In December 2025, pillars of the robotics community faced difficult times, industry leaders took new positions, and some new robot releases.
Researchers create programmable, autonomous robots smaller than a grain of rice
Powered by light, the robots carry computers and can move in complex patterns, say Penn Engineering and University of Michigan researchers.
Metal-air scavenger enables robot to draw power from the environment
Engineers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a metal-air scavenger that allows mobile robots to “eat” metal for energy.
Scientists Create First-Ever Circuit Powered By Light
For the first time, scientists have created a circuit that can power itself, as long as it’s left in a beam of sunshine. Created by scientists from the University of Pennsylvania, the world’s first photovoltaic circuit could eventually power a new line of consumer devices or even model the human brain. Right now the creators […]