Self-driving vehicles at the microscale

(Phys.org)—In a new study, scientists have developed the microscale version of self-driving vehicles: a 5-μm spherical micromotor that autonomously navigates its way through micro-traffic along a micro-maze to reach its ...

Balancing risk and reward in planetary exploration

NASA's Mars rovers strive for groundbreaking scientific discoveries as they traverse the Martian landscape. At the same time, the crews operating the rovers do all they can to protect them and the billions of dollars behind ...

NASA's Mars Curiosity debuts autonomous navigation

(Phys.org) —NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has used autonomous navigation for the first time, a capability that lets the rover decide for itself how to drive safely on Mars.

US army seeks new technology to replace GPS

The US army is working to limit its dependence on GPS by developing the next generation of navigation technology, including a tiny autonomous chip, the director of the Pentagon's research agency said Wednesday.

FDA gives green light to RP-VITA hospital robot

(Phys.org)—The FDA has approved RP-VITA from iRobot and InTouch Health. This is an autonomous medical robot which will be able to make its rounds of hospital corridors in the U.S. within the next few months. The RP-VITA ...

Mars Rover driving leaves distinctive tracks

(PhysOrg.com) -- When NASA's Opportunity Mars rover uses an onboard navigation capability during backward drives, it leaves a distinctive pattern in the wheel tracks visible on the Martian ground.

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