A low-cost robot ready for any obstacle

Researchers have designed a robotic system that enables a low-cost and relatively small legged robot to climb and descend stairs nearly its height; traverse rocky, slippery, uneven, steep and varied terrain; walk across gaps; scale rocks and curbs; and even operate in the dark.

Research ushers in a ‘new frontier’ in tackling global poverty

With electricity comes prosperity, right? The answer might seem obvious—that electricity is key to economic growth and other societal benefits like better health. But in the world’s most impoverished regions, where resources to improve livelihoods are scarce, it’s not clear how much better off people are when they have access to electrical power.