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”.

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.

Apr 9, 2025 · A hopping, insect-sized robot can jump over gaps or obstacles, traverse rough, slippery, or slanted surfaces, and perform aerial acrobatic maneuvers, while using a fraction of …

Jan 16, 2025 · Technology Humanoid robot learns to waltz by mirroring people's movements An AI trained on motion capture recordings can help robots smoothly imitate human actions, such as …

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.

2 days ago · New tool gives anyone the ability to train a robot MIT engineers designed a versatile interface that allows users to teach robots new skills in intuitive ways. July 17, 2025 Read full story

Jul 11, 2025 · The PhysicsGen system developed by MIT CSAIL researchers tailors robot training data to specific machines, helping them find the most efficient movements for a task. The system …

Jun 27, 2025 · MIT CSAIL researchers use a generative AI model to improve particular parts of 3D robot designs, helping them jump higher and land safely. The system refines its ideas in …

Aug 9, 2024 · A new paper by MechE researchers published in the journal Science Robotics explores pick-and-place solutions with more precision. In precise pick-and-place, also known as kitting, the …

Jan 17, 2025 · An insect-inspired robot that only weighs as much as a raisin can perform acrobatics and fly for much longer than any previous insect-sized drone without falling apart. For tiny flying …