Robotics

HVAC is starting to sweat

Thanks to sensor technology and mathematical modeling, smart dummies provide new insights into how workplaces can be brought to a comfortable temperature in an energy-efficient way and how to prevent patients from getting cold feet in the operating theater.

Flying like a beetle

In a new study, EPFL scientists found that rhinoceros beetles use passive mechanisms to deploy and retract wings instead of muscles. The findings inspired them to develop a new microrobot, demonstrating a simple, yet effective, approach to the design of insect-like flying micromachines.

Robots au chocolat for dessert?

A fully edible robot could soon end up on our plate if we overcome some technical hurdles, say EPFL scientists involved in RoboFood – an EU-funded project which aims to marry robots and food.

Harsh field tests shape robotic design in unexpected ways

When the BBC commissioned two reptilian robots from the EPFL BioRob lab for a documentary on the African wilderness in 2016, the researchers could not have predicted how testing the devices in uncontrolled environments would change their approach to robotic design.

Trotting robots reveal emergence of animal gait transitions

A four-legged robot trained with machine learning by EPFL researchers has learned to avoid falls by spontaneously switching between walking, trotting, and pronking – a milestone for roboticists as well as biologists interested in animal locomotion.

Robotic interface masters a soft touch

EPFL researchers have developed a haptic device capable of reproducing the softness of various materials, from a marshmallow to a beating heart, overcoming a deceptively complex challenge that has previously eluded roboticists.

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