Streamlining a robot's design can cut back on maintenance and repairs by eliminating any extra parts that could break. Even better, transitioning from mechanical to electronic parts simplifies design ...

Professor Ralph Hollis invented a robot with a special motor that has a very simple drive system about a decade ago called the ballbot. Fast-forward ten years and Hollis' invention called the ...

Ralph Hollis, a research professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute, has been building “ballbots” — tall, thin robots that glide around on a sphere a bit smaller than a bowling ball ...

In a field where highly complex machinery often pulls the strings of highly complex maneuvers, a system that relies on a single ball to get around is certainly at the simpler end of the spectrum. Ten ...

Carnegie Mellon University's SIMbot robot uses a motor with just one moving part -- a large ball -- to balance and move in an office environment. Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible ...