Mobile cobots promise to combine the safety and flexibility of collaborative robots with mobile platforms. A recent event in Tokyo provided an advance glimpse.

The authors of a journal article calling out 10 grand robotics challenges explain where advances are being made and why researchers need to be self-aware.

At iRex 2017 in Japan, major robotics providers such as FANUC, Yaskawa, and Kawasaki demonstrated how deep learning can be applied to factory automation.

Humanoids mixed with industrial robots as Japan kicked off its biennial International Robot Exhibition (iREX) 2017 in Tokyo on Wednesday, featuring cutting-edge smart machines for the workplace and beyond amid Japan’s aging population and shrinking labor pool. Like many trade shows, iREX can be seen as a barometer of economic health. The 2017 edition is…

Roboticists have unveiled robots that can be deployed in interesting new ways through growing and unfolding, giving them useful access to all kinds of nooks and crannies.

SoftBank, already investing billions into AI and robotics, adds to its impressive robotics portfolio with the acquisitions of Boston Dynamics and Schaft.

SoftBank has acquired flashy Boston Dynamics and secretive Schaft from Google parent Alphabet. It remains to be seen how the Japanese company’s growing portfolio of service and humanoid robots will come together.

MIT CSAIL researchers have developed a Constraints Learning (C-LEARN) system that easily teaches robots a variety of tasks, including opening doors, transporting objects and extracting objects from containers. After a robot learns a new skill with this C-LEARN system, that knowledge can be automatically transferred to other robots.

Toyota will commercialize in Japan the Welwalk WW-1000 rehabilitation assist robotic system that helps stroke victims get back on their feet and walking again. Toyota plans to rent 100 units to Japanese medical centers beginning in September. There will be a set up cost of 1 million yen ($9,173) and a monthly fee of 350,000 yen ($3,210).

Androidol U is a fully autonomous conversational robot that has a more compact air servo system, better voice and body movement coordination and softer body materials compared to previous androids.

Panasonic’s Smart Cart is a prototype mobile robot that can tow either standard airport luggage carts or grocery carts. It can haul up to 330 lbs, including the weight of the cart itself. The Smart Cart can autonomously follow its user by tracking his or her footsteps.

Bat Bot is the latest prototype of a biomimetic design from the University of Illinois-Champaign. The winged aerial drone offers safety and energy efficiency for a variety of commercial applications.

At Ceatec 2016, Japan’s biggest technology show, global brands such as Toyota, Sharp and Fujitsu were drawing crowds with their latest robots.

A Japanese golf course is testing a drone delivery service that delivers refreshments to golfers while they’re on the course. The Sora Raku drone delivery service was developed by online shopping giant Rakuten and Autonomous Control Systems Laboratory.

Google Parent Alphabet Demoes New Biped Robot Possibly named ‘Rob870,’ the robot shows Google’s continued interest in humanoid designs.

Japan Drone and Drone Expo 2016 were opportunities for Japanese companies to show off their latest aerial drones. The UAV market is expected to grow worldwide, and commercial drone applications are also likely to diversify.

Peppers “staff” the shop on three floors and they’re programmed to sell iPhone 6s phones and introduce a new electricity service from a SoftBank subsidiary.

A life-like Leonardo da Vinci droid was among the head-turning humanoids of iREX 2015.

Japanese and foreign robot makers demonstrated their co-robot wares in Tokyo, addressing a wider range of functions with safer cobots.