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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Birds change the shape of their wings far more than planes. The complexities of bird flight have posed a major design challenge for scientists trying to translate the way birds fly into robots.