Do you know about the very first robot that could be digitally programmed and operated? Its name was Unimate, and it was invented by George Devol in 1954. His work laid the foundation for a rapid acceleration of technical, functional, and aesthetic advancements in the field. Over 70 years later, the robotics industry is bigger and better than ever. Read on to explore five of the most important recent advancements in robotics and how they shape the world around you.
Improved Human-Robot Interaction
Human-robot interaction is one area where the field has improved drastically. It used to be that robots were relatively dangerous to be around, so they would stay off to the side to perform their tasks. That’s no longer the case.
Cobots: Robotic Coworkers
Though we’re still far from having androids work next to us on assembly lines, we have brought robotic assistance onto manufacturing floors. These robots are aptly dubbed “cobots,” as they are built to work alongside people, sharing the same workspace and augmenting human capabilities.
This has been made possible through sophisticated sensor suites, including force-torque sensors, advanced vision systems, and proximity detectors that allow a robot to perceive and react to a person’s presence in real time.
For example, cobots can detect unexpected contact and immediately stop or reverse their motion to prevent injuring a person. Moreover, programming these machines has become far more intuitive. Instead of needing complex coding, many cobots can be taught new tasks through something called “lead-through programming,” where a human operator simply guides the robot’s arm through the desired motions. This ease of use lowers the barrier to entry for small and medium-sized businesses looking to adopt automation without a team of robotics experts.
The Rise of Soft Robotics
When you think of a robot, your mind likely jumps to images of boxy metal beings. Even outside of popular media, robots tend to be made of rigid materials like metal and plastic. This manufacturing makes them strong and able to exist in industrial environments, but it severely limits their ability to work with delicate objects. Enter soft robotics.
A Lighter Touch
Soft robotics is inspired by biological organisms like octopuses and caterpillars. These robots are constructed from compliant materials such as silicone, rubber, and fabric. As a result, they have flexibility that allows them to bend, twist, and conform to their surroundings in ways rigid robots cannot. Fluidic systems, where air or liquid is pumped into channels within the robot’s body, are what typically create movement for these machines.
As we mentioned, soft robotics is most useful for delicate applications. Though all robots are precise, few of them can, say, handle fragile biological tissues and organs during surgery. That’s changing.
Advancements in Robotic Mobility
The ability for robots to move effectively through diverse terrains is another area of rapid innovation. For one, most robots are fixed. They can’t move at all, staying always at their station to perform whatever specialized task is assigned to them.
The first successful attempts at mobility employed wheels. But while wheeled robots are efficient on flat surfaces, they struggle with stairs, uneven ground, and obstacles.
That’s when we started putting legs on robots, and this feature is only getting more effective. Legged robots (particularly quadrupeds) have made great strides—literally. Boston Dynamics’ Spot is perhaps the most well-known example. This canine-like robot has an impressive ability to walk, run, climb stairs, and recover from being pushed over. This dynamic stability is achieved through a combination of advanced control algorithms, real-time sensor feedback, and a design that mimics animal locomotion.
Similarly, other forms of mobility are being developed for specialized environments. Snake-like robots can navigate pipes and confined spaces for inspection and repair tasks. Aerial drones have become smaller, more agile, and equipped with sophisticated autonomous navigation systems, allowing them to perform tasks like infrastructure inspection, package delivery, and aerial mapping. The convergence of these different mobility platforms allows for a more holistic approach to automation, where the right type of robot can be deployed for any given environment or task.
The Integration of Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence has its foot in the door of almost every industry these days, including robotics. In fact, robotics was one of the first fields experimenting with and depending on AI for technological advancements.
Language Benefits
For example, instead of relying on pre-programmed instructions, such as PLC or HMI programming, we can now communicate with robots using natural language. A user can simply tell a robot to “go to the kitchen and get me a can of soda.” Then, the AI will translate that high-level command into a sequence of concrete actions: navigate to the kitchen, identify the refrigerator, open the door, locate the soda, grasp it, and bring it back.
Operational Benefits
On a related note, we have paired robotics with agentic AI to transform field operations. These robots can learn new skills by observing humans or even by watching videos. This fusion of physical capability and cognitive intelligence is creating robots that are far more versatile and adaptable. They can perform a wide range of tasks without needing to be explicitly programmed for each one, which is a massive leap forward for general-purpose robotics.
Edge Computing
For robots to operate autonomously in real-time, they need to process vast amounts of sensor data with minimal delay. Relying solely on cloud-based processing introduces latency, which can be unacceptable for critical applications like self-driving cars or remote surgery.
Edge computing addresses this by performing data processing directly on the robot or on a nearby local server. This minimizes the time between data acquisition and action, enabling faster and more reliable responses.
5G Elevation
The rollout of 5G networks further enhances this capability. With its high bandwidth and ultra-low latency, 5G allows for robust and reliable communication between robots, edge servers, and the cloud. This enables new applications, such as fleets of coordinated drones working together on a construction site or a surgeon remotely controlling a robot with haptic feedback.
Overall, this powerful combination of edge computing and 5G is creating a more connected and intelligent robotic ecosystem.
These recent advancements in robotics are important because they are interconnected threads weaving together a new tapestry of automation and intelligence. As the years go by, we move closer to a future where robots are true partners in our personal and professional lives. The continued progress in mobility, connectivity, and bio-inspired design will only accelerate this transformation.
