed a framework that asks readers to look more closely at what each experiment actually measured.
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When you pick up a cup, your fingers adjust a little to its shape. A robot benefits from similar flexibility, especially if its camera estimates the object's position imperfectly. Researchers proposed designing soft grippers for these small errors rather than assuming that every approach will be perfectly aligned.
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Packing an online order means choosing the correct products, placing them in a box and avoiding damage. At an event in Tokyo, a company demonstrated a robot with a five-finger hand doing similar work. The event took place on October 27 and 28, while the company reported it on October 30.
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