Entries by Dennis Lang

‘Digging’ robot can locate objects concealed by granular media

A researcher from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has developed a robot that can search for objects buried beneath sand and other granular media. The so-called Digger Finger, which features a GelSight sensor — a vision-based tactile sensor — can reportedly penetrate granular media to locate concealed objects. According to the research, the prototype penetrates […]

What Robots Need to Become Better Helpers

Both the government and private sector continue to work on building more functional robots to accomplish various tasks, especially ones that aren’t suited or safe for humans. For example, NASA’s Mars Perseverance Mission, which is fully robotic, is scheduled to make planetfall on Mars next week. In addition to the Pathfinder robot, which is pretty well-known […]

A technique that allows robots to estimate the pose of objects by touching them

Humans are able to find objects in their surroundings and detect some of their properties simply by touching them. While this skill is particularly valuable for blind individuals, it can also help people with no visual impairments to complete simple tasks, such as locating and grabbing an object inside a bag or pocket.  Researchers at […]

MIT’s Two-finger Model Could Perfect the Robot Hand

MIT continues to advance the utility of robots, and researchers at the college’s Computer Science and AI Lab have announced they’ve made some strides in addressing one of many awkward challenges: robot hands.  That’s right – robot hands are getting a creepy makeover, but one that should make them far more functional. A spokesperson for MIT recently […]

Gripper Handles Freely Moving Cables

For humans, it can be challenging to manipulate thin, flexible objects like ropes, wires, or cables. But if these problems are hard for humans, they are nearly impossible for robots. As a cable slides between the fingers, its shape is constantly changing and the robot’s fingers must be constantly sensing and adjusting the cable’s position […]

GelSight Awarded $728,000 Federal Grant to Develop Human-Like Tactile Sensors for Robots

WALTHAM, Mass., May 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — GelSight, the developer of industrial 3D metrology solutions for the aerospace, automotive, consumer electronics and medical device industries, today announced that it has been awarded a $728,000 grant from the National Science Foundation’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program to develop a compact sensor toolkit that will provide […]

Elastomeric Sensor Visualizes and Measures 3D Topography

GelSight, the developer of industrial 3D imaging solutions for the aerospace, automotive, and other electronics industries, has announced that it has raised $10 million in new funding. The funding will be used to accelerate GelSight’s growth as adoption of its unique elastomeric-based imaging system gains deeper traction with major aerospace customers around the globe. GelSight […]

3D Imaging System Innovator GelSight Raises $10M in Series B Funding Round

Aviation Executive David Hurley, US Navy Vice Admiral David Buss (Ret.), US Air Force Lieutenant General Judith Fedder (Ret.) join Board of Directors WALTHAM, Mass., January 23, 2020 /PRNewswire / — GelSight, the developer of industrial 3D imaging solutions for the aerospace, automotive, and other electronics industries, today announced that it has raised $10 million […]