robots

Tesla is expected to unveil a robotaxi tonight: 5 things to know

5:00am October 10, 2024

On Thursday night, Tesla is holding a splashy event it’s calling “We, Robot.” CEO Elon Musk says fully autonomous vehicles are key to Tesla’s future, and for years he has promised they are coming.

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Arts
Science

A robot gets a face of living ‘skin’ that allows it to smile

6:02am June 29, 2024

by Bill Chappell

If humanoid robots make you a bit queasy — would it help if they had fleshy faces that can smile at you?

Sean Crimmins, a senior in engineering at the University of Nebraska, loads the robotic arm into its case on Aug. 11 before a shake test.

A tiny robot on the space station will simulate remote-controlled surgery up there

2:30pm February 10, 2024

by Juliana Kim

A robotic assistant recently arrived at the International Space Station to perform a simulated surgery that will be controlled by a surgeon 250 miles away on Earth.

The SORA-Q robot is a sphere that can split and elongate, allowing it to traverse the moon's surface.

A transforming robot is about to land on the moon, where it will die

4:34pm January 18, 2024

by Bill Chappell

A Japanese space agency manager calls it "a breathless, numbing 20 minutes of terror!" The process includes ejecting a robot onto the lunar surface, to take photos of the moon lander.

When army ants encounter obstacles, they link together to build living bridges.

Science

Army ants use collective intelligence to build bridges. Robots could learn from them

5:00am November 21, 2023

by Kai McNamee

As army ants travel over uneven terrain, they link their bodies together to create bridges — a system that might give engineers insight into controlling robotic swarms.

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A program called MomConnect fields questions via mobile phone about pregnancy and babies. It started in South Africa and now is offered in other countries in sub-Saharan Africa and in Bangladesh, Indonesia and Timor-Leste as well.

Health & Safety

A robot answers questions about health. Its creators just won a $2.25 million prize

12:49pm April 14, 2023

by Ari Daniel

At the Skoll World Forum this week, South Africa's Reach Digital Health was one of five honorees. They offer health advice via mobile phones to millions, focusing on pregnancy, babies and COVID.

Most robots have not generally been equipped for the task of folding clothes. But an international group of researchers say their new method could change that — or at least speed up the process. Their robot is seen here in multiple exposures.

The fastest ever laundry-folding robot is here. And it's likely still slower than you

9:46am October 22, 2022

by Rachel Treisman

Researchers and companies have tried over the years to automate the chore with limited success. Using a brand new method, researchers have taught a robot to fold a record 30-40 garments per hour.

People take pictures and videos of the Boston Dynamics robot Spot during an event in Lisbon in 2019.

Some leading robot makers are pledging not to weaponize them

12:49pm October 06, 2022

by Joe Hernandez

The companies warned that "untrustworthy people" could use their robots to harm others or infringe on civil liberties, and they pledged to make sure their customers didn't weaponize the products.

Birmingham Barons outfielder Luis Basabe moves toward a ball in front of the vintage scoreboard in 2019 at Rickwood Field, America's oldest baseball park, in Birmingham, Ala.

Minor League Baseball To Experiment With Robotic Umpires

11:24am March 12, 2021

by Merrit Kennedy

The robot could help rein in different interpretations of the strike zone among umpires. It also limits the ability of catchers to frame a pitch. The machine will appear in select Low-A games.

Kevin Chen, an assistant professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, envisions a time when his insect-sized drone could be used as a search and rescue robot — to find survivors in disaster debris that bigger drones couldn't reach.

Science

Don't Swat This Bug. It Might Be A Robot On A Rescue Mission

10:10am March 04, 2021

Scientists are trying to build a tiny drone with the agility of a mosquito. These light but strong flying robots could be used in critical situations, such as finding people in a collapsed building.

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