Robotics

Sharmi Shah and Andrew SaLoutos hunch over a cluttered table, examining some small object

Mechanical engineering with a twist: Pursuing a passion for robotics with customized major

Sharmi Shah ’23 pursued Course 2-A/6, a customizable degree path that combines mechanical engineering with computer science and electrical engineering.

September 18, 2023

Michael West, wearing a suit with an "Engineer" T-shirt, stands in front of chalkboard, flanked by two robotic arms.

A. Michael West: Advancing human-robot interactions in health care

When he isn’t investigating human motor control, the graduate student gives back by volunteering with programs that helped him grow as a researcher.

September 13, 2023

Sharifa Alghowinem, who wears a head scarf, leans on a table, hugging a Jibo personal robot, which looks like a sphere with a large eye.

Making life friendlier with personal robots

Sharifa Alghowinem, a research scientist at the Media Lab, explores personal robot technology that explains emotions in English and Arabic.

September 10, 2023

Top view of a demo showing 2 robot arms, manipulating a white bucket labeled “Mr. Bucket.”

AI helps robots manipulate objects with their whole bodies

With a new technique, a robot can reason efficiently about moving objects using more than just its fingertips.

August 24, 2023

Aerial view of the city of Singapore on a sunny day

SMART launches research group to advance AI, automation, and the future of work

Mens, Manus and Machina (M3S) will design technology, training programs, and institutions for successful human-machine collaboration.

August 23, 2023

3 photos show a tentacle-like metal object made with the researchers’ kirigami-style methods. It bends left and right.

MIT engineers use kirigami to make ultrastrong, lightweight structures

Produced with techniques borrowed from Japanese paper-cutting, the strong metal lattices are lighter than cork and have customizable mechanical properties.

August 22, 2023

A drone flies over snowy mountains, and glows pink. The drone’s previous path is marked with a dotted line. There are 3 possible trajectories for the drone to take going forward, represented by lines.

A simpler method for learning to control a robot

Researchers develop a machine-learning technique that can efficiently learn to control a robot, leading to better performance with fewer data.

July 26, 2023

A rectangular vector map with hexagons distorted on the left by squeezing and on the right by stretching, showing how charged particles are directed to the top or bottom edge of the map

New quantum magnet unleashes electronics potential

Researchers discover how to control the anomalous Hall effect and Berry curvature to create flexible quantum magnets for use in computers, robotics, and sensors.

July 25, 2023

The background is blue and shows a pattern of coffee mugs. In the foreground on the left, a human hand holds a Tim the Beaver coffee mug. To the right of that, a robotic hand holds another Tim mug.

A faster way to teach a robot

A new technique helps a nontechnical user understand why a robot failed, and then fine-tune it with minimal effort to perform a task effectively.

July 18, 2023

Illustration with four panels shows 3D models of robots performing various tasks. From top left: a pan of potatos on top of stove, with a robot holding a food item. To the right is a robot standing in front of a cabinent. In the bottom left, a robot stands in front of a full kitchen and reaches for a pot. In the bottom right quadrant, a robotic gripper reaches into the sink for an item, next to two water bottles.

AI helps household robots cut planning time in half

PIGINet leverages machine learning to streamline and enhance household robots' task and motion planning, by assessing and filtering feasible solutions in complex environments.

July 14, 2023