Abstract: Modular designs in soft robots enable repair and reconfiguration, making soft modular robots suitable for applications where resilience, flexibility, and adaptability are critical. This paper introduces a modular soft robot (MSR) based on origami actuator modules that are manufactured from reversible polymers, e.g., self-healing polymers. This work highlights … [Read more...] about Reconfigurable Modular Soft Actuator Using Origami Structures With Self-Healing Materials: Several Technological Opportunities for Robotic Applications
Robots
Sex Robots and the AI Act
Abstract: The emergence of sex robots—human-like machines offering sexual and emotional services—has ignited contentious debates over their societal impact. Advocates glorify their potential to provide companionship, meet sexual needs, and diversify intimate experiences, while critics warn of risks, including the perpetuation of harmful stereotypes, hindered human … [Read more...] about Sex Robots and the AI Act
Is Open Robotics Innovation a Threat to International Peace and Security?
Abstract: Open access to publication, software, and hardware is central to robotics: it lowers barriers to entry, supports reproducible science, and accelerates reliable system development. However, openness also exacerbates the inherent dual-use risks associated with research and innovation in robotics. It lowers barriers for states and nonstate actors to develop and deploy … [Read more...] about Is Open Robotics Innovation a Threat to International Peace and Security?
Toward the Deployment of an Autonomous Last-Mile Delivery Robot in Urban Areas: The Ona Prototype Platform
Nowadays, the skyrocketing last-mile freight transportation in urban areas is leading to very negative effects (e.g., pollution, noise, or traffic congestion), which could be minimized by using autonomous electric vehicles. In this sense, this article presents the first prototype of Ona, an autonomous last-mile delivery robot that, in contrast to existing platforms, has a … [Read more...] about Toward the Deployment of an Autonomous Last-Mile Delivery Robot in Urban Areas: The Ona Prototype Platform
Reinforcement Learning for High-Speed Quadrupedal Locomotion With Motor Operating Region Constraints: Mitigating Motor Model Discrepancies through Torque Clipping in Realistic Motor Operating Region
This article presents a method for achieving high-speed running of a quadruped robot by considering the actuator torque–speed operating region in reinforcement learning. The physical properties and constraints of the actuator are included in the training process to reduce state transitions that are infeasible in the real world due to motor torque–speed limitations. The gait … [Read more...] about Reinforcement Learning for High-Speed Quadrupedal Locomotion With Motor Operating Region Constraints: Mitigating Motor Model Discrepancies through Torque Clipping in Realistic Motor Operating Region
