Kitchen robots are a popular vision of the future, but if a robot of today tries to grasp a kitchen staple such as a clear measuring cup or a shiny knife, it likely won't be able to. Transparent and ...

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in ...

A typical reflective object sensor consists of an infrared light emitter diode (IRED) and an NPN silicon phototransistor mounted side-by-side on parallel axes in a compact black plastic housing. The ...