
What is a robot? - New Scientist
The word “robot” was coined by the Czech writer Karel Čapek in a 1920 play called Rossum’s Universal Robots, and is derived from the Czech robota, meaning “drudgery” or “servitude”.
Robotics | MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Dec 19, 2025 · Robot, know thyself: New vision-based system teaches machines to understand their bodies Neural Jacobian Fields, developed by MIT CSAIL researchers, can learn to control any robot …
Hopping gives this tiny robot a leg up - MIT News
Apr 9, 2025 · A hopping, insect-sized robot can jump over gaps or obstacles, traverse rough, slippery, or slanted surfaces, and perform aerial acrobatic maneuvers, while using a fraction of the energy …
Robots news, articles and features | New Scientist
The humanoid robot is a step towards such machines helping in homes and factories – and could spark a popular new spectator sport
Expanding robot perception - MIT News
Jan 28, 2025 · MIT Associate Professor Luca Carlone works to give robots a more human-like perception of their environment, so they can interact with people safely and seamlessly.
Robot, know thyself: New vision-based system teaches machines to ...
Jul 24, 2025 · A vision-based control system called Neural Jacobian Fields enables soft and rigid robots to learn self-supervised motion control using only a monocular camera. The system, developed by …
MIT engineers design an aerial microrobot that can fly as fast as a ...
Dec 3, 2025 · MIT researchers developed an aerial microrobot that can fly with speed and agility comparable to real insects. The research opens the door to future bug-sized robots that could aid in …
The 25 best fictional robots – according to New Scientist
Jul 23, 2025 · From R2D2 to the Terminator via Bender and Johnny-5, we choose our favourite robots from books, films and television series
Human-robot interaction is coming. Are we ready for it?
Oct 10, 2025 · Here, “human-robot interaction” is interpreted in the context of social robots, not industrial ones. Social robots are understood as physical machines that are autonomous (or semi …
New system enables robots to solve manipulation problems in seconds
Jun 5, 2025 · A new system enables a robot to “think ahead” and consider thousands of potential motion plans simultaneously, allowing the robot to solve a multistep problem in a few seconds.