A $2 million prize for subterranean robots
Team Cerberus has won an international competition with their subterranean robots, competing against top-ranked challengers. The group is headed by an NTNU professor.
Cybernetics and robots
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Drones will soon be transporting medical samples
Young entrepreneurs are testing out drone transport of medical samples between two hospitals 100 kilometres apart.
Robots with visual and tactile sensing can prevent tons of food waste
Intelligent food handling by robots can boost productivity and reduce waste in the production chain. Meet the robot with visual and tactile sensing, capable of handling compliant food objects.
A robotic microplankton sniffer dog
The microscopic, free-floating algae called phytoplankton — and the tiny zooplankton that eat them — are notoriously difficult to count. Researchers need to know how a warming climate will affect them both. A new kind of smart, lightweight autonomous underwater vehicle (LAUV) can help.
Making sure ships, other marine craft find their way
If you’ve ever wondered about the importance of shipping and navigation, think back to the grounding of the Ever Given container ship in the Suez Canal in March this year. The ship, stuck fast for six days, crippled shipping worldwide at the costs of billions of US dollars. A new edition of a popular textbook looks at marine guidance, navigation and control.
An automated box on wheels — with personality
Robots are becoming more and more omnipresent in our lives, even though we may not notice. New research shows that when a boxy motorized hospital robot can talk, people find it funny and engaging. And that may help people be more willing to accept new technologies, like robots, in their everyday lives.
High-profile EU support for NTNU
Two professors at NTNU have been awarded prestigious ERC Advanced Grants by the European Research Council.
Taking control of unmanned vessels at sea
What’s needed to be able to safely send a vessel to sea with no crew? How will these vessels detect a kayaker or a recreational boat that drifts into the course of the unmanned vessel? A new Centre for Research-Based Innovation, SFI AutoShip, will look for answers to these questions – and more.
Building trust in robots to measure, monitor, and regulate the ocean
A new partnership between the Centre for the 4th Industrial Revolution Ocean and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) has been established to establish trust in ocean data collected from autonomous underwater vehicles.
Little brain reads 8000 messages per second
Autonomous vehicles are in demand like never before. At NTNU, researchers have developed a circuit board that can be adapted to different drones with simple steps. Airbus has tested the system on a lunar landing prototype.
Teaching robots to cooperate underwater
The launch of a new research centre for robotics will provide increased knowledge about the sea with the help of underwater drones and robots. This could impact Norway’s international role as a major power at sea, says centre director.
Children think robots can help the elderly – but not their own grandparents
A study that asked children to assess three different robots showed that they responded most positively to simple robots shaped like flower pots, and were most sceptical of Pepper the robot, which looks more human.
Robot technology for everyone or only for the average person?
Robot technology is being used more and more in health rehabilitation and in working life. Exoskeletons are one technology with great potential. But this technology is often developed for the average person. So what about people who are small and thin, or tall and overweight?
Are robots designed to include the queer population?
Robot technology is flourishing in multiple sectors of society, including the retail, health care, industry and education sectors. However, are the perspectives of minority groups, such as the LGBTQ+ community, considered in robot and AI development?
Ground-breaking astronaut glove for exploring the moon and Mars
NTNU students have developed a smart glove for astronauts that can be used while exploring other planets. NASA partners recently conducted successful testing of the glove at the Haughton Mars Project research station.
Could a chatbot be your friend or romantic partner?
Researcher Marita Skjuve has been interviewing people who have a close relationship with a chatbot called Replika. Her conclusion is that such relationships offer value and meaning to the chatbot’s users, and can even be romantic.
Sensors made this company a world leader in tool production
A small machining company in Norway is the first in the world to use digitalised tools for advanced turning. The technology enables the prevention of damage to complex and expensive parts used in the aircraft and gas industries.
Stephen Fry: If we sleepwalk, we’ll die
“We may be a mere 20 years away from creating artificial life,” says Stephen Fry. He warns that these new life forms won’t see any need to keep us, and may instead look at us as pests.
New drones check ships for cracks and rust
Inspecting ship tanks and storage spaces underwater is a challenging task for humans. A start-up company that originated at NTNU is manufacturing autonomous drones that can take over the job – and do it more cheaply.
Tourism, aquaculture and offshore accidents with Blueye
Blueye is an underwater drone that got its start at NTNU. The drone can be used for serious purposes – such as when it mapped damage to the Norwegian frigate Helge Ingstad – or for entertainment, such as showing cruise passengers the underwater landscape.
Drones catching drones
How do you catch a drone flying at 70 km/h over a ship? With string.
Ocean life in 3-D: Mapping phytoplankton with a smart AUV
Phytoplankton form the base of the marine food chain but are notoriously difficult for scientists to account for — a little like trying to identify and count motes of dust in the air. A truly independent underwater vehicle shows it can do the job.
Making artificial intelligence understandable for the rest of us
Humans have developed machines that can learn on their own. Machines using artificial intelligence develop “behaviours” based on their interpretation of data. But we know less about how they teach themselves. Professor Harald Martens has created the start-up company Idletechs to develop a technology that will make artificial intelligence more understandable for the rest of us.
Better fish welfare using “sensor” fish
The electronic “sensor” fish measures the physical factors that affect farmed fish during delousing. The results may lead to welfare improvements in salmon farm cages.