Ceiling robots can reconfigure room lights and curtains

Swarms of small robots rolling round on the ceiling can reconfigure rooms by transferring hanging curtains or lights round – or retailer after which drop small objects reminiscent of keys and balls to people beneath.

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

Nakagaki and his colleagues on the University of Chicago modified Toio shopper robots from Sony and connected magnets to them. That permits the robots to cling to a mat …