Topic description and stories

Robot arm handling test tubes

Opinion: the future of science is automation

26 Feb 2024

Professor Ross King from Cambridge's Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, who originated the idea of a 'Robot Scientist', discusses...

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Robot braille reader

Robot trained to read braille at twice the speed of humans

29 Jan 2024

Researchers have developed a robotic sensor that incorporates artificial intelligence techniques to read braille at speeds roughly double that of...

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The Vice-Chancellor's Awards 2023 for Research Impact and Engagement

13 Dec 2023

Meet the winner of the Vice-Chancellor's Awards 2023 for Research Impact and Engagement and learn more about their projects.

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Robots on a manufacturing line

Robots cause company profits to fall – at least at first

03 Aug 2023

Researchers have found that robots can have a ‘U-shaped’ effect on profits: causing profit margins to fall at first, before eventually rising again...

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The life robotic: Meet the Cambridge University researchers fostering human wellbeing using robots

19 Jul 2023

The team is exploring the capacity robots have to inspire self-reflection, and support the work of psychologists and clinicians.

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Robot arm reaching for a piece of broccoli

Robot ‘chef’ learns to recreate recipes from watching food videos

05 Jun 2023

Researchers have trained a robotic ‘chef’ to watch and learn from cooking videos, and recreate the dish itself.

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Robot hand picking up a plastic ball

It’s all in the wrist: energy-efficient robot hand learns how not to drop the ball

12 Apr 2023

Researchers have designed a low-cost, energy-efficient robotic hand that can grasp a range of objects – and not drop them – using just the movement...

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Humanoid QT robot and toy-like Misty robot

Robots can help improve mental wellbeing at work – as long as they look right

15 Mar 2023

Robots can be useful as mental wellbeing coaches in the workplace – but perception of their effectiveness depends in large part on what the robot...

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Taste of the future: robot chef learns to ‘taste as you go’

04 May 2022

A robot ‘chef’ has been trained to taste food at different stages of the chewing process to assess whether it’s sufficiently seasoned.

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Self-healing materials for robotics made from ‘jelly’ and salt

18 Feb 2022

Researchers have developed self-healing, biodegradable, 3D-printed materials that could be used in the development of realistic artificial hands and...

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Super jelly

‘Super jelly’ can survive being run over by a car

25 Nov 2021

Researchers have developed a jelly-like material that can withstand the equivalent of an elephant standing on it, and completely recover to its...

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Inflatable, shape-changing spinal implants could help treat severe pain

25 Jun 2021

A team of engineers and clinicians has developed an ultra-thin, inflatable device that can be used to treat the most severe forms of pain without the...

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