Showing 549 results
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.
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Just Might Work
Meet the woman who can smell diseases like cancer and Parkinson’s
This woman can smell diseases — and she’s working with scientists to give you her superpower.
Chameleon robot can change color to match its surroundings
Researchers in Korea have made a color changing robot that matches its background colors — a precursor to future active camouflage technology.
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.
Finland prepares world’s first “nuclear tomb”
Deep beneath Finland, a “tomb” for nuclear waste is set to be a test for geological disposal facilities.
Neuralink rival will soon test brain implant in US clinical trials
It's the first time the FDA has approved clinical trials for a brain-computer interface.
Robot café hires people with disabilities to operate robo-waiters
At the Dawn Avatar Robot Café in Tokyo, diners are served by robotic avatars controlled remotely by people with disabilities.
WeChat users try to keep Shanghai lockdown protest video ahead of censors
WeChat users have turned to all manner of tricks in a cat-and-mouse game with CCP censors to keep a video about the Shanghai lockdown online.
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Hard Reset
Inside Zoox: The robot vehicle totally changing transportation
Take an exclusive ride in the vehicle with no steering wheel that’s aiming to make car ownership a thing of the past.
Drones and driverless cars could help with Ukraine’s humanitarian crisis
We need a universal code of conduct for deploying autonomous vehicles and drones in humanitarian settings.
Bipedal robot completes 5K after learning to run
Agility Robotics’ Cassie just became the first bipedal robot to complete an outdoor 5K run, completing the jaunt on a single charge.
Ford replaces humans with robot test drivers
Ford Motor Company has built a pair of robot test drivers to fill in for humans during dangerous endurance tests at its Weather Factory.
New UV light safely kills 98% of airborne pathogens indoors
Far-UVC light — a type of ultraviolet light that isn’t harmful to human health — killed 98% of airborne microbes indoors in a new study.
New salt-grain sized micro camera takes images on par with a full size camera’s
Researchers have created a salt-grain sized micro camera capable of taking images almost on par with a regular camera.
The case for techno-optimism: Is the world about to enter an era of mass flourishing?
Historically, periods of mass flourishing are underpinned by technological revolutions. Currently, we are undergoing a technological revolution unlike anything the world has ever seen.
AI artist Botto has made its first million
AI artist Botto, which hones its taste via a human community, has made a splash in the art market, going from NFTs to Miami.
The plea to save the Afghan girls robotics team from the Taliban
A human rights lawyer is trying to get the Afghan girls robotics team evacuated to Canada so its members can avoid living under Taliban rule.
The “recovery paradox” explains why you’re burnt out
There's regular job stress, and then there's uncertainty, dread, and constant change. Here's how to actually recover from it.
Innovative vertical farming companies to watch
Here are five vertical farming companies to keep an eye on — and a bonus nine that are selling food you can buy right now.
Hugging a cushion that “breathes” can reduce anxiety
A study found that hugging a cushion that “breathes” was able to reduce anxiety for students prior to a test as much as guided meditation.
NASA: Lockheed Martin will build the Mars Ascent Vehicle
NASA’s Mars Ascent Vehicle, a first-of-its-kind rocket capable of launching from the surface of Mars, will be built by Lockheed Martin.
Insect-sized robot can run like a cheetah
An insect-sized robot with the agility of a cheetah could one day save lives by assessing disaster zones ahead of first responders.
Sculpting robots chisel art out of marble
Italy's Robotor is inspiring artists to pick up Carrara marble as a medium by delegating the laborious carving process to sculpting robots.
Robot penguins are exploring mysterious ocean currents
In an effort to study mysterious ocean eddies, an oceanographer teamed up with a bionics company to build an AUV inspired by penguins.
Autonomous Black Hawk helicopter flies without a crew
The U.S. Army has given a Black Hawk helicopter the ability to complete an autonomous flight without any humans on board.
This beach-cleaning robot is a Roomba for sand
An all-electric, beach-cleaning robot called BeBot can sift through sand to extract pieces of debris too small for traditional systems.
Toyota’s cleaning robot shows off its new skills
Toyota’s cleaning robot has demonstrated new skills, revealing an ability to detect clear objects and snap perfect selfies.
ESA plans to make the first oxygen on the moon
ESA plans to send a device that pulls oxygen from lunar regolith to the moon by 2025 and then build an oxygen-producing plant in the 2030s.
Russian satellite strike creates huge cloud of space debris
A Russian anti-satellite weapons test threatened the safety of ISS astronauts by adding more space debris to Earth’s orbit.
Throwable rescue robots sent to help at collapsed building
Teledyne Flir has sent at least two of its rescue robots to help hunt for survivors in a collapsed building in Florida.
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Just Might Work
How robots could end animal captivity in zoos and marine parks
Could robotic dolphins help marine parks become more humane spaces where people can learn about and connect with nature?
A robot boat tows kelp forests and sequesters carbon
The startup, Phykos, has sent a prototype of a solar-powered watercraft on a carbon-sequestering cruise in the Pacific Ocean, using an innovative kelp forest.
Inside the world of a robotic surgeon
In partnership with Intuitive
Many of the world’s top surgeons are learning first-hand what they can do with surgical robots — and it’s unlocking a new era in health care.
A robot could save farmers from being buried alive in grain
The Grain Weevil robot helps farmers manage stored grain, keeping them out of bins where they might lose their lives to grain entrapment.
Nimo smart glasses are like a PC for your eyes
India-based startup Nimo Planet is now accepting reservations for its Nino smart glasses, which let wearers view six virtual screens.
Flying microchips the size of sand are tracking air data. Watch them fly.
Scientists have built the smallest artificial flying structures yet — gadgets that could one-day monitor air pollution and the spread of airborne diseases.
MIT’s robotic nose can detect first sign of disease
A powerful diagnosis tool may one day be in millions of smartphones.
Meet MIT’s Kate Darling: Why we should rethink our relationship with robots
According to MIT's Kate Darling, robots are more like animals, not humans.
No more cords: one day an entire room may power up all your devices
Charging rooms may free us from the tangle of cords needed to power our electronic devices.
NASA tosses rockets to prepare for Mars sample return
NASA is developing a system for the Mars Sample Return mission that tosses a rocket into the air just prior to ignition on Mars.
Virginia launches world’s biggest 3D-printed housing project
Construction company Alquist 3D plans to build 200 3D-printed houses over the next 5 years through Project Virginia.
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Challengers
26-year-old builds $8,000 mind-controlled bionic arms
Bionic arms used to cost $80,000. Now, a young engineer has lowered the cost by over 90%.
TV shows train AI to predict human behavior
Algorithms are learning to guess what you'll do next by analyzing shows like "The Office."
Flying race car zips across the sky for the first time
The world’s first flying race car, the Airspeeder Mk3, has completed its maiden flight and is on track to compete in a first-of-its-kind racing series later in 2021.
"Hands-free" smart farm will replace laborers with robots
At a smart farm in Australia, robots and AI will do all the manual labor, potentially foreshadowing agriculture’s "hands-free" future.
Michio Kaku makes 3 predictions about the future
Dr. Michio Kaku on what is likely and what is possible provides a stimulating vision of the future.
Gecko gripper could clean up space junk
The Earth is circled by a sea of space junk, and it poses a danger to satellites and astronauts. We know we should...
Robot paramedics are bringing mechanical CPR to the UK
An English ambulance service has begun using robot paramedics to deliver mechanical CPR to patients.
We can now hear an AI robot’s thought process
This robot’s thought process isn’t a secret — researchers gave the AI the ability to share its internal monologue with humans.
Tiny magnetic beads and turkeys may lead to better prosthetic limbs
MIT and Brown researchers have developed a technique using implanted magnetic beads that they hope will lead to better control of prosthetic limbs.
Instant delivery for everyone on Earth
In partnership with Zipline
We live in an unprecedented time of AI and technology - so why do medical access inequalities still exist? One company is tackling that.
McDonald’s is replacing human drive-thru attendants with AI
McDonald's just rolled out a voice recognition system at 10 drive-thrus in Chicago.
The "Creative Singularity" came and went. Now what should we do?
The emergence of generative AI signals an important inflection point for artists.
Rarely seen glass octopus caught on film
An underwater robot has recorded stunning footage of a glass octopus, an almost completely transparent cephalopod rarely caught on film.
Back-poking robot triggers presence hallucinations
A back-poking robot can trigger presence hallucinations in people with Parkinson’s disease, giving researchers a way to finally study the phenomenon.
These robot legs taught themselves to walk
A pair of robot legs were able to teach themselves to walk thanks to a unique twist on reinforcement learning, a common AI training technique.
MIT has created an inflatable prosthetic hand
MIT researchers have created a soft, inflatable prosthetic hand that provides advanced abilities at a fraction of the cost and weight.
Robot dog helps military students “survive” combat training
A military school recently used Spot, a robot dog developed by Boston Dynamics, during combat training exercises.
“Dancing” molecules repair spinal cord injuries in paralyzed mice
A treatment for spinal cord injuries was able to reverse paralysis in mice by “dancing” to connect with cells near the site of the injury.
90% of drugs fail clinical trials – here’s one way researchers can select better drug candidates
It’s disappointing when the years of effort and resources spent to push a drug candidate to patients so often lead to failure.
Boston Dynamics unveils a new robot: Stretch
Boston Dynamics’ second commercial offering is a warehouse robot named Stretch that can lift and move 800, 50-pound boxes every hour.
The world’s deepest pool will host astronaut training in the UK
U.K. company Blue Abyss has submitted plans to build a massive aquatic facility in Cornwall, England, and its centerpiece will be the world’s deepest pool.
This “hamster ball” robot could explore lunar caves
The spherical Daedalus robot may explore lunar caves during future ESA moon missions, looking for places that could potentially host human settlements.
Quadruped robot can break a leg and keep going
Dyret is a shape-shifting quadruped robot that can change the length of its legs. This helps it walk across different terrains or account for any injuries.
Japan’s transforming moon rover gets help from toy company
Japan is sending a transforming moon rover to the lunar surface in 2022 to collect data that will inform an upcoming crewed mission.
The augmented, virtual, human-machine future of surgery is here
Advancements in XR technologies are rapidly integrating into the future of surgery.
Magic Leap is back with a new AR headset
Augmented reality startup Magic Leap plans to release a new AR headset in 2022 using a recently raised $500 million in funding.
VR spacewalk will let you see what ISS astronauts see
A VR spacewalk filmed by an “outer space camera” will be the centerpiece of the next episode of Space Explorers: The ISS Experience.
MIT turned a robo-dog into a robot doctor
MIT converted a robo-dog built by Boston Dynamics into a robot doctor and then asked patients how they felt being treated by it.
Surgery robot could make hysterectomies less painful
The FDA has approved its first surgery robot for use during a vaginal hysterectomy, which is less invasive than the abdominal approach.
Soft robots could get stronger by pumping iron
Soft robots could get more muscular with a new soft gel that becomes tougher when subjected to vibration.
Inside Europe’s largest vertical farm
At a massive vertical farm in Denmark, food tech startup Nordic Harvest is demonstrating the benefits of moving agriculture indoors.
Solar energy is about to get a whole lot cheaper
Bottlenecks in the production of silicon thwart solar panel manufacturing. Some companies are turning to perovskite instead.
New bionic arm is incredibly close to the real thing
A new bionic arm is so intuitive, wearers think and behave like people without amputations while using it to perform everyday tasks.
Sophia the Robot joins NFT frenzy
Sophia the robot has created digital art that will be linked to an NFT and sold — making her the latest to join the art world’s current craze.
Toyota’s autonomous shuttle is optimized for Olympians
Tokyo Olympians are riding around the Olympic Village in Toyota’s e-Palette, an autonomous shuttle designed with their needs in mind.
Sophia the Robot will be mass-produced this year
Hanson Robotics is going to begin mass-producing Sophia the robot in 2021, making the social robot available to help combat the pandemic.
Watch Japan’s latest robot painter in action
For SXSW’s AI Painting Project, a robot arm was trained to generate paintings based on given concepts and using a limited number of brushstrokes.
NASA needs people to pretend they’re living on Mars
To prepare for a future in which astronauts are living on Mars, NASA is looking for people willing to live in a simulated Mars habitat.
Researchers have developed a “plant communication” device
Plants emit weak electric signals. Researchers have developed a device to read and send signals back — a type of “plant communication.”
Implantable “neurograins” may be the key to mind-controlled tech
A new kind of brain-computer interface uses tiny neural implants called “neurograins” to record brain activity in rats.
How music can rewire the brain after an injury
MedRhythms, an experimental digital therapy combines sensors and music to help people with Parkinson's disease walk.
Is the US military testing an anti-aging pill?
The U.S. military is developing an anti-aging pill that is designed to inhibit performance reduction that comes with aging.
The next generation of living machines: xenobots 2.0
Made from the stem cells of a frog, “Xenobots” are tiny living machines. And researchers have just debuted version 2.0.
Bots can now swim like a school of real fish
Bluebots, robotic fish developed at Harvard, are the first to demonstrate complex swarm behaviors underwater.
One robot was able to watch another bot and predict its actions
A Columbia University study suggests that empathy between robots may be possible — and the skill could make the bots more useful to humans.
Robot made of ice can repair and rebuild itself
A team of researchers wants to build robots out of ice and send them to space. The icy bots can use found materials to rebuild themselves.
The 2021 Disney Accelerator sheds light on Disney’s metaverse ambitions
From AI to AR to live video shopping: these are the 8 companies selected for the Disney’s yearly accelerator program.
Will human augmentation move too fast for our brains?
To show how human augmentation can affect the brain, participants in a new study underwent fMRIs after learning to use a prosthetic called the "Third Thumb."
Recycling robot keeps waste out of landfills
AMP Robotics has developed a recycling robot that uses AI to sort recyclables twice as quickly as humans can.
This ice cream is made from lab-grown vegan milk
Disappointed by available milk alternatives, the startup Perfect Day developed lab-grown vegan milk that’s molecularly identical to the kind from cows.
Surgeons can now practice on a 3D-printed copy of your liver
A new technique for creating life-like 3D-printed livers based on individual patients’ scans could help surgeons be better prepared for operations.
This spider-like moon rover will explore lunar lava tubes
A spider-like moon rover heading to the lunar surface in 2021 is designed to explore the underground lava tubes in which astronauts might one day live.
Robot dogs are being deployed at a US military base
Four robot dogs are heading to a Florida Air Force base to serve as security patrol, marking the U.S. military’s first full-time deployment of a robot dog.
NASA scientists want to send this robot dog to Mars
A modified version of Boston Dynamics' robot dog Spot could be the ideal Mars rover for exploring caves and other underground structures.
The best therapy dog may be a robot
A life-life robot dog might be an effective — or even preferable — alternative to a living therapy dog, according to a new study.
Ballerina teaches robot to dance with her during pandemic
“Quantum ballerina” Merritt Moore choreographed duets during lockdown — and then programmed a dancing robot to perform them with her.
Quadriplegic man, using two robot arms, can feed himself again
A man paralyzed from the neck down used a brain computer interface to control two robot arms — a big step in the field of mind-controlled prosthetics.
Bat-inspired sound location tech could allow drones to fly solo
Inspired by bat’s ears, researchers at Virginia Tech have created a device capable of pinpointing sound location more accurately than other tech — or our ears.