The word “robot” was coined by the Czech writer Karel Čapek in a 1920 play called Rossum’s Universal Robots, and is derived from the Czech robota, meaning “drudgery” or “servitude”.

Apr 9, 2025 · A hopping, insect-sized robot can jump over gaps or obstacles, traverse rough, slippery, or slanted surfaces, and perform aerial acrobatic maneuvers, while using a fraction of the energy required for flying microbots.

Jul 17, 2025 · New tool gives anyone the ability to train a robot MIT engineers designed a versatile interface that allows users to teach robots new skills in intuitive ways. July 17, 2025 Read full story

Jun 27, 2025 · MIT CSAIL researchers use a generative AI model to improve particular parts of 3D robot designs, helping them jump higher and land safely. The system refines its ideas in simulation before drafting a machine potentially useful in homes or factories.

Jan 16, 2025 · Technology Humanoid robot learns to waltz by mirroring people's movements An AI trained on motion capture recordings can help robots smoothly imitate human actions, such as dancing, walking and ...

Jun 5, 2025 · A new system enables a robot to “think ahead” and consider thousands of potential motion plans simultaneously, allowing the robot to solve a multistep problem in a few seconds.

Jul 17, 2025 · A new training interface allows a robot to learn a task in several different ways. This increased training flexibility could help more people interact with and teach robots — and may also enable robots to learn a wider set of skills.

Jan 28, 2025 · MIT Associate Professor Luca Carlone works to give robots a more human-like perception of their environment, so they can interact with people safely and seamlessly.

Jul 9, 2025 · Technology Surgical robots take step towards fully autonomous operations An AI system trained on videos of operations successfully guided a robot to carry out gall bladder surgery on a dead pig ...

Jan 15, 2025 · New insect-scale microrobots can fly more than 100 times longer than previous versions. The new bots, also significantly faster and more agile, could someday be used to pollinate fruits and vegetables.