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Technology

Ceiling robots can reconfigure room lights and curtains

Robots that magnetically attach to the ceiling can rearrange living and working spaces by controlling different objects

By Jeremy Hsu

10 May 2023

These robots use magnets to cling to the ceiling

These robots use magnets to cling to the ceiling

University of Chicago

Swarms of small robots rolling around on the ceiling can reconfigure rooms by moving hanging curtains or lights around – or store and then drop small objects such as keys and balls to humans below.

“When you look up at the ceiling, it is unutilised space for these robotics technologies,” says Ken Nakagaki.

Nakagaki and his colleagues at the University of Chicago modified Toio consumer robots from Sony and attached magnets to them. That allows the robots to cling to a mat …

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