Showing 433 results
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.”
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.
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.
Farmers can fight invasive insects with AI and a robotic arm
As the invasive spotted lanternfly threatens to expand its range, Carnegie Mellon researchers are developing a robot to fight back.
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.
“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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This restaurant is run entirely by robots
In partnership with Million Stories
These robots can chop, cook, and serve — and they could revolutionize the food industry.
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.
“Relationships 5.0”: Are people going to start dating AI?
Online dating is so mainstream that you’re an outlier if you haven’t met your partner on an app — so why not AI?
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.
In Japan, humanoid robots could soon become part of the family
More than any other nation, Japan tends to feel comfortable with the idea of humanoid robots entering the home.
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.
Watch: Robotic window cleaners take to the sky
In a bid to shake up the industry, two Israeli companies will soon deploy robot window cleaners to cities around the world.
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.
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?
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Hard Reset
The farming robots that will feed the world
Food waste is a ridiculous problem. Enter the robots.
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.
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.
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.
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Operation: Reimagine Surgery
Performing complex surgeries with single-incision robotics
In partnership with Intuitive
These surgeons are among the first to adopt the latest approach to robotic surgery. Here’s what they’ve learned.
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.
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.
“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.
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.
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.
“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.
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.
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Hard Reset
Laser “death ray” kills weeds 80x faster than humans
This farming robot kills 200,000 weeds per hour with lasers.
AI isn’t close to becoming sentient, we just think it is
To what extent will our psychological vulnerabilities shape our interactions with emerging technologies? AI will be the test.
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.
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Challengers
Sniper robot treats 500k plants per hour with 95% less chemicals
This “intelligent sharpshooter” farming robot distinguishes crops from weeds — and it could help feed 10 billion people.
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.
Robotic surgery is a game changer for minimally invasive surgery
In partnership with Intuitive
More and more surgeons are using robotic surgical systems. Here’s why.
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.
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.
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.
Scientists tweak Meta VR headset to measure brain activity
A modified VR headset that records brain activity reveals how being immersed in VR impacts people on a neurological level.
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.
Could 3D printing help solve the US housing crisis?
3D printing could help solve the nation’s housing crisis, as it's cheaper, faster, and more sustainable than conventional construction methods.
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Hard Reset
Here’s why you won’t starve from overpopulation
How will we feed 8 billion people? New tech is making it possible.
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Operation: Reimagine Surgery
The visionaries bringing you the future of surgery
In partnership with Intuitive
Here’s what it’s like to use a robotic surgical system.
NASA’s last “Great Observatory” could be coming out of retirement
A startup’s audacious plan to revive NASA’s retired Spitzer Space Telescope just secured a $250,000 Space Force contract.
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.
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 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.
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Hard Reset
The robot solving America’s trash crisis
This robot sorts trash with 99% accuracy.
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Hard Reset
Hacking the Anthropocene with survivalist robots
80% of our ocean floors have never been studied. This robot sailboat is unlocking the most treacherous parts.
Students build reusable rocket, win $5,000 from NASA
The University of Alabama in Huntsville has won Student Launch 2023, NASA’s annual rocket-building competition.
These are the next big breakthroughs in medicine
In partnership with Intuitive
These companies are working to change the future of health care.
How digital intelligence is helping to train the next generation of surgeons
In partnership with Intuitive
To optimize training, many surgeons have turned to robots and artificial intelligence.
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.
World’s fastest “shoes” increase walking speed by 250%
Shift Robotics is taking pre-orders on Moonwalkers — $1,400 “shoes” that let you walk 2.5x faster without expending any extra energy.
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.
Science fiction books that predicted the future with terrifying accuracy
Science fiction writers have anticipated a variety of modern inventions, from cars to organ transplants. Some books barely seem like fiction.
I used generative AI to create pictures of painting robots, but I’m not the artist — humanity is
Generative AI systems are incredible and hugely important, but they are not creative. In fact, they’re not even intelligent.
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Operation: Reimagine Surgery
This amazing gel may help in the fight against cancer
In partnership with Intuitive
“Instead of thinking about a treatment, we can, really for the first time, think about a cure.”
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.
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.
Elevator technology is going up
A new generation of elevator technology may soon change the way you ride.
How low-cost surgical training programs could save lives in low-resource countries
In partnership with Intuitive
Lack of access to surgery leads to millions of deaths every year around the world. Meet the innovators who are working to reduce this toll.
Tiny robots completely clear out deadly pneumonia infection in mice
Researchers have created microscopic robots capable of clearing pneumonia from the lungs of mice.
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Hard Reset Gift Guide
LEGO, Mark Rober class & CRISPR kit: 5 futuristic gifts from Hard Reset
The LEGO BOOST toolbox, a Mark Rober Arduino course, and more — here are 5 great gifts for lifelong learners.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Flexible brain implant tested in people for the first time
Startup Precision Neuroscience has tested its flexible, ultra-thin brain implants in people for the first time.
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.
See inside NASA’s simulated Mars base for the first time
NASA has unveiled Mars Dune Alpha, a simulated Mars base where volunteers will live like Mars astronauts for a year at a time.
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.
$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.
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 “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.
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?
China plans to build moon bases using robot masons and lunar dirt
China plans to start testing an ambitious plan to build moon bases using a robot mason and dirt bricks as soon as 2028.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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Just Might Work
“Art exoskeleton” lets you feel opera
This Philadelphia theater puts robotic suits on guests before they watch Opera.
Magnetic robot can save lives after a brain hemorrhage
Researchers have developed a microbot-containing, magnetically controlled catheter for removing blood from brain hemorrhages.
How to prevent mass extinction in the ocean using AI, robots, and 3D printers
There is currently no possibility of the world reaching the 30% target for marine protected areas with existing policies. Tech to the rescue?
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.
The biggest AI breakthroughs of the last year
Last year saw breakthroughs from AI tools such as ChatGPT, DeepMind, and DALL-E, which generate text and code.
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Challengers
The first wave of urban robots is here
The robot takeover is here — and it’s kinda cute.
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.
How “InstructGPT” lobotomizes the insanity of raw GPT
OpenAI has created a version of GPT, called "InstructGPT," that cuts down on the AI’s bizarre and irrational responses.
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.
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.