robotics

Mechanical engineering major Amanda Vasconcelos considers herself “one of the lucky people” to have always known what career she wanted. Now, she’s building animatronic toys as a co-op at toy-maker Hasbro. Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University

She deconstructed robotic toys as a kid. Now she builds them for Hasbro.

Amanda Vasconcelos considers herself “one of the lucky people” to have always known she wanted to be an engineer. Now, she’s building animatronic toys as a co-op at the multinational toy-making company Hasbro.

by Eva Botkin-Kowacki April 27, 2021

Students in professor Hanumant Singh's autonomous field robotics class prepare to test drive a simulated self-driving car outside the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Students take a self-driving Lincoln out for a spin

Robotics students take a simulated self-driving car out on the streets of Boston to learn about data collection. The goal is to understand how data from cameras and sensors are affected by pedestrians, bicyclists, and other cars. A human was behind the wheel for the trip, but the rolling laboratory also can be steered with a video game controller.

by Peter Ramjug April 2, 2021

Daniel Simpson, who studies mechanical engineering, demonstrates his sanitizing robot inside the Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Complex on Northeastern's Boston campus on Dec. 15, 2020. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

He built a COVID-19-busting robot to sanitize your desk

Daniel Simpson, a first-year student at Northeastern, has wanted to build robots since he first saw Tony Stark in Iron Man. Now, he’s helping to design and build a mobile COVID-busting robot that uses UV light to sterilize desks and table-tops—while getting both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in five years.

by Hillary Chabot January 7, 2021

Hanumant Singh,
Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, works on a drone in the ISEC building on Sept. 28, 2020. Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

He's building the next generation of autonomous robots

After going into lockdown, Hanumant Singh, a professor of electrical and computer engineering, is finally back with the robots in his lab. It may not be the same, he says, but he and his team are ready to pick up where they left off and continue building the drones of the future.

by Roberto Molar Candanosa October 12, 2020

Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Testing medical protective gear is the perfect job for robots–but not without the help of humans.

When the production and manufacturing industry for personal protective equipment encountered a bottled neck because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Taskin Padir, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, set up a team to help mobilize the process of testing surgical masks and gowns in local hospitals. Now, he wants to build a robotic system that could help manufacturers perform that process faster and more efficiently during this and future pandemics.

by Roberto Molar Candanosa October 5, 2020

What can a rhododendron teach us about robotics?

Moneesh Upmanyu, professor of mechanical and industrial engineering, is studying how and why the leaves of rhododendron plants curl up in cold temperatures. The answer could help him design smart, folding structures and electronics that respond to temperature changes or other stimulation.

by Laura Castañón March 27, 2020

With a small ocean robot, Northeastern researchers produced high-resolution models of icebergs in Sermilik Fjord, Greenland. Photo courtesy Hanumant Singh

How to stop an iceberg in its tracks

In Greenland, icebergs are melting fast. With an ocean robot made by Northeastern professor Hanumant Singh, scientists are beginning to understand just how fast.

by Roberto Molar Candanosa February 27, 2020

The numbers of chinstrap penguins on Elephant Island, Antarctica, are dwindling. Studying them can be difficult, as they prefer living on rocky and elevated areas that can be hard to reach by researchers. Photo courtesy of Yang Liu

Penguins are starving as Antarctica gets warmer. Drones are counting the losses.

Scientists suspect that the population of the chinstrap penguins that inhabit Elephant Island is dwindling. A team that includes two Northeastern doctoral students is seeking to measure the decline using drones and machine learning algorithms.

by Vikrant Shah - contributor February 11, 2020

Robotic arms, a device that disinfects your iPhone, and other mechanical engineering wonders

A battery-powered water purification system. A machine to improve the processing of cocoa pods in Nigeria. A device to disinfect your iPhone. These were just some of the mechanical engineering projects on display Tuesday at Northeastern.

by Laura Castañón December 3, 2019

Bats are the only animals that live most of their lives hanging upside down. Alireza Ramezani, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Northeastern, is working on a robot that mimics the ability of bats to hang feet up and save energy. Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University

To build a better drone, look to the bat

When bats fly, they use less energy than other flying animals. Alireza Ramezani, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Northeastern, is making a new robotic mechanism that will mimic the ability of bats to fly smart and save energy.

by Roberto Molar Candanosa October 18, 2019