Most robots use electric actuators, but this little fella packs a lot more punch. Researchers have created a new type of minuscule combustion engine that gives this tiny frog robot explosive leaping ...

Tiny combustion-powered microactuators propelled an insect-sized microbot capable of crawling and jumping, according to a new study. “The high frequencies, speeds, and strengths allow [the] actuators ...

Researchers combined soft microactuators with high-energy-density chemical fuel to create an insect-scale quadrupedal robot that is powered by combustion and can outrace, outlift, outflex and outleap ...

American popular culture may sometimes take a dim view of robots, but we’ve seen stories of robots being useful during emergency situations like Africa’s most recent Ebola outbreak and the deadly and ...

It’s an unfortunate fact that when a scientist at MIT describes an exciting new piece of hardware as “low-cost,” it might not mean the same thing as if a hobbyist had said it. [Caden Kraft] ...

Despite major advancements in robotics and the huge potential it has to make our lives easier, robots are still mostly stuck in industrial settings. We have seen a few robots enter homes, healthcare, ...

[Aaed Musa] has built a variety of robots over the years, but found off-the-shelf servos to be underwhelming for his work. Thus, he set out to build a better actuator to support his goals of building ...

Inexpensive robots of all forms are on the rise. Meka uses compliant actuators called series elastic actuators (SEAs) in nearly all joints of its robotic systems. A spring between motor and load ...