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Robotics
A robot made of sticks
A robot made of sticks
Devin Carroll, a doctoral candidate in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, is designing a modular robot called StickBot, which may be adapted for rehabilitation use in global public health settings.
3D printing drones work like bees to build and repair structures while flying
3D printing drones work like bees to build and repair structures while flying
Researchers including Weitzman’s Robert Stuart-Smith have made a swarm of bee-inspired drones that can collectively 3D print material while in flight, allowing unbounded manufacturing for building and repairing structures.
Deploying microrobotics for dental treatments and diagnostics
Deploying microrobotics for dental treatments and diagnostics
Penn Dental Medicine and its Center for Innovation & Precision Dentistry show that microrobots can access the difficult to reach surfaces of the root canal with controlled precision.
Shapeshifting microrobots can brush and floss teeth
Shapeshifting microrobots can brush and floss teeth
In a proof-of-concept study, researchers from the School of Dental Medicine and School of Engineering and Applied Science shows that a hands-free system could effectively automate the treatment and removal of tooth-decay-causing bacteria and dental plaque.
Can electric vehicles revitalize American manufacturing?
Can electric vehicles revitalize American manufacturing?
Hyundai's investment in high-tech production facilities in the U.S. could fuel innovation and employment growth, says Wharton's Lynn Wu.
Soft ‘rotini’ robots navigate with a snap
Soft ‘rotini’ robots navigate with a snap
Researchers at Penn Engineering have developed soft robots that are capable of navigating complex environments, such as mazes, without input from humans or computer software.
Celebrating five years of innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity
Celebrating five years of innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity
Penn Today marks the anniversary of Pennovation Works, the University’s business incubator and laboratory space, with a look at the evolution of the site, its research and commercialization achievements, and a glimpse into the future.
Even without a brain, metal-eating robots can search for food
Even without a brain, metal-eating robots can search for food
SEAS engineers are developing robot-powered technology with energy sources that are harvested in the robot’s environment.
Five Penn faculty named 2021 Sloan Research Fellows
Five Penn faculty named 2021 Sloan Research Fellows
The fellowship recognizes extraordinary U.S. and Canadian researchers whose creativity, innovation, and research accomplishments make them stand out as the next generation of scientific leaders.
GRASP Lab’s coolest robot yet
GRASP Lab’s coolest robot yet
The Lab’s latest GRASP Lab’s latest modular robotic system is a series of units made out of blocks of ice. These robots could be deployed to research in the Antarctic, or even an extraterrestrial planet.
In the News
The New York Times
The long road to driverless trucks
Steve Viscelli of the School of Arts & Sciences comments on the complexities and uncertainties of the emerging self-driving truck industry.
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New Scientist
Drone swarm that 3D prints cement structures could construct buildings
Robert Stuart-Smith of the Weitzman School of Design and colleagues demonstrate how 3D-printing drones can create large structures made of foam or cement, paving the way for future construction efforts.
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iTech Post
University of Pennsylvania researchers develop microrobots that can brush, floss your teeth
Hun Michel Koo of the School of Dental Medicine, Edward Steager of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and colleagues have created automated shapeshifting microrobots with the ability to brush, floss, and rinse teeth.
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The New York Times
The supply chain broke. Robots are supposed to help fix it
Steve Viscelli of the School of Arts & Sciences says that labor shortage claims are industry-lobbying rhetoric meant to reframe the issue as a scarcity of workers rather than a lack of decent jobs.
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Interesting Engineering
A swarm of tiny robots could soon brush and floss your teeth for you
A multidisciplinary Penn team including Michael Koo of the School of Dental Medicine and Edward Steager of the School of Engineering and Applied Science has created an automated way to brush and floss through robotics, a potentially useful development for those unable to clean their teeth themselves.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Philly hosts a robot lollapalooza, attracting 4,500 roboticists and showing off devices that fly, swim, and enter the body
Vijay Kumar of the School of Engineering and Applied Science is quoted on the International Conference on Robotics and Automation and how robotics has become a fundamental discipline in engineering education.
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