2024 News Releases
Contributing to the Expansion of Robotics Research at IROS 2024
October 14, 2024
From better algorithms for self-driving vehicles, to better solutions for robotics surgery, and better ways for robots to manipulate objects, researchers at the University of California San Diego are presenting their work at the IROS 2024conference Oct. 14 to 18 in Abu Dhabi. Full Story
What Is Embodied Intelligence and What Can It Do
September 30, 2024
Artificial intelligence might be the focus of many conversations today, but it cannot touch or manipulate the physical world without a body. A group of robotics experts got together at the University of California San Diego to talk about the many ways intelligence could be embodied to interact with the real world. Full Story
Groundbreaking vine robots with magnetic skin could transform cancer treatment
August 5, 2024
A new class of robot with magnetic skin and movement that mimics creeping vine plants, could transform cancer diagnosis and treatment. The soft, slender, “magnetic vine robots” developed by researchers at the University of Leeds in collaboration with engineers at the University of California San Diego not only “grow” as they move, they can also squeeze through gaps almost 40 per cent thinner than their resting diameter. This enables them to navigate narrow, complex pathways deep inside the human body, such as the bronchial tree. Full Story
How Much Risk are Humans Willing to Take When Interacting With Robots?
July 11, 2024
How do people like to interact with robots when navigating a crowded environment? And what algorithms should roboticists use to program robots to interact with humans? These are the questions that a team of mechanical engineers and computer scientists at the University of California San Diego sought to answer in a study presented recently at the ICRA 2024 conference in Japan. Full Story
Learning Dance Moves Could Help Humanoid Robots Work Better With Humans
July 11, 2024
Engineers have trained a humanoid robot to perform a variety of expressive movements, from simple dance routines to gestures like waving, high-fiving and hugging, all while maintaining a steady gait on diverse terrains. This work marks a step towards building robots that perform more complex and human-like motions. Full Story
Microrobot-packed Pill Shows Promise for Treating Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Mice
June 26, 2024
Engineers have developed a pill that releases microscopic robots, or microrobots, into the colon to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The experimental treatment, given orally, has shown success in mice. It significantly reduced IBD symptoms and promoted the healing of damaged colon tissue without causing toxic side effects. Full Story
Meet CARMEN, a Robot That Helps People with Mild Cognitive Impairment
June 24, 2024
Meet CARMEN, short for Cognitively Assistive Robot for Motivation and Neurorehabilitation–a small, tabletop robot designed to help people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) learn skills to improve memory, attention, and executive functioning at home. Full Story
Swimming Microrobots Deliver Cancer-fighting Drugs to Metastatic Lung Tumors in Mice
June 12, 2024
Engineers have developed microscopic robots, known as microrobots, capable of swimming through the lungs to deliver cancer-fighting medication directly to metastatic tumors. This approach has shown promise in mice, where it inhibited the growth and spread of tumors that had metastasized to the lungs, thereby boosting survival rates compared to control treatments. Full Story
Franklin Antonio Hall Sparks Research Collaborations
May 13, 2024
From improving tools for robot-assisted surgery to studying how humans prefer to interact with robots, collaborations across different departments at the Jacobs School of Engineering are in the spotlight in this year’s accepted papers for the 2024 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation. Full Story
Soft Robots, Tough Problems
May 2, 2024
Robots that can assist physicians during surgery. Robots that can swim. Robots that can grip delicate objects. These were some of the demonstrations on display at Robosoft, the biggest conference in the field of soft robotics, this year. Full Story
UC San Diego Roboticists Shine at Human Robot Interaction 2024 Conference
March 26, 2024
University of California, San Diego robotics research– from supporting patient home care and stroke rehabilitation to facilitating mission critical teamwork among first responders– was on display during the ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction (HRI). Full Story