Showing 549 results
AI for better crops
AI technology could transform how growers protect their harvests, by detecting plant diseases very early on.
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.
World’s first 3D-printed rocket launches at Cape Canaveral
Relativity Space has just launched the world’s first 3D-printed rocket, Terran 1, but the flight didn’t go exactly as hoped.
Is our world ready for mind-controllable robotic body parts?
Advanced neuroprosthetics are here, and they could hook our brains into the Internet of Things.
Series|
Just Might Work
“Art exoskeleton” lets you feel opera
This Philadelphia theater puts robotic suits on guests before they watch Opera.
The brief history of artificial intelligence: The world has changed fast – what might be next?
Despite their brief history, computers and AI have fundamentally changed what we see, what we know, and what we do.
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.
3 ways autonomous farming is driving a new era of agriculture
Could autonomous tractors, drones, and seed-planters fill the growing labor shortage in the agricultural industry?
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.
In the turbulent Drake Passage, scientists find a rare window where carbon sinks quickly into the deep ocean
The Drake Passage is one of the most turbulent ocean regions on Earth, but exploring it could help scientists understand how carbon sinks.
$26K solar car now has a factory
Solar car startup Aptera has purchased a factory where its vehicles will be carried from station to station by autonomous robots.
Chinese robot clones pigs with no human help
A robot that automates a common technique for animal cloning has been used to produce a litter of pigs in China.
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.
Can your mind ever “own” an extra body part?
A robotic finger can feel like a part of our hand after just a short time using it, suggesting that our brains can "own" extra body parts.
Magnetic robot can save lives after a brain hemorrhage
Researchers have developed a microbot-containing, magnetically controlled catheter for removing blood from brain hemorrhages.
Why artists shouldn’t fear AI
Advancements in generative art have many human artists on edge. But should they be worried?
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.
A playbook for the next century of progress
To build a bold, abundant future, we must reform the laws, institutions, and culture that once powered human progress.
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.
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.
Autonomous race cars go head-to-head, break records in Las Vegas
Autonomous race cars took to the track at CES, opening new forms of competition and setting speed records.
A new vision for the advancement of humanity
The world needs a moral defense of progress based in humanism and agency.
Series|
Challengers
The first wave of urban robots is here
The robot takeover is here — and it’s kinda cute.
Brain implant translates neural activity into letters, letting a paralyzed man “speak”
A new device allowed a paralyzed patient to "speak," spelling out full sentences in real-time with an error rate of about 8%.
Jupiter’s moons hide giant subsurface oceans
Three of Jupiter’s moons – Europa, Ganymede and Callisto – are home to large, underground oceans of liquid water that could support life.
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.
Microsoft’s new AI needs just 3 seconds of audio to clone a voice
Microsoft has unveiled VALL-E, a voice-cloning AI that only needs a 3-second sample to simulate a speaker’s voice with remarkable accuracy.
Neuralink’s monkey can play Pong with its mind. Elon Musk says human trials are next.
If Neuralink’s monkey can play Pong with its mind, imagine what humans could do with the same technology in just a few years.
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.
The age of the autonomous forklift is here
Facing a skilled labor crunch, companies are turning to autonomous forklift fleets for a safer, faster, more efficient work environment.
Watch John McEnroe take on past versions of himself on the court
Thanks to AI, digital avatars, and robotic cannons, John McEnroe is taking on his toughest opponent: himself.
A massive moon telescope could solve the mystery of the “Cosmic Dark Ages”
NASA hopes a massive radio telescope on the moon will be able to reveal what was happening during the mysterious “Cosmic Dark Ages."
AI chatbots don’t actually “know” anything. Can we fix that?
New AI models, called ALMs, could help chatbots stay connected to reality.
“Muscle shirt” increases arm endurance by more than 200%
The Myoshirt acts like “wearable muscles,” using sensors and AI to help people with upper-limb impairments move their arms.
AI can dramatically expand human agency
If we get AI right, it will accelerate empowerment, enabling people to learn any subject, start any business, and realize any vision.
Watch a drone swarm navigate a bamboo forest
By arming each drone with its own sensors, researchers have created the first swarm capable of navigating a wide environment.
The tech of the year is entering the workforce
Generative AIs are being integrated into the programs millions of people use at work, but will they really make our jobs easier?
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.
This bird-like drone can perch on branches, catch objects
Inspired by birds' perching abilities, researchers developed a drone with a bird-like structure that can land on a wide array of objects.
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.
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.
Your next surgery could be robotic, and that’s a good thing
In partnership with Intuitive
Robots are taking surgery to the next level. Here’s how.
Series|
Challengers
Mind-reading technology – Are we ready for it?
Startup founders want to read your brainwaves - but how will they protect your data from tech giants?
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.
Series|
Heretics
Tim Urban’s case for transhumanism
We interviewed Tim Urban at Hereticon. Here’s what he had to say about Elon Musk & transhumanism.
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.
China’s new space station is open for business
On Nov. 29, 2022, the Shenzhou 15 mission launched from China’s Gobi Desert carrying three taikonauts – the Chinese word for astronauts.
Cloud labs are the “ghost kitchens” of science
Cloud labs which run experiments with robots remotely may make science more efficient, replicable, and accessible.
NASA announces alien-hunting Habitable Worlds Observatory
NASA has announced that it is developing the Habitable Worlds Observatory, a new space telescope optimized to hunt for extraterrestrial life.
Series|
Hard Reset
Should war robots have “license to kill?”
War is changing. As drones replace snipers, we must consider the ethics of machines making life or death decisions.
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.
Series|
Challengers
The man building robotic legs for kids with cerebral palsy
The medical industry wasn’t moving fast enough. So he built a robot to help his nephew with cerebral palsy walk.
How close are we to reversing paralysis?
Thanks to groundbreaking innovations in neuroscience, we’re seeing that forms of paralysis long assumed to be permanent can be reversed.
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.
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.
How to reclaim meaning in a changing world
What if the barrier to a fulfilled life isn’t technology, it’s culture?
Delivery robots get airbags to protect you in case of collision
Autonomous vehicle maker Nuro has added external airbags to its autonomous delivery robots to protect pedestrians.
Using robotic fish to harness the “ecology of fear”
To fight an invasive fish threatening Australia’s critically endangered freshwater natives, researchers are looking to robotic predators — and the “ecology of fear” they create.
MIT’s new algorithm for self-driving cars is open-source
MIT scientists unveil the first open-source simulation engine capable of constructing realistic environments for autonomous vehicles.
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.
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.
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.
Sun-powered soft robot could mop up the seas
Inspired by steam engines and water-walking insects, this soft robot may one day mop up oil spills at sea.
We gave ChatGPT a college-level microbiology quiz. It blew the quiz away.
A microbiologist devised a quiz that would be appropriate as a final exam for college-level microbiology students. ChatGPT blew it away.
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
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.
Nanobots are real, and they can battle bacteria
Researchers have developed antibiotic nanobots that can traverse a wound on their own.
Goodyear puts airless tires on Starship delivery robots
Goodyear’s airless tires are now being used by a fleet of Starship's autonomous delivery robots on a college campus in the U.S.
Humanoid robots are waking up — and they look eerily real
Engineered Arts, a robotics firm located in the United Kingdom, released a video showing a humanoid robot that looks exceptionally lifelike.
Marc Andreessen: The single greatest risk of NOT pursuing AI
AI has many caught between near utopia and horrifying dystopia. Marc Andreessen sees a better future for all, if we build AI in warp speed.
Series|
Challengers
Can robots save our oceans from poachers?
23% of fish sold in the US is caught illegally. This robot boat is a poacher’s worst nightmare.
What AI can teach us about copyright and fair use
A copyright lawyer and fair use expert weighs in on the legal implications of these new AI technologies.
Series|
Catalysts
The college where students roam the world to learn
In partnership with Stand Together
4 years, 7 cities, 0 tests. A college to prepare students for the real world.
Robot fish are powered by lab-grown human heart cells
A robot fish that uses human heart cells to swim has put scientists one step closer to growing full-size hearts in the lab.
What’s so wrong about sexbots?
These sexbots remember that you are 32 years old, and you like sushi, except on Thursdays — and they can teach us a lot about coexisting with AI.
Giant cyborg cockroach could be the best search-and-rescue bot
The cyborg cockroaches are outfitted with sensors that can identify heat, carbon dioxide, and body movements.
Humans have big plans for mining in space
What's holding us back from mining in space when we have such big plans already? The sheer cost, for one thing.
New VR body suit lets you see inside your body while you exercise
A system for monitoring motion and muscle engagement could aid the elderly and athletes during physical rehabilitation.
Vaccine robot administers doses without needles or human help
Canadian startup Cobioni has built a vaccine robot that can deliver a dose into a patient’s arm without a needle or any human help.
Nanoparticles are the future of medicine
The success of some drugs that use nanoparticles, such as the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, has prompted excitement among researchers.
Coal mining has changed. What’s next for miners?
In partnership with Lumina
Coal-mining families in Kentucky lost their jobs almost overnight. But they’re not giving up. Here’s how they built a new way of life.
The world’s biggest industrial robot lasers off airplane paint
Dutch company Xyrec recently demonstrated a 67-ton industrial robot that uses lasers to quickly strip paint from aircraft.
Nanoparticles may automatically clean your teeth one day
Shapeshifting nanoparticles may one day lead to automated oral care.
MIT’s new ultrasound sticker lets you see inside your body
MIT researchers have created an ultrasound sticker that can continuously monitor a person’s organs and tissues for up to 48 hours.
Wearable robot helps people with paralysis sing
Seoul National University researchers have built a wearable robot that helps people with spinal cord injuries breathe, cough, and sing.
Space junk created the world’s largest dump. Here’s how we can fix it.
From "laser brooms" to massive nets, space organizations have proposed many ways to clean up the mess of space debris.
Powered exoskeletons may be the ultimate fitness machines
Enhanced Robotics is selling a powered exoskeleton to help people achieve their fitness goals, and it doesn’t cost thousands of dollars.
Caltech’s walking robot can also fly and skateboard
Caltech's new bipedal walking robot can fly to get around obstacles, and it's steady enough on its feet to skateboard or slackline.
Robot avatar safely trims trees around active power lines
A robot avatar that mimics the motions of a human controller could take the place of workers in dangerous jobs by the end of 2022.
Are robotic kitchens the future of food?
Restauranteurs are using robotic kitchens to cut real estate costs, opening up room in their budgets for higher quality ingredients.
Toyota is building a “Lunar Cruiser” for Japan
Toyota's pressurized moon rover, the “Lunar Cruiser,” could help astronauts live on the moon — and help us combat climate change on Earth.
Harnessing nature’s secret: How synthetic biology could save the planet
In partnership with Ginkgo Bioworks
Did nature hold the key to reversing climate change all along? Synthetic biologists think so.
Should we build high-speed public WiFi into street lights?
Better public WiFi networks could be created by broadcasting signals over the 60 GHz frequency band from transmitters attached to light poles.
Curiosity discovers a “flower” rock on Mars
Curiosity has discovered a Martian rock shaped like a flower, and it's helping NASA scientists unravel the history of water on Mars.
Facebook robot winds fiber-optic cable around power lines
A Facebook robot that wraps fiber-optic cables around power lines could help bridge the digital divide by expanding internet access.
Robotic exoskeleton gives prosthetic legs a power boost
University of Utah engineers have built a robotic exoskeleton that gives people with prosthetic legs a power boost that makes walking easier.
How do DALL-E, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, and other forms of generative AI work?
DALL-E and other types of generative AI can produce images that look like photographs, paintings, or drawings that were created by humans.
What ever happened to the first cryogenically frozen humans?
For decades, people have arranged to freeze their bodies after death, dreaming of resurrection by advanced future medicine.
Artificial photosynthesis lets us grow plants in total darkness
A new artificial photosynthesis technique could boost crop yields on existing farms or allow us to grow plants in new locations — like space.