Humanoid Robots Can Run Fast—But Laundry May Be the Real Test of AI
Summary: Record-breaking performances at the World Humanoid Robot Games highlight rapid progress in robotics, but experts argue that everyday tasks such as folding laundry remain the true benchmark for general-purpose robot intelligence. At the World Humanoid Robot Games 2026 in Beijing, humanoid robots demonstrated impressive athletic abilities, ...
MOFU Robot Uses Shape-Shifting Motion to Appear More Alive, Study Finds
Summary: Researchers in Japan have developed a fluffy shape-changing robot called MOFU and found that whole-body expansion and contraction can significantly increase how lifelike people perceive a robot to be. As social robots become increasingly important in healthcare, elder care, and human-centered environments, researchers are exploring new wa...
Why Pressure Sensors Are Transforming Robotic Gripping in Industrial Automation
Summary: Pressure sensors are becoming a critical technology in robotic grippers, enabling robots to detect contact, prevent slip, and handle fragile or irregular objects with greater precision in industrial automation. As industrial robots take on increasingly complex tasks such as bin picking, kitting, and mixed-part handling, traditional grippe...
Robotic Solar Panel Cleaning Found to Accelerate Anti-Soiling Coating Wear Under Dusty Conditions
Summary: A new study on robotic solar panel cleaning shows that dust—not the cleaning robot itself—is the biggest factor reducing the lifespan of anti-soiling coatings, with some coatings degrading up to 82 times faster under dusty conditions. Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay have revealed a critical challenge f...
AI-Designed Stretchable 3D Printing Material Could Advance Soft Robotics and Wearable Devices
Summary: Researchers have developed an AI-designed 3D-printing material that stretches more than six times its original length while remaining easy to manufacture, opening new possibilities for soft robots, wearable electronics, and custom medical devices. Soft robotic gripper fabricated using the newly developed material. A research te...
