Skip to Content

Spherical Robot

Today’s robotic arms have limited flexibility, with many robots requiring up to six arms to achieve a complete range of motion. But now engineers at the Johns Hopkins University have laid the groundwork for robots with increased flexibility and accuracy by developing a spherical motor that can turn 360 degrees. Operating more like a shoulder joint than the elbow joints of current design, the prototype comprises 16 electromagnets arranged around a hollow sphere. When activated by a software-controlled electrical signal, the electromagnets attract 80 permanent magnets located inside the sphere, thereby causing motion. Within five years, the motor may be used in omnidirectional wheels, robotic cameras and even a smart computer mouse, directed by software agents. -V. Herrera

Keep Reading

Most Popular

Large language models can do jaw-dropping things. But nobody knows exactly why.

And that's a problem. Figuring it out is one of the biggest scientific puzzles of our time and a crucial step towards controlling more powerful future models.

OpenAI teases an amazing new generative video model called Sora

The firm is sharing Sora with a small group of safety testers but the rest of us will have to wait to learn more.

Google’s Gemini is now in everything. Here’s how you can try it out.

Gmail, Docs, and more will now come with Gemini baked in. But Europeans will have to wait before they can download the app.

This baby with a head camera helped teach an AI how kids learn language

A neural network trained on the experiences of a single young child managed to learn one of the core components of language: how to match words to the objects they represent.

Stay connected

Illustration by Rose Wong

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

Explore more newsletters

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-service@technologyreview.com with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.