Field: Robotics
Boston Dynamics retires dancing Atlas robot — and debuts its electric replacement
A day after retiring its hydraulic Atlas robot, Boston Dynamics released a video debuting its all-electric, workplace-ready replacement.
Does AI need a “body” to become truly intelligent? Meta researchers think so.
We’re finally starting to see what can happen when we put an advanced AI “brain” in a state-of-the-art robot “body” — and it’s remarkable.
Bipedal robot takes a beating, keeps on hiking
LimX Dynamics’s bipedal robot, P1, can keep its footing, even when traversing rough terrain unlike any it’s seen before.
Humanoid robots are joining the Mercedes-Benz workforce
German automaker Mercedes-Benz is deploying Apptronik’s Apollo robots at a manufacturing plant in Hungary.
Robots who share your accent are more trusted, study shows
What makes a robot seem competent and trustworthy might be different for different people.
Watch: Figure’s humanoid robot just learned something new
Robotics startup Figure AI just shared a video showing its humanoid robot completing a fully autonomous “real world task.”
NASA tests autonomous space robots for off-world construction
NASA is developing autonomous space robots to build shelters, solar arrays, and more on the moon and Mars.
Install open-source AI in a commercial robot and it’ll clean your room
Open-source AIs and commercial hardware may be enough to build domestic robots that can take over our chores.
OpenAI is reportedly investing in humanoid robots
Microsoft and OpenAI reportedly plan to invest $100 million into Figure, a startup developing a humanoid robot for the workplace.
See the humanoid robots that will build new BMWs
General purpose robots developed by robotics startup Figure are going to be deployed at a BMW Manufacturing plant.
10 must-see technologies from CES 2024
From super-hyped AI assistants to apps that translate babies’ cries, CES 2024 has given us a glimpse at the tech of tomorrow, today.
Autonomous tech is taking over last-mile delivery
Autonomous robots, drones, and even underground tunnels could be the standard for last-mile delivery in the future.
We tested the most advanced haptic gloves in the world
HaptX's new technology uses tactile and force feedback to allow people to "feel" virtual objects with high fidelity.
AI robots are making burgers and fries at this new restaurant
The AI robots making burgers and fries at CaliExpress could help the restaurant industry address its persistent labor shortage.
Google AI discovers 2.2 million new materials for a host of technologies
Google's AI GNoME has predicted 2.2 million novel inorganic crystal structures. If synthesized in labs, they may pave the way for new technologies.
World’s largest robots will help airlines cut carbon emissions
Norwegian startup Avinxt is building massive AI robots to help airlines reduce their emissions, save water, and inspect their planes.
New 3D printing technique creates life-like robots
A new 3D-printing technique, vision-controlled-jetting, can be used to create a robotic hand, complete with bones, ligaments, and tendons.
Robot police dog helps end standoff in LA
The LAPD used its controversial robot police dog to deescalate a standoff with an armed man on a public bus.
Robot painter lets smaller crews do jobs twice as fast
Tennessee-based startup PaintJet’s robot painter Bravo slashes the time it takes to complete painting jobs.
Disney’s new robot is a cartoon came to life
A highly expressive new Disney robot developed in a fraction of the time it usually takes could be the first of many expressive bots to come.
Chipotle’s new robot can make your burrito bowl or salad
Chipotle is testing a new robot that makes burrito bowls and salads under the same table where employees fill orders.
Why Toyota is building a “kindergarten for robots”
Toyota is using a generative AI-based method to teach robots to peel veggies, prepare snacks, and perform other dexterous tasks.
First-of-its-kind robot receptionist is like ChatGPT with a face
Engineers have combined the AI model powering ChatGPT with a humanoid bust to create a robot receptionist for the UK National Robotarium.
NASA partner unveils the “iPhone” of robots
Texas-based robotics company Apptronik has unveiled Apollo, a humanoid robot that could revolutionize the workforce.
A robot pilot is ready to fly a real plane — are you onboard?
PIBOT, a humanoid robot pilot developed in South Korea, is ready to take control of a real plane for the first time.
NASA is sending a team of autonomous robots to the moon
NASA is sending three autonomous mobile robots to the moon where they’ll have to work as a team under challenging conditions.
Google’s “RoboCat” will power new general purpose robots
In a bid to help develop general purpose robots, Google has created a robotic training, self-improving AI, “RoboCat.”
Man receives donor lung through tiny 3-inch incision
The first fully robotic lung transplant was completed in Spain by surgeons using a robot and a brand-new access point.
Shape-shifting space robots help firefighters on Earth
The designer of a new type of rover for NASA has found a way to make her space robots useful to firefighters on Earth.
The AI healthcare revolution has begun
The ability of AI to diagnose diseases, discover drugs, and even perform surgery is increasing rapidly — but will patients accept Dr. AI?
This robotic arm study is preparing us for our cyborg future
A new study at the University of Tokyo aims to find out how people feel using robotic arms — and sharing them with others.
A general-purpose robot is entering the workforce
Tech startup Sanctuary AI has unveiled Phoenix, a general-purpose robot designed to perform many workplace tasks.
Watch NASA’s one-of-a-kind snake robot training to go to space
NASA has released a video of its one-of-a-kind snake robot EELS slithering across a variety of challenging terrains.
“Blind” robot hand can operate solely by touch
Columbia University’s new robot hand can deftly manipulate objects without seeing them, allowing it to work in complete darkness.
Massive autonomous robot is 3 to 5 times faster than a human construction crew
Built Robotics has unveiled an autonomous construction robot that speeds up the installation of utility-scale solar farms.
How “centaur AI” will radically reshape the future of healthcare
With healthcare, it is not enough to spot patterns: we need to understand biological mechanisms. Ai can help us do it.
40% of chores could be done by robots within 10 years, according to a new study
Nearly 40% of the time spent on domestic chores could be automated within a decade, researchers estimate.
UCLA’s humanoid soccer robot is headed to the “RoboCup”
A first-of-its-kind soccer robot built by researchers at UCLA is heading to France to compete in the annual RoboCup.
Cruise driverless cars can now operate 24/7 across San Francisco
GM-backed Cruise has announced that it can now operate its driverless car service 24/7 in San Francisco.
Killing this toxic invasive species could help fix the climate
A robot from Seaweed Generation will drag chunks of sargassum 200 meters deep until they burst and die.
Graphene sensor could let you control robots with your mind
The “wonder material” graphene has been used to develop a dry sensor that could enable anyone to control technology with their minds.
Humanoid robot Digit finally gets a head and hands
The newest version of Agility Robotics’ humanoid robot Digit has new body parts designed to make it more useful in workplaces.
New 3D bioprinter could repair organs inside the human body
A snake-like soft robot designed to 3D bioprint tissues inside patients’ bodies might one day replace invasive implantation surgeries.
This incredibly life-like robot hand can be made for just $2,800
Low-cost robots that perfectly mimic parts of the human body foreshadow a future in which humanoid robots do all the work people don't want.
New “biohybrid” machines weave electronics with living cells
By combining combine genetic and electrical engineering, scientists have developed a new technique for wiring electronics into living matter.
Gas-pumping robot lets you stay in your car when it’s cold out
Autofuel, a gas-pumping robot that can be installed right next to existing gas dispensers, could be the answer to our refueling woes.
65% of retail jobs could be automated by 2025
The retail sector has been making ground in the adoption of automation with the use of self checkouts, and robots and AI in supply chains.
5 AI experts predict how ChatGPT and DALL-E will affect the future of work
Will society will use this moment of AI breakthroughs to advance equity or exacerbate disparities? Five experts weigh in.
First-of-its-kind exoskeleton for stroke rehab cleared by FDA
The FDA has cleared Wandercraft's self-balancing, hands-free Atalante exoskeleton for use during stroke rehab.
New AI-powered farming robot covers 50 acres of crops per day
French startup Meropy has developed an agricultural robot that can autonomously inspect crops from above and below.
Sophia the robot talks Elon Musk, climate change, and more
Celebrity humanoid Sophia the robot shares her “thoughts” on climate change, Elon Musk, and more with Freethink.
McDonald’s opens its first automated restaurant in Texas
McDonald’s has opened a new highly automated restaurant, giving customers a first look at the potential future of fast food.
A look at innovative, single-incision procedures
In partnership with Intuitive
With a single incision, some surgeons can now accomplish just as much as they previously did with four.
Sophia the robot becomes first humanoid to be signed by a gaming org
Sophia the robot has signed to XSET, a gaming organization and lifestyle brand focused on diversity and inclusion.
Generative AI: The technology of the year for 2022
It's made headlines so often that there is no question that 2022 will be remembered as the year that Generative AI stunned the world.
These “Kanga and Joey” bots will dive into the sewers, so we don’t have to
A new generation of smart, miniature robots could soon carry out the vital inspections and repairs needed to keep the sewer system afloat.
Magnets pull these tiny medical robots deep into the brain
LA-based startup Bionaut Labs is developing micro-sized medical robots that are guided through the body by magnets.
“Korean Google” opens the world’s first robot-friendly building
Tech giant Naver Corporation designed its new headquarters, 1784, to be a "robot-friendly" testing ground for its latest technologies.
Watch a Neuralink robot insert electrodes into a dummy brain
During a livestreamed event, a Neuralink robot precisely inserted 64 electrode-packed threads into a dummy brain in just 15 minutes.
The (robotic) doctor will see you now
Study finds patients are receptive to interacting with robots designed to evaluate symptoms in a contact-free way.
“Robot rooms” could be the future of homes and offices
Integrating robots into walls, ceilings, furniture, and appliances could radically change our indoor spaces.
Medical robot to treat injured soldiers on the battlefield
A VR-controlled medical triage robot is being built to help trained techs attend to injured soldiers on the battlefield.
A new material called a mechanical neural network can learn and change its physical properties
The new material’s architecture is based on that of an artificial neural network – layers of interconnected nodes that can learn to do tasks.
Chinese robot helps convert moon dust into fuel and oxygen
Chinese researchers have built an autonomous robot to set up an ISRU system for converting lunar soil into fuel and oxygen.
Farming robot kills 200,000 weeds per hour with lasers
Carbon Robotics’ LaserWeeder is a smart farming robot that identifies weeds and then kills them using high-power lasers.
Tiny robots completely clear out deadly pneumonia infection in mice
Researchers have created microscopic robots capable of clearing pneumonia from the lungs of mice.
Elon Musk demos humanoid robot, which will cost less than $20K
CEO Elon Musk unveiled two prototypes of the humanoid Tesla robot, expected to cost less than $20,000, at his company’s second annual AI Day.
Watch a robot barista create latte art
New funding will allow Seattle-based startup Artly Coffee to bring its robot barista to more US locations.
Target is now offering the world’s first “robot manicure”
A robot that uses AI and 3D cameras to paint fingernails is now giving Target customers 10-minute manicures for just $8.
Gates-backed company is using robots to build mega solar farms
With new capital from a Bill Gates-backed VC firm, Terabase wants to automate solar farm construction.
NASA is sending a robot surgeon to the ISS (Updated)
A MIRA surgical robot is heading to the ISS in 2024 so developers can test its potential to help astronauts survive medical emergencies.
The Singularity: When will we all become super-humans?
Are we really only a moment away from "The Singularity," a technological epoch that will usher in a new era in human evolution?
Watch NASA’s flying space bots work alongside astronauts
The three Astrobee robots aboard the ISS foreshadow a future in which autonomous bots are NASA astronauts’ partners in space.
NASA will send two more helicopters to Mars to bring home samples
Inspired by the overachieving Ingenuity, NASA has updated the Mars Sample Return mission to include two new Mars helicopters.
Nanoparticles may automatically clean your teeth one day
Shapeshifting nanoparticles may one day lead to automated oral care.
This little robot is cleaning up beaches, one cigarette butt at a time
Robot litter picker, the BeachBot, uses artificial intelligence to detect trash like cigarette butts and help clean up beaches.
Magnetic robot can save lives after a brain hemorrhage
Researchers have developed a microbot-containing, magnetically controlled catheter for removing blood from brain hemorrhages.
Tiny robotic crab, controlled by lasers, can run, twist, and jump
A new robotic crab has a sophisticated structure for its size, but it can still be manufactured using a relatively simple process.
Self-healing robot skin created out of human cells
University of Tokyo researchers have created a living skin, made from human cells and collagen, for a robotic finger.
New harvesting robots are gentle enough to pick this fruit
A pair of harvesting robots are picking raspberries in Portugal, demonstrating the ability of tech to help combat seasonal labor shortages.
DeepMind’s pricey robot simulator is now available for free
AI research lab DeepMind, a sister company of Google, has purchased and open-sourced the powerful robot simulator MuJoCo.
Nanobots are real, and they can battle bacteria
Researchers have developed antibiotic nanobots that can traverse a wound on their own.
From robotic dogs to magnetic slime: 6 ways robots are helping humans
Robots are helping humans in a growing number of places - from archaeological sites to disaster zones to sewers.
Joystick-operated robot could help surgeons treat stroke remotely
With a modified joystick, surgeons in one hospital may control a robotic arm at another location to safely operate on a patient.
Watch: Incredible jumping robot triples world record
A new jumping robot that can soar nearly 100 feet into the air might use the ability to explore the moon for NASA.
New exoskeleton lets you enter the boxing ring as a robot
Japanese company Skeletonics has developed a new exoskeleton that lets you enter the boxing ring as a nine-foot-tall robot.
Breakthrough artificial fingertip mimics our sense of touch
A new artificial fingertip replicates humans' sense of touch by mimicking the microscopic anatomy of our fingertips.
A “magnetic tentacle robot” could hunt down cancer deep in your lungs
UK researchers have developed a small, flexible, snake-like "magnetic tentacle robot" to navigate deep into the lungs.
The subtle art of language: why artificial general intelligence might be impossible
Until robots understand jokes and sarcasm, artificial general intelligence will remain in the realm of science fiction.
MIT’s “Mini Cheetah” teaches itself to run 8.7 mph, breaking speed record
The four-legged robots learn how to move through experience — both in the real world and in simulations.
Robot kid successfully conveys six emotions on its face
An android child capable of expressing six emotions puts us one step closer to a future in which we share our homes with companion robots.
Solving the last mile problem with robotic delivery vehicles
Most of the cost of delivering goods is tied to moving “the last mile” from a hub to the final destination. A new robotic delivery bot being piloted in three cities may help solve the problem.
Robot dogs are hiking the Alps and preparing for space
A robot dog reached the summit of an Alps trail more quickly than the average human — and the mechanical K9s are just getting started.
Shape-shifting material morphs robot from driving to flying
A shape-shifting material lets multifunctional robots morph from one shape to the next quickly and without the use of motors.
Surgery robot outperforms humans at “keyhole surgery”
Johns Hopkins' autonomous surgery robot, STAR, performed a tricky keyhole surgery on live pigs better than a human surgeon could.
Boston Dynamics’ warehouse robots are taking over
DHL Supply Chain is paying Boston Dynamics $15 million for a fleet of its autonomous warehouse robots, which can each move 800 boxes/hour.
New personal robot carries stuff around your house
A personal robot that carries items between different parts of a home is helping people with mobility issues live more independently.
This robotics lab wants to develop the dream surgery
Chicago’s Surgical Innovation Training Lab is developing the robots, surgeons, and digital surgeries of the future.
These robotic suits supercharge human workers
This new wearable robotic suit from German Bionic, can boost human strength, and it is powered by artificial intelligence