Robotics

Toyota is building a real-world test city where smart homes, AI, autonomous vehicles and robotics are the norm. First announced in January, the project affords the Japanese automaker an ecosystem to fast-track its most innovative R&D ideas. With Danish architecture firm Bjarke Ingels Group on board, the team is expected to break ground on the 175-acre (71-hectare) site in 2021.

U.S. self-driving truck startup Plus.ai hit a major milestone in December 2019 when its autonomous commercial freight truck hauled a full load of butter across the country in a refrigerated trailer—the first semitruck of its kind to go coast to coast. The vehicle completed the 2,800-mile (4,500-kilometer) journey in three days, driving day and night while navigating road construction, mountains, tunnels, rain and snow. (A safety driver and an engineer were on board, but they only took over during fuel stops and federally mandated breaks.)

NASA created new crewmates for the International Space Station: small floating robots that can handle routine tasks autonomously so astronauts can focus on more strategic tasks. The U.S. space agency designed and built the Astrobee system at its Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley. Honey, Queen and Bumble were deployed at the station last year, capable of helping to take inventory, document experiments with built-in cameras and even move cargo.

Engineers at Rutgers University developed a robot that can draw blood and insert catheters more effectively than most humans. According to results published by the U.S. university’s team in February, the table-top robot met or exceeded clinical standards, with an overall success rate of 87 percent for participants whose blood was drawn. For those with veins that were easy to access, the success rate was 97 percent.

As COVID-19 began to spread, China’s Youibot designed, produced and delivered its first antivirus bot in just 14 days for the Third People’s Hospital of Hubei Province. The team adapted existing Youibot machines to add infrared cameras that allow the bots to monitor body temperature of patients and ultraviolet lamps that can kill 99.9 percent of viruses, covering 1,000 square meters (10,764 square feet) in 150 minutes.

Sarcos developed this wearable exoskeleton to combine the lifting power of a robot with the dexterity of a person. After years of testing prototypes, the U.S. company launched a pilot project this year with Delta Air Lines to test how the suit can help luggage handlers lift bags. The suit is designed to help a single person lift bags as heavy as 200 pounds (90.7 kilograms)—creating work efficiencies without back-breaking health risks.

Seeking to help seniors avoid social isolation, Israel’s Intuition Robotics brought digital assistant ElliQ to market in 2019 after nearly a year of testing and tweaking to refine its emotional intelligence. The interactive device can remind seniors to take medications, keep appointments, initiate calls with family via the built-in camera or even play games.

The AI-powered breakthrough, unveiled in 2019, allows users of the new prosthetic hand to make unlimited gestures and grips. And it does it at one-fourth the cost of similar products. U.S. device maker BrainRobotics uses 3D scanning and printing to create custom sockets tailored to each user, eliminating the need for multiple tests to find the right fit. The company also incorporated eight sensors in the wrist and an algorithm that learns the user’s motions, meaning the hand will become more adaptive and lifelike over time.

Bad weather can hinder the performance of autonomous vehicles. Cue the Gacha shuttle bus, which promises to keep on chugging in rain, fog or snow. It looks cool too, with a design by Naoto Fukasawa and Japan’s Muji brand while Finland’s Sensible 4 delivered the tech. Making its maiden journey last year in Helsinki, Finland and billed as the first all-weather fully functioning electric autonomous shuttle, the bus can seat 10 passengers with room for six more to stand—offering the potential to expand mass transit options.

A Silicon Valley startup and a Motor City auto-racing mainstay collaborated on what could be a game-changer for the agricultural industry: self-driving machines that manually pluck weeds. With FarmWise providing the tech and Roush supplying the industrial manufacturing expertise, the team was able to create a prototype of a farming robot capable of cultivating enough vegetables to feed 400,000 people.