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  1. 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”.

  2. 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.

  3. Robotics | MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

    4 days ago · New tool from MIT CSAIL creates realistic virtual kitchens and living rooms where simulated robots can interact with models of real-world objects, scaling up training data for robot …

  4. 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 …

  5. 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

  6. 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.

  7. 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 …

  8. Engineering household robots to have a little common sense

    Mar 25, 2024 · MIT engineers aim to give robots a bit of common sense when faced with situations that push them off their trained path, so they can self-correct after missteps and carry on with their …

  9. 9 ways robots are helping humans: Robodogs to magnetic slime

    Jul 10, 2025 · Robots are helping humans in a growing number of places – from archaeological sites to disaster zones and sewers. The most recent robotic inventions can entertain people in care homes …

  10. Robotic system zeroes in on objects most relevant for helping humans ...

    Apr 24, 2025 · MIT roboticists developed a way to cut through data noise and help robots focus on the features in a scene that are most relevant for assisting humans. The system could be used in smart …