A soft robot could help doctors diagnose and treat disorders of the small intestine
MIT engineers designed a robotic enteroscope that can inch through the hard-to-reach small intestine, making biopsies and drug delivery easier.
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Science · Publishers: MIT News
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Origami-based construction method yields lightweight, load-bearing structures on architectural scales
The modular approach could be used to erect emergency shelters or fabricate aerospace components more quickly and with less material than some techniques.
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MIT student teams win top honors in NASA competition
Three MIT teams took five top awards in the 2026 NASA RASC-AL Competition for designing critical elements for the moon base and future missions to Mars.
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New chip could help tiny robots traverse complex environments
Researchers combined an efficient algorithm with dedicated hardware to rapidly generate 3D maps for navigation using minimal memory and power.
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MIT spinout makes surgical stitching more like applying a sticky note
SanaHeal has developed a biologically compatible adhesive that sticks to wet tissues to simplify a variety of surgeries.
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Planning system ensures a robot’s flight path will remain collision-free
This new method, called “SANDO,” could help disaster-response robots navigate dangerous, unknown environments.
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Computational tools for society’s most complex challenges
Associate Professor Cathy Wu uses reinforcement learning to help map out improvements to transportation and other multifaceted systems.
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Powered by muscle cells, a paper-thin robot swims through watery maze
MIT engineers’ new aquabot offers a way to design small, efficient “biohybrid” robots.
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Robotic lab sets up and runs optics experiments on demand
The autonomous system could speed up testing of high-tech materials for applications such as solar cells, sensors, video displays, and quantum technologies.
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MIT spinout turns plastic waste into resilient building materials
Atlas Building Composites is commercializing MIT research to turn plastic waste into parts for buildings and other infrastructure.
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New method enables AI for safety-critical situations
The “HardFlow” algorithm could help generative AI models produce high-quality outputs that obey strict requirements when “pretty close” doesn’t cut it.
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Researchers tune into Arctic under-ice sounds and test through-ice communication
The work is part of a multiyear effort to develop a distributed sensor network for relaying data collected from this critical region.
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System helps humans predict when self-driving cars will make mistakes
A new method, called CW-Net, translates the reasoning process of an autonomous vehicle’s AI system into understandable concepts that explain its behavior.
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MIT engineers design a better controller for operating construction diggers
The new, more intuitive system could speed up the training process for excavator operators.
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Daniela Rus receives Bavarian Minister-President's High-Tech Prize
Director of CSAIL and MIT professor honored for her contributions to robotics, artificial intelligence, and autonomous systems.
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Can AI build a jet engine? JARVIS Challenge tests role of AI copilots in tough-tech engineering
MIT students designed, built, and tested a jet engine with AI copilots, assessing AI’s usefulness in developing high-performance aerospace systems.
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AI agents create virtual playgrounds to help robots get crucial training data
“SceneSmith” system uses collaborative AI agents to create realistic 3D environments of places like kitchens, hotels, and living rooms, where robots can simulate everyday chores.
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New flapping robot swims and flies like a diving bird
MIT engineers’ design could lead to a new class of aerial-aquatic vehicles for ocean exploration.
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Tiny robot boats build floating structures
MIT researchers developed FloatForm, a swarm of small aquatic robots that snap together like ants forming a raft, assembling into reconfigurable structures on the water.
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LLMs help robots understand vague instructions and focus on key details
To help robots do chores in places like homes and factories, a new approach from MIT uses one language model to clarify users’ instructions, then another to ignore irrelevant info.
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Exploring the societal impacts of AI
During the AI and Society Forum, leading MIT researchers examined critical questions about AI’s influence on employment and democracy.
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Could AI tell you where you left your keys?
A new spatial memory system for robots efficiently captures details about the objects they see while exploring their environment.
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MIT affiliates win 2026 Hertz Foundation Fellowships
The fellowships in applied sciences, engineering, and mathematics recognize doctoral students who are pursuing solutions to the most pressing challenges in science and technology.
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New imaging system sees through murky waters
The “Sonar-MASt3R” combines sonar and visual data to create real-time 3D maps, even in cloudy water.
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Startup helps retailers track their products in real-time
Using technology invented at MIT, Cartesian’s system for locating objects could also find uses in manufacturing, logistics, and robotics.
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Ambassadors of STEM
A new MIT student club for FIRST Robotics alumni aims to promote hands-on STEM education enrichment for K-12 students.
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New research enables a robot to chart a better course
By rapidly generating a smooth path plan that cuts travel time and avoids obstacles, the open-source “MIGHTY” system could streamline disaster recovery and parcel delivery.
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Two from MIT named 2026 Knight-Hennessy Scholars
The prestigious fellowship funds graduate studies at Stanford University.
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It took 40 years for technology to catch up to this zipper design
An old patent from MIT Professor Bill Freeman inspired the new “Y-zipper,” a three-sided fastener that snaps gear, robots, and art into shape at the push of a button.
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With a swipe of a magnet, microscopic “magno-bots” perform complex maneuvers
MIT researchers’ new fabrication technique can produce soft, microscopic structures with magnetically activated moving parts.
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Robotically assembled building blocks could make construction more efficient and sustainable
New research suggests constructing a simple building from interlocking subunits should be mechanically feasible and have a much smaller carbon footprint.
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Tackling the housing shortage with robotic microfactories
Reframe Systems, co-founded by Vikas Enti SM '20, creates microfactories for modular home construction, reducing carbon emissions and costs.
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Managing traffic in space
Associate Professor Richard Linares is helping satellites safely navigate in increasingly congested orbits.
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Light-activated gel could impact wearables, soft robotics, and more
New MIT work advances the growing field of ionotronics, in which data are transferred through ions, potentially providing a bridge between electronics and biological tissue.
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Human-machine teaming dives underwater
Researchers are developing hardware and algorithms to improve collaboration between divers and autonomous underwater vehicles engaged in maritime missions.
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A new type of electrically driven artificial muscle fiber
Electrofluidic fibers mimic how natural muscle fibers bundle, and could enable compact, silent robotic and prosthetic systems.
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AI system learns to keep warehouse robot traffic running smoothly
This new approach adapts to decide which robots should get the right of way at every moment, avoiding congestion and increasing throughput.
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Wristband enables wearers to control a robotic hand with their own movements
By moving their hands and fingers, users can direct a robot to play piano or shoot a basketball, or they can manipulate objects in a virtual environment.
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Lasers, robots, action: MIT workshop explores Raman spectroscopy
Participants learn how laser “fingerprinting” can help identify materials in fields ranging from law enforcement to art restoration.
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Generative AI improves a wireless vision system that sees through obstructions
With this new technique, a robot could more accurately detect hidden objects or understand an indoor scene using reflected Wi-Fi signals.
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MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab seed to signal: Amplifying early-career faculty impact
Academia-industry relationship is an early-stage accelerator, supporting professional progress and research.
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A better method for planning complex visual tasks
A new hybrid system could help robots navigate in changing environments or increase the efficiency of multirobot assembly teams.
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Engineering confidence to navigate uncertainty
In 16.85 (Design and Testing of Autonomous Vehicles), AeroAstro students build software that allows autonomous flight vehicles to navigate unknown environments.
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Featured video: Coding for underwater robotics
Lincoln Laboratory intern Ivy Mahncke developed and tested algorithms to help human divers and robots navigate underwater.
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A neural blueprint for human-like intelligence in soft robots
An AI control system co-developed by SMART researchers enables soft robotic arms to learn a broad set of motions once and adapt instantly to changing conditions without retraining.
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Magnetic mixer improves 3D bioprinting
MagMix, an onboard mixing device, enables scalable manufacturing of 3D-printed tissues.
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“Wait, we have the tech skills to build that”
From robotics to apps like “NerdXing,” senior Julianna Schneider is building technologies to solve problems in her community.
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Vine-inspired robotic gripper gently lifts heavy and fragile objects
The new design could be adapted to assist the elderly, sort warehouse products, or unload heavy cargo.
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Robots that spare warehouse workers the heavy lifting
Founded by MIT alumni, the Pickle Robot Company has developed machines that can autonomously load and unload trucks inside warehouses and logistic centers.
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MIT engineers design an aerial microrobot that can fly as fast as a bumblebee
With insect-like speed and agility, the tiny robot could someday aid in search-and-rescue missions.
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