Latest news with #ItalianInstituteofTechnology
NDTV
3 days ago
- Science
- NDTV
Researchers In Italy Unveil World's First Flying Humanoid Robot, But It's Getting Trolled Online. Here's Why
Researchers in Italy have unveiled the first flying humanoid robot, but the internet is creeped out by how it looks. According to Live Science, the Italian Institute of Technology shared a video on YouTube of the new robot, dubbed iRonCub MK3. In the clip, the baby-faced robot is held from a suspended position, before lifting off roughly 20 inches from the ground using thrusters. The robot, based on child-like size and appearance, measures 3 feet tall and weighs 22 kg. The robot is the result of two years of research, testing and development, per the outlet. It is controlled by real people remotely. The IIT engineers say that this robot is the first such jet-powered flying humanoid robot designed to take off. They added that this work highlights the new possibilities that a flying, humanoid robot presents. According to the institute, the iRonCub MK3 is being developed with "specific applications such as disaster response" in mind. Researchers believe that the robot's aerial mobility, along with its ground-based locomotion and manipulation, may pave the way for assistance in search and rescue missions. A robot of this kind could clear debris and assist in locating or even extracting victims, researchers said. The authors of the study also point out that a flying humanoid robot could carry out repairs on structures difficult for human beings to access, like the undersides of bridges. They could even be deployed in hazardous environments where people can't safely operate, like the site of a nuclear or chemical leak, the outlet reported. The iRonCub MK3 has been tested outdoors in a variety of situations and has also undergone flight testing in a wind tunnel. On social media, the robot has received mixed reactions. While some made fun of its baby face, others proposed some wild theories about its appearance. "This is very impressive, but by God, what's with that face? He is staring into my soul," wrote one user on Reddit. "The technology showcased here is great, but why in the f*** does it have to look like a monster baby?" asked another. "When the uprising comes, you'll be much less likely to shoot a cyborg with a baby face. You'll hesitate that fraction of a second, which is all it needs," theorised one user.
Mint
3 days ago
- Science
- Mint
This small robot can fly thanks to jet engines, and may one day help in emergencies or dangerous work
The robots are here and now they can fly. At the Italian Institute of Technology, engineers have built iRonCub, a robot shaped like a person (with a baby face, for some reason) that can lift off the ground with jet engines. The robot stands as tall as a child and weighs about 70 kilograms. Its face is blank and simple. The team started with detailed computer models to design iRonCub. They used a programme called PTC Creo. The design keeps changing as they test the robot in real life. The latest version is called iRonCub MK3. It has a new titanium spine and covers that protect it from heat. There are four jet engines, two on the arms and two on the back. These engines can lift the robot and keep it in the air. The exhaust from the engines gets very hot, so the team had to make sure the robot would not get damaged. There are two main versions of iRonCub. Both are based on earlier robots called iCub. The engineers use a digital model to plan and test how the robot should move. This helps them find problems before they try new ideas on the real robot. Flying is not easy for a robot with arms and legs. The team wrote software to plan how iRonCub should move when it walks or flies. They use Python for planning and C++ for running tests. The robot is controlled by a person who wears a headset and uses special equipment. The control system keeps the robot steady and safe during flight. To know where it is, iRonCub uses sensors on its body. These sensors tell the robot its position and how it is moving. The team also built a test bench to check how much thrust each engine gives. This helps them adjust the robot for better flight. The engineers use computer simulations to study how air moves around iRonCub. They also test the robot in a wind tunnel to see how it behaves in real air. This is the first time a humanoid robot has been tested like this. iRonCub is not just an experiment. The team hopes robots like this will help in disaster zones, dangerous repairs, or inspections. The project shows how robots are changing and becoming more useful in real life, with their usefulness far surpassing their potential dangers. The research on iRonCub's flight, aerodynamics, and control was published in the journal Nature Communications Engineering and is also available as a preprint on arXiv.
New York Post
4 days ago
- Science
- New York Post
Flying ‘baby-faced' robot is the first of its kind — and it's freaking people out: ‘What the f—k are we doing!?'
This adolescent-looking android is the first flying humanoid robot — but the internet is creeped out by how it looks. The Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) recently shared a video that updated curious viewers on the project titled iRonCub MK3's progress, but the robot's face seemed to be of special interest to the internet. 'Why does he look so freaky though,' pondered one viewer in a Reddit thread dedicated to the humanoid robot, meanwhile another wrote: 'This is very impressive, but by God, what's with that face? He is staring into my soul.' 'The technology showcased here is great, but why in the f–k does it have to look like a monster baby?' wondered another Redditor. Some viewers who stumbled across the mechanical creation happened to be especially out-of-the-box thinkers and proposed some wild theories about its appearance. 'When the uprising comes, you'll be much less likely to shoot a cyborg with a baby face,' theorized one user. 'You'll hesitate that fraction of a second, which is all it needs…' However human the robot may look, conspiracy theorists don't need to fret — it's not controlled by AI. Instead, it's teleoperated, or in other words, controlled by real people remotely. The Artificial and Mechanical Intelligence research team within the IIT works almost entirely with robotic humanoid technology — and now has five different robots, according to Live Science. This particular model is the result of two years of research, testing and development. With the jet pack, the baby robot weighs in at 154 lbs and stands about 3 feet tall. The widely reviled airborne automaton is called the iRonCub MK3, and is based on the institute's earlier humanoid robot model, the iCub. AFP via Getty Images According to the IIT, the iRonCub MK3 is being developed with 'specific applications such as disaster response' in mind. Typically, these robotic research efforts focus on land-based rescue and exploration, but the institute believes that implementing aerial locomotion skills will increase the utility and efficiency of any such endeavors. 'This research is radically different from traditional humanoid robotics and forced us to make a substantial leap forward with respect to the state of the art,' explained Daniele Pucci, one of the researchers on the team. While many internet users expressed profound confusion at the robot's uncanny childlike appearance, it turns out that some of the more humanoid features the iRonCub MK3 possesses have practical purposes. A computer modeling mockup of the flying humanoid robot. Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia Functional legs allow the robot to traverse terrain once it arrives via air, and realistic hand and arm capabilities let it open doors, move objects or even interact with things like switches or valves. Currently, the robot's arms have been replaced by two jet thrusters, but as the project's development continues, it will have its functional upper limbs restored. The iRonCub MK3 has been tested outdoors in a variety of situations, and has also undergone flight testing in a wind tunnel — another first for a robot. Though the majority of internet users ragged on the robot's baby face, others saw its charm. 'It's Astroboy!!' one user commented enthusiastically, while another gushed: 'Actually, it's cute.' No matter where you land on the topic of the android's appearance, don't be too mean about it — after all, this unique-looking creation could save your life someday.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Hours before a solar eclipse, spruce trees 'talk' to each other
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Spruce trees retain ancient memories of their environment and communicate with one other in the hours preceding a solar eclipse, a new international study suggests. "We now see the forest not as a mere collection of individuals, but as an orchestra of phase correlated plants," Alessandro Chiolerio, Italian Institute of Technology and University of the West of England, and the study co-leader, said in a statement. An interdisciplinary team consisting of researchers from Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain and Australia built custom sensors and placed them across a forest in the Dolomite mountains in Italy. Using the sensors, the team recorded simultaneous bioelectrical responses from the spruce trees. Before and during the eclipse, electrical activity from individual trees became "significantly" more synchronized, the researchers found. This phenomenon, they say, is evidence the forest is a unified living system. "By applying advanced analytical methods — including complexity measures and quantum field theory — we have uncovered a deeper, previously unrecognized dynamic synchronization not based on matter exchanges among trees," Chiolerio said. The older trees in the forest had an early response to the eclipse that was more pronounced, the authors say. This suggests the old trees hold ancient memories they can access. When events are coming up, the old trees "remember" and inform younger trees. "Basically, we are watching the famous 'wood wide web' in action!" Monica Gagliano, Southern Cross University, Australia, and study co-leader, said in the statement. Gagliano said the findings about the older trees in particular emphasize the importance of preserving these trees. Related Stories: — The sun might be spitting out particles that create water on the moon — World's largest solar telescope gains powerful new 'eye' to study the sun's secrets — The epic total solar eclipse of 2024 caused some birds to stop singing "The fact that older trees respond first — potentially guiding the collective response of the forest — speaks volumes about their role as memory banks of past environmental events," Galiano said. "This discovery underscores the critical importance of protecting older forests, which serve as pillars of ecosystem resilience by preserving and transmitting invaluable ecological knowledge," she added. The study was published on April 30 in the journal Royal Society Open Science. A documentary on the research, Il Codice del Bosco (The Forest Code), is set for release in Italy this month. You can check out the official trailer here.
Otago Daily Times
02-05-2025
- Science
- Otago Daily Times
Networked trees' cosmic connection
The researchers also detected changes in the bioelectric responses of the stumps during the eclipse. Photo: Zenit Arti Audiovisive Earth's cycles of light and dark profoundly affect billions of organisms. Events such as solar eclipses are known to bring about marked shifts in animals, but do they have the same effect on plants? During a solar eclipse in a forest in Italy's Dolomites region, scientists seized the chance to explore that fascinating question. The researchers were monitoring the bioelectric impulses of spruce trees, when a solar eclipse passed over. They left their sensors running to record the trees' response to the eclipse — and what they observed was astonishing. The spruce trees not only responded to the solar eclipse — they actively anticipated it, by synchronising their bioelectric signals hours in advance. This forest-wide phenomenon reveals a new layer of complexity in plant behaviour. It adds to emerging evidence that plants actively take part in their ecosystems. DO TREES RESPOND COLLECTIVELY? The research was led by Prof Alessandro Chiolerio, of the Italian Institute of Technology, and Prof Monica Gagliano, of Australia's Southern Cross University, who is the lead author on this article. It also involved a team of international scientists. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, fully or partially blocking the Sun's light. An eclipse can inspire awe and even social cohesion in humans. Other animals have been shown to gather and synchronise their movements during such an event. But scientists know very little about how plants respond to solar eclipses. Some research suggests the rapid transitions from darkness to light during an eclipse can change plant behaviour. But this research focuses on the responses of individual plants. The latest study set out to discover if trees respond to a solar eclipse together, as a living collective. WHAT THE RESEARCH INVOLVED Charged molecules travel through the cells of all living organisms, transmitting electrical signals as they go. Collectively, this electrical activity is known as the organism's "electrome". The electrical activity is primarily driven by the movement of ions across cell membranes. It creates tiny currents that allow organisms, including humans, to co-ordinate their body and communicate. The researchers wanted to investigate the electrical signals of spruce trees (Picea abies) during a partial solar eclipse on October 25, 2022. It took place in the Costa Bocche forest near Paneveggio in the Dolomites area, Italy. The scientists set out to understand the trees' electrical activity during the hour-long eclipse. They used custom-built sensors and wired them to three trees. Two were healthy trees about 70 years old, one in full sun and one in full shade. The third was a healthy tree about 20 years old, in full shade. Photo: Zenit Arti Audiovisive They also attached the sensors to five tree stumps — the remnants of old trees, originally part of a pristine forest, but which were devastated by a storm several years earlier. For each tree and stump, the researchers used five pairs of electrodes, placed in both the inner and outer layers of the tree, including on exposed roots, branches and trunks. The electrodes were connected to the sensors. This set-up allowed the scientists to monitor the bioelectric activity from multiple trees and stumps across four sites during the solar eclipse. They examined both individual tree responses, and bioelectric signals between trees. In particular, the scientists measured changes in the trees' "bioelectric potentials". This term refers to the differences in voltage across cell membranes. WHAT DID THEY FIND? The electrical activity of all three trees became significantly more synchronised around the eclipse — both before and during the one-hour event. These changes occur at a microscopic level, such as inside water and lymph molecules in the tree. The two older trees in the study had a much more pronounced early response to the impending eclipse than the young tree. This suggests older trees may have developed mechanisms to anticipate and respond to such events, similar to their responses to seasonal changes. Solar eclipses may seem rare from a human perspective, but they follow cycles that can occur well within the lifespan of long-lived trees. The scientists also detected bioelectric waves travelling between the trees. This suggests older trees may transmit their ecological knowledge to younger trees. Such a dynamic is consistent with studies showing long-distance signalling between plants can help them co-ordinate various physiological functions in response to environmental changes. The researchers also detected changes in the bioelectric responses of the stumps during the eclipse, albeit less pronounced than in the standing trees. This suggests the stumps were still alive. The research team then used computer modelling, and advanced analytical methods including quantum field theory, to test the findings of the physical experiment. The results reinforced the experimental results. That is, not only did the eclipse influence the bioelectric responses of individual trees, the activity was correlated. This suggests a cohesive, organism-like reaction at the forest scale. UNDERSTANDING FOREST CONNECTIONS These findings align with extensive prior research by others, highlighting the extent to which trees in forest ecosystems are connected. These behaviours may ultimately influence the forest ecosystem's resilience, biodiversity and overall function, by helping it cope with rapid and unpredictable changes. The findings also underscore the importance of protecting older forests, which serve as pillars of ecosystem resilience — potentially preserving and transmitting invaluable ecological knowledge. This research is featured in a documentary, Il Codice del Bosco (The Forest Code), which premiered in Italy this week. Monica Gagliano is a research associate professor in evolutionary biology, Southern Cross University. Prudence Gibson is a lecturer and researcher in plant humanities, UNSW Sydney.
