This special issue of IEEE Robotics and AutomationMagazine aims to present the recent research advances in robot-assisted home health care.If you like an article, click this icon to record your opinion.This capability

The IEEE Robotics and Automation Society’s standards working groups continue to grow.

Manipulators with a hyperredundant and large aspect ratio are becoming more commonly used to detect complex and narrow spaces. The hyperredundant feature confers advantages for such manipulator types in comparison to traditional manipulators. However, they also introduce path-planning challenges. Due to the characteristics of hyperredundancy, there are countless inverse kinematics solutions, and the path-planning method that is used for traditional manipulators cannot be directly applied to these hyperredundancy manipulators in terms of the number of calculations or adaptability of the algorithm.

Gecko-inspired adhesives can allow free-flying space robots to grasp and manipulate large items or anchor themselves on smooth surfaces. In this article, we report on the first tests conducted using gecko-inspired adhesives on a gripper attached to an Astrobee free-flying robot operating inside the International Space Station (ISS). We present results from on-ground testing as well as two on-orbit sessions conducted during early 2021. Recorded data demonstrated that an adhesive gripper for Astrobee could provide 3.15 N of force for manual perching. The adhesives functioned as anticipated, despite a lengthy storage period. The results also highlighted some considerations for future adhesive gripping in space with free-flying robots. We discuss these topics along with system design considerations for successful implementation aboard the ISS, raising the readiness of this technology for a space-grade environment.

As I write this in mid-April, the latest hopeful news that the global pandemic might finally be ebbing has been swept aside by the horrific scenes of devastation and human suffering in Ukraine. Like other communities, roboticists throughout the world have also been deeply affected by this tragedy. I’ve been part of vigorous debates online about the need to take collective action of some sort, from putting out a moral statement of conscience to offering financial and material support to those suffering from the war.