United Kingdom

Researchers at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) have introduced a soft robotic gripper, ROtation-based Squeezing grippEr (ROSE), designed to enhance efficiency in crop harvesting. The development, led by Associate Professor Van Anh Ho and his team, addresses the limitations of conventional robotic grippers, which struggle with the diverse shapes and delicate nature of crops.

In this video from ICRA 40 in Rotterdam, the Rocking Robots team talks to Jean-François de Sallier from Haption, who highlights the role of haptic feedback in advancing artificial intelligence and robotics. Haptic feedback, which simulates the sense of touch, is essential for enabling robots to interact with their environment in a more intuitive and human-like way. Haption is working on replicating both muscular feedback, which responds to pressure, and vibrational feedback, similar to what is experienced on a smartphone, allowing robots to “feel” their surroundings.

Caleb Rucker, an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Tennessee, along with a team from the university, is participating in a major project aimed at developing a fully autonomous surgical robot. The initiative, which has secured up to $12 million in funding from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), is part of a multi-institutional collaboration led by Vanderbilt University.

Toyoda Gosei, a large Japanese automotive parts manufacturer, has invested in TriOrb Inc., a startup focused on developing mobile robots with omnidirectional movement capabilities. This investment, made through Toyoda Gosei’s Corporate Venture Capital Department in September 2024, aligns with the company’s strategy to enhance automation and productivity within its manufacturing processes.

Nauticus Robotics has completed the qualification testing of its Aquanaut Mark 2 underwater vehicle and commenced commercial operations in the Gulf of Mexico. The company announced that Vehicle 2, which underwent testing at a decommissioned field off the Louisiana coast, is now conducting commercial inspection work at a nearby production site.

At ICRA 40, last week in Rotterdam, Dutch robotics company Avular was showcasing its solutions aimed at tackling labor shortages and streamlining operations across industries. In healthcare for example, their robots can handle routine tasks like medicine delivery, freeing up staff to focus on patient care. In logistics, drones are used for tasks such as stock counting, allowing workers to take on more complex responsibilities. The Rocking Robots team talked about these challenges with Tess Kolkman, who in this video also expresses Avular’s ambition to deploy over a million robots worldwide in the next decade.

The 2024 World Manufacturing Convention, held at the Hefei Binhu International Convention and Exhibition Center in Hefei, Anhui Province, brought together global enterprises and emerging technologies, with a particular focus on developments in humanoid robotics. The event showcased advancements in automation, quantum computing, and green energy, emphasizing the future direction of the manufacturing industry.

Fourier has introduced the GR-2, the latest addition to its GRx robot series, incorporating advancements in hardware, design, and software based on customer feedback. The GR-2 features an integrated cabling design that enhances its compactness and streamlines power and communication transmission. This new configuration reduces debugging time and manufacturing costs, while improving the transition from AI simulation to real-world applications.

Boston Dynamics has announced new updates for its Spot robots, enhancing their capabilities in industrial automation and facility management. Spot, a quadruped robot deployed in various industries, is now equipped with two key additions: acoustic vibration sensing and laser scanning integration for reality capture. These updates are aimed at improving the efficiency of predictive maintenance and digital twin creation.

At the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) PAL Robotics, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, presented its robot solutions to the public. For this report Rocking Robots talked to CEO Francesco Ferro about his vision on robotics