We describe a force-controlled robotic gripper with built-in tactile and 3D perception. We also describe a complete autonomous manipulation pipeline consisting of object detection, segmentation, point cloud processing, force-controlled manipulation, and symbolic (re)-planning. The design emphasizes versatility in terms of applications, manufacturability, use of commercial off-the-shelf parts, and open-source software. We validate the design by characterizing force control (achieving up to 32N, controllable in steps of 0.08N), force measurement, and two manipulation demonstrations: assembly of the Siemens gear assembly problem, and a sensor-based stacking task requiring replanning. These demonstrate robust execution of long sequences of sensor-based manipulation tasks, which makes the resulting platform a solid foundation for researchers in task-and-motion planning, educators, and quick prototyping of household, industrial and warehouse automation tasks.

This sleek robotic dog may still be a mystery, but it clearly knows far more tricks than fetch, roll over and sit. Waltham-based Boston Dynamics has the tech world buzzing over a 24-second teaser video featuring its stylish new dog-like robot, SpotMini, which can climb stairs, handle objects and operate outdoors or in an office. The not-quite two-and-a-half foot tall, 60-pound robot is the smaller, younger brother of the company's Spot model, which was also unveiled with a YouTube video in February 2015. The SpotMini is battery powered and has a state-of-the-art 3D vision system. "SpotMini is a small four-legged robot that comfortably fits in an office or home," the company wrote on its website. The teaser video posted online has been viewed more than 2.5 million times.

The robot maneuvered through the dark portals, which had been deprived of oxygen in an effort to smother the fire, aiming onboard lights and cameras in all directions, scanning for flames, monitoring for explosive methane gas, and looking for rocks cracked and loosened by the heat. The exercise marked the first time a robot was ever sent into a coal mine ahead of humans to make sure conditions were safe, said John Correll, assistant director of the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration. "The conditions could have been very, very hazardous," Correll said. "We didn't have to send humans in there, because we had the robot." Federal mine safety officials gathered at the Pikeville coal mine, operated by Alliance Resource Partners, on Thursday to tout the work of the robot and speculate about what the future of mining holds for such machines. Investigators still haven't determined the cause of the fire, which started on Dec. 25 and forced the mine to be closed for 33 days.