Soft Robotics came out of stealth mode at the RoboBusiness conference, showing prototypes of its gripper technology, which has roots at Harvard University. Rather than use electronics to control how a machine picks up something, Soft Robotics relies on pneumatics and carefully chosen materials, says CEO Carl Vause. Credit: Martin LaMonica

Brain Corporation, which is funded by Qualcomm, is making hardware and software to allow third-party developers to rapidly create their own robots. This demo robot can learn instructions by using a remote control to show what actions the user wants it to take, rather than through software programming. Credit: Martin LaMonica

Harvest Automation’s first product uses the same basic chassis to move potted plants from one location to another at nurseries and greenhouses, autonomously. Now it’s working on a machine to collect bins, such as this milk crate-like box, in e-commerce warehouses. Credit: Martin LaMonica

Empire Robotics demonstrated its first product: a gripper that’s an alternative to conventional robotic pickers that pick up devices with finger-like grips. Instead, Empire Robotics’ device uses a balloon-like bag filled with a sand-like material. It’s filled with air and then, to pick something up, the air is sucked out, which creates a surprisingly strong grip. Credit: Martin LaMonica

Healthcare company Vecna showed off its QC Bot, which is designed to help nurses by transporting goods through hospitals. As a sign of how vital robotics is to the healthcare industry, both in hospitals and in homes, Vecna is hosting a robotics incubator as part of the MassRobotics cluster initiative. Credit: Martin LaMonica

One of the most compelling applications for mobile robots is telepresence. Here a person is using the VGo robot to stroll the conference floor. Credit: Martin LaMonica

One of the most important tasks for mobile robots is to build maps of its environments on the fly. This tank-like robot has been equipped with a lidar system, the same used in robotic cars. Credit: Martin LaMonica

The NERVE center at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell has several test beds to run mobile robots through different terrains. Credit: Martin LaMonica

Humanoid robots, while cool-looking, are used primarily for research and in specialized situations. NASA, for instance, has human-shaped robots in the International Space Station because all the controls and switches were designed for people. Credit: Martin LaMonica