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Robots are becoming increasingly capable in vision and movement, yet touch remains one of their major weaknesses. Now, researchers have developed a miniature tactile sensor that could give robots something much closer to a human sense of touch. The technology, developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge, is based on liquid metal composites and graphene - a two-dimensional form of carbon.

A new study led by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) and Imperial College London has revealed how dragonflies use a small number of strategically positioned sensors on their wings to monitor wing shape in real time. This simple but highly effective biological system enables the insects to remain exceptionally stable or manoeuvre in flight, despite having comparatively tiny brains.

The first evidence that humans have the ability to sense objects without direct contact, a form of 'remote touch' that birds such as sandpipers have, has been presented in a new study from researchers at UCL and Queen Mary University of London. In terms of objects, human touch has typically been understood to be limited to physical touch, where we detect objects through contact with our skin.

People who care informally for sick or disabled friends and relatives often become invisible in their own lives. Focusing on the needs of those they care for, they rarely get the chance to talk about their own emotions or challenges, and this can lead to them feeling increasingly stressed and isolated.

Researchers have decoded the signals between hand movements and the brain, paving the way for more natural-feeling prosthetics. In the study, published in Science Robotics , researchers unpicked the connections between hand movement patterns and the control patterns from motoneurons in the spinal cord.

The transition from water to land is one of the most significant events in the history of life on Earth. Now, a team of roboticists, palaeontologists and biologists is using robots to study how the ancestors of modern land animals transitioned from swimming to walking, about 390 million years ago. Writing in the journal Science Robotics , the research team, led by the University of Cambridge, outline how 'palaeo-inspired robotics' could provide a valuable experimental approach to studying how the pectoral and pelvic fins of ancient fish evolved to support weight on land.

Researchers from our top-rated Computer Science department have made significant advances in understanding honeybee behaviour through the use of innovative robotic technology. The study, published in the cover page of prestigious journal - Science Robotics, offers unprecedented insights into the daily activities of honeybee colonies, particularly focusing on the queen bee and her interactions with worker bees.

Manchester engineers unlock design for record-breaking robot that could jump twice the height of Big Ben Engineers at The University of Manchester have unlocked the secrets to designing a robot capable of jumping 200 metres - higher than any other jumping robot designed to date. Using a combination of mathematics, computer simulations, and laboratory experiments, the researchers have discovered how to design a robot with the optimum size, shape and the arrangement of its parts, allowing it to jump high enough to clear obstacles many times its own size.

Researchers have developed a method to make adaptive and eco-friendly sensors that can be directly and imperceptibly printed onto a wide range of biological surfaces, whether that's a finger or a flower petal. The method, developed by researchers from the University of Cambridge, takes its inspiration from spider silk, which can conform and stick to a range of surfaces.

Professor Ross King from Cambridge's Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, who originated the idea of a 'Robot Scientist', discusses why he believes that AI-powered scientists could surpass the best human scientists by the middle of the century, but only if AI for science is developed responsibly and ethically.

Researchers have developed a robotic sensor that incorporates artificial intelligence techniques to read braille at speeds roughly double that of most human readers. The research team, from the University of Cambridge, used machine learning algorithms to teach a robotic sensor to quickly slide over lines of braille text.

Surgical robotics are amongst the most complex devices entering healthcare, but how should we evaluate them? Published in Nature Medicine , the Idea, Development, Exploration, Assessment and Long-term monitoring (IDEAL) Robotics Colloquium outlines the latest guidance to aid researchers evaluating surgical robots.

People interacting with social robots disclosed more about themselves over time and reported feeling less lonely, according to a new study. People interacting with social robots disclosed more about themselves over time and reported feeling less lonely, according to a new study. The research - led by the University of Glasgow and published in the International Journal of Social Robotics - also found that interacting with a social robot improved people's moods over time, suggesting social robots could be used as an effective intervention to support peoples' emotional health in the future.

Researchers have found that robots can have a -U-shaped- effect on profits: causing profit margins to fall at first, before eventually rising again. It's important that companies develop new processes at the same time as they are incorporating robots, otherwise they will reach this same pinch point Chander Velu The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, 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.

Cambridge researchers, working in partnership with industry, have helped develop the first 3D-printed piece of concrete infrastructure to be used on a National Highways project. Making the wall digital means it can speak for itself, and we can use our sensors to understand these 3D-printed structures better and accelerate their acceptance in industry Abir Al-Tabbaa The 3D-printed structure - a type of retaining wall known as a headwall - has been installed on the A30 in Cornwall , where it is providing real-time information thanks to Cambridge-designed sensors embedded in its structure.

Researchers have trained a robotic -chef- to watch and learn from cooking videos, and recreate the dish itself. We wanted to see whether we could train a robot chef to learn in the same incremental way that humans can - by identifying the ingredients and how they go together in the dish Greg Sochacki The researchers, from the University of Cambridge, programmed their robotic chef with a -cookbook- of eight simple salad recipes.

A new system of flying drones working together to 3D print material, has been developed by a team involving researchers at UCL and Imperial College London. It's the first time flying drones have been coordinated like this to 3D print an object. The system, called Aerial Additive Manufacturing (Aerial-AM), is a new approach to 3D printing using collaborative flying robots to transport and deposit building material.

A new study identifies seven dog behaviors seen as important for bonding with your dog. In a step towards development of robots that interact meaningfully with humans, a new study - led by the University of Glasgow and published in PLOS ONE - highlights specific dog behaviors that dog owners perceive as important for bonding with their pets.

Researchers have embedded new low-cost sensors that monitor breathing, heart rate, and ammonia into t-shirts and face masks. Potential applications range from monitoring exercise , sleep , and stress to diagnosing and monitoring disease through breath and vital signs. The flexible medium of clothing means our sensors have a wide range of applications.

Imperial College London and researchers have created a fleet of bee-inspired flying 3D printers for building and repairing structures in-flight. The technology could ultimately be used for manufacturing and building in difficult-to-access or dangerous locations such as tall buildings or help with post-disaster relief construction, say the researchers, who publish their work in Nature .