Can’t we all just get along…with robots? This is Sandra Tsing-Loh, with the Loh Down on Science. Robots seem to be a good choice for jobs that are easily automated. But what about…driving? That requires human skills like dexterity and instinct. Are robots really cut out to be cabbies? Matthias
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RoboBee
Look! It’s a bird… it’s a plane… it’s RoboBee! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Drones help us explore areas we can’t get to on foot. But the bulkier the drone, the more difficult and dangerous to fly. So smaller IS better! But microdrones can’t
Continue readingRobo-Situps
Happy hour for robots? Hey, it’s five o’clock somewhere! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Robots with artificial muscles that are flexible, durable, and responsive would be a dream! Unfortunately, robotic joints are too stiff and slow for human-like movement – yet! Shengqian Ma from
Continue readingI Heart Robot
The robots are coming… after my heart? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. To fix a leaky heart valve, surgeons drive a snake-like robot through your heart to get to the leak, kind of like a roto-rooter. But arteries aren’t exactly smooth drives in the
Continue readingSalt Fix
Salt free potato chip? No thanks! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Salt is in almost all foods, from soup to nuts! But too much causes high blood pressure. So how can we reduce salt intake without sacrificing taste? Healthier salts! Which have potassium or
Continue readingWater Walker
Can you teach a robot to swim? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Aquatic robots? That’s crazy talk! This is because heavy machinery and electrical components reduce a robot’s agility in water. Enter Robert Wood from Harvard’s Microrobotics Laboratory. He created an AMPHIBIOUS robot —
Continue readingAnt Jam
Getting on the highway at five o’clock? Pack a snack! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Traffic jams. Nobody likes them! Cars on the freeway, herds of cattle, even swarms of robots have to deal with traffic jams. What’s the secret to avoiding this misery?
Continue readingRobot Overlords
What does a robot and your boss have in common? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. With humanoid robots becoming more and more realistic, scientists are investigating them as social tools. Now researchers at University of Clermont Auvergne are using social robots for more… sinister
Continue readingChainsaw Bot
Robot lumberjacks? Tell me more! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Lumberjacking is dangerous work for humans. How about for chainsaw-wielding robots? There the problem is power. Climbing gobbles energy, as does holding robots vertically in place. So most climbing ‘bots need huge batteries. Inspired
Continue readingSmell Detector
Is the bathroom still smelly? Odorbot to the rescue! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Ever dream of having a day when smelling unpleasant odors is a distant memory? Kenshi Hayashi and colleagues at Kyushu University share this dream. And they’re working on a solution:
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