Will robots ever have living, human skin? Researchers have been exploring the question and they’ve come up with some pretty unsettling results. I think it’s fair to say that no one would confuse any of today’s robots, no matter how advanced, with another human being. Even when a company like Tesla or Figure creates a […]
These robots with living skin are absolute nightmare fuel Read More »
New numbers out of Crunchbase this week see robotics investments once again trending in a positive direction. The previous two years presented a steady drop in overall numbers, following a record 2021 driven by pandemic-fueled job loss. As we head into the second half of the year, 2024 is on track to beat last year’s
Robotics investments are gaining speed after post-pandemic slowdown Read More »
Up to now, the humanoid robotics industry has been all promises and pilots. While important in the eventual deployment of new technology, these programs involve a small number of robots and often don’t graduate into anything more meaningful. On Thursday, however, Agility announced that it has entered into a formal deal following a successful pilot
Agility’s humanoid robots are going to handle your Spanx Read More »
MIT research scientist Jerry Pratt is back at it. In 2022, he left Boardwalk Robotics, a humanoid startup he founded and led, and joined the well-funded ranks of the Bay Area-based robotics firm Figure as its CTO months before it exited stealth. But he and Figure quietly parted ways last month. Last week, when Pratt
Persona’s founders are certain the world can use another humanoid robot Read More »
Giving robots a human-like exterior has been the standard for years — centuries even. But giving them actual, living skin that can be manipulated horrifying, slimy expressions? That’s new. The new work, published in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science, is very much just an experiment. This will not be the face of your next
This smiling robot face made of living skin is absolute nightmare fuel Read More »
You could easily walk the entire Automate floor without spotting a single humanoid. There was a grand total of three, by my count — or, rather, three units of the same nonworking prototype. Neura was showing off its long-promised 4NE-1 robot, amid more traditional form factors. There was a little photo setup where you could
Industries may be ready for humanoid robots, but are the robots ready for them? Read More »
Modern warfare is dominated by many thousands of ultra-cheap, ultra-fast drones that conduct robotic “suicide” missions to deliver explosives to enemy territory. Private companies have scrambled to develop counter-UAS tech, but these solutions often aren’t sufficient, leaving the rifled soldier trying to hit these targets with their naked eye. ZeroMark wants to give those soldiers
A16z-backed ZeroMark wants to give soldiers guns that don’t miss against drones Read More »
Amazon has received approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to fly its delivery drones longer distances, the company announced on Thursday. Amazon says it can now expand its Prime Air service, which uses delivery drones to fly individual packages, to more customers. The FAA requires that operators maintain a line of sight to
Amazon gets FAA approval to expand US drone deliveries Read More »
If you’ve spent any time in Los Angeles, you’re no doubt aware that police helicopters are a permanent fixture in the skies above. The LAPD has been monitoring the City of Angels since the mid-1990s. But in recent years, LA and other metropolitan areas have been increasingly turning to drones as a significantly smaller and
Aerodome is sending drones to the scene of the crime Read More »
We all fall down sometimes. Astronauts are no exception. You need to be in peak physical condition for space travel, but bulky space suits and lower gravity levels can be a recipe for disaster, causing them to trip over themselves. The answer to this very specific issue may well be robotic limbs. They won’t prevent
Astronauts fall over. Robotic limbs can help them back up. Read More »
