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Categories: Engineering: Robotics Research, Offbeat: Paleontology and Archeology
Published Robots cause company profits to fall -- at least at first
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have found that robots can have a 'U-shaped' effect on profits: causing profit margins to fall at first, before eventually rising again. The researchers studied industry data from the UK and 24 other European countries between 1995 and 2017, and found that at low levels of adoption, robots have a negative effect on profit margins. But at higher levels of adoption, robots can help increase profits.
Published Robotic grippers offer unprecedented combo of strength and delicacy
(via sciencedaily.com) New robotic grippers are flexible enough to handle soft and fragile objects as well as heavier ones.
Published Thermal imaging innovation allows AI to see through pitch darkness like broad daylight
(via sciencedaily.com) Engineers have developed HADAR, or heat-assisted detection and ranging.
Published 3D display could soon bring touch to the digital world
(via sciencedaily.com) Engineers have designed a new, shape-shifting display that can fit on a card table and allows users to draw 3D designs and more.
Published Reinforcement learning allows underwater robots to locate and track objects underwater
(via sciencedaily.com) A team has shown that reinforcement learning -i.e., a neural network that learns the best action to perform at each moment based on a series of rewards- allows autonomous vehicles and underwater robots to locate and carefully track marine objects and animals.
Published This 3D printed gripper doesn't need electronics to function
(via sciencedaily.com) This soft robotic gripper is not only 3D printed in one print, it also doesn't need any electronics to work.
Published 'Time-traveling' pathogens in melting permafrost pose likely risk to environment
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Ancient pathogens that escape from melting permafrost have real potential to damage microbial communities and might potentially threaten human health, according to a new study.
Published Researchers develop low-cost sensor to enhance robots' sense of touch
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have developed an L3 F-TOUCH sensor to enhance tactile capabilities in robots, allowing it to 'feel' objects and adjust its grip accordingly.
Published A simpler method for learning to control a robot
(via sciencedaily.com) A new machine-learning technique can efficiently learn to control a robot, leading to better performance with fewer data.
Published Robotic hand rotates objects using touch, not vision
(via sciencedaily.com) Inspired by the effortless way humans handle objects without seeing them, engineers have developed a new approach that enables a robotic hand to rotate objects solely through touch, without relying on vision.
Published Wormlike animals are first amphibians shown to pass microbes to their offspring
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Caecilians are an illusive type of snakelike amphibian that live in aquatic and subterranean environments. In some species, mothers produce a special type of nutrient-rich skin that juveniles consume, similar to the way in which humans breastfeed their children. A new study shows this behavior passes on microbes to juvenile caecilians, inoculating them to jump-start a healthy microbiome.
Published Robot preachers get less respect, fewer donations
(via sciencedaily.com) As artificial intelligence expands across more professions, robot preachers and AI programs offer new means of sharing religious beliefs, but they may undermine credibility and reduce donations for religious groups that rely on them.
Published Paleontologists identify two new species of sabertooth cat
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Sabertooth cats make up a diverse group of long-toothed predators that roamed Africa around 6-7 million years ago, around the time that hominins -- the group that includes modern humans -- began to evolve. By examining one of the largest global Pliocene collections of fossils in Langebaanweg, north of Cape Town in South Africa, researchers present two new sabertooth species and the first family tree of the region's ancient sabertooths. Their results suggest that the distribution of sabertooths throughout ancient Africa might have been different than previously assumed, and the study provides important information about Africa's paleoenvironment.
Published Allowing robots to explore on their own
(via sciencedaily.com) Scientists have developed a suite of robotic systems and planners enabling robots to explore more quickly, probe the darkest corners of unknown environments, and create more accurate and detailed maps. The systems allow robots to do all this autonomously, finding their way and creating a map without human intervention.
Published A faster way to teach a robot
(via sciencedaily.com) A new technique enables a human to efficiently fine-tune a robot that failed to complete a desired task with very little effort on the part of the human. Their system uses algorithms, counterfactual explanations, and feedback from the user to generate synthetic data it uses to quickly fine-tune the robot.
Published Unusual fossil shows rare evidence of a mammal attacking a dinosaur
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source Scientists have described an unusual fossil from around 125 million years ago in China that shows a dramatic moment in time when a carnivorous mammal attacked a larger plant-eating dinosaur. The two animals are locked in mortal combat, and it's among the first evidence to show actual predatory behavior by a mammal on a dinosaur. The fossil's presence challenges the view that dinosaurs had few threats from their mammal contemporaries during the Cretaceous, when dinosaurs were the dominant animals.
Published Bot inspired by baby turtles can swim under the sand
(via sciencedaily.com) This robot can swim under the sand and dig itself out too, thanks to two front limbs that mimic the oversized flippers of turtle hatchlings. It's the only robot that is able to travel in sand at a depth of 5 inches. It can also travel at a speed of 1.2 millimeters per second--roughly 4 meters, or 13 feet, per hour. This may seem slow but is comparable to other subterranean animals like worms and clams.
Published All about the Benjamins: Researchers decipher the secrets of Benjamin Franklin's paper money
(via sciencedaily.com) Original source During his career, Benjamin Franklin printed nearly 2,500,000 money notes for the American Colonies using what the researchers have identified as highly original techniques.
Published Robotics: New skin-like sensors fit almost everywhere
(via sciencedaily.com) Researchers have developed an automatic process for making soft sensors. These universal measurement cells can be attached to almost any kind of object. Applications are envisioned especially in robotics and prosthetics.
Published ROSE: Revolutionary, nature-inspired soft embracing robotic gripper
(via sciencedaily.com) Soft robotic grippers could greatly increase productivity in many fields. However, currently existing designs are overly complex and expensive. A research team has developed ROSE, a novel embracing soft gripper inspired by the blooming and closing of rose flowers. Bearing a surprisingly simple, inexpensive, and scalable design, ROSE can pick up many kinds of objects without damaging them, even in challenging environments and conditions.