Technology, Innovation & Outdoor News

Robotic elephant-trunk gripper uses internal camera for a sense of touch

July 20, 2026 | Maryna Holovnova
Some of the smartest engineering ideas are inspired by nature. A new robotic gripper, EleTac, borrows its design from the tip of an elephant’s trunk and it’s reportedly capable of not only detecting and holding objects, but also “feeling” them.

'World's 1st mass-produced humanoid robot' motors to market in China

July 18, 2026 | Maryna Holovnova
Chinese tech giant Ubtech has launched the 'world’s first' humanoid robot designed to be an everyday companion and live in your home. Despite ambitious claims, the product launch left many people more skeptical than impressed.

Magnetic multitool packs secret cache and "everlasting" implement

July 20, 2026 | Shirl Leigh
Most repair tools for the DIYer are functional, but can be cumbersome to carry around. The T.Fix, however – a triangular pocket-sized tool on Kickstarter – is a balance of function, versatility and modern elegant design.

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It seems we’re living in an age of revival. Revival of old brands, motorcycles, and scooters. Now, with the Fiat Multiplina, we have the revival of the very cool bubble cars that saw peak popularity somewhere in the middle of the last century.
Anthbot's M9 is a surprisingly adept mower, mastering lawns of up to a quarter of an acre for a fraction of the price of its famous competitors. And, importantly, it's incredibly easy to use, making it a great option for those new to home-robot life.
One of the fiercest, sharpest go-anywhere teardrop trailers roaming the Outback has gotten an upgrade. The 2026 Stockman Rover 2.0 takes on a new power system, new multi-awning setup, stealthy black-out look, and available entry-level trim.
It looks like laser weapons are going to get a major power-up. The US government has awarded contracts worth US$86 million to develop new Joint Laser Weapon Systems (JLWS) capable of outputting up to 500 kW to take out next-generation cruise missiles.
Zpacks presents its latest featherlight backpacking tent. Pitched with a single pole, the new Plex Solo Pro pulls out all the stops in delivering an ambitious blend of ultralight packability and camping convenience.
Man has occupied the ISS, orbiting at about 248 miles above sea level, for 25 years. Meanwhile, the sea, sitting at sea level, hasn’t had a fixed station manned for up to a month. Researchers are seeking to change that, with a new subsea habitat.

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Health and Science news from our sister site: Refractor
The unearthing of 2,000-year-old boards has given historians a new insight into an ancient game akin to chess that was played much earlier, by everyone from royals to commoners in society – before it seemingly vanished from society.
Researchers have found that the gut microbiome could help identify people at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes years before the diagnosis.
You may have heard the term “porn addiction” used to describe the excessive consumption of this kind of media, in ways that disrupt a person’s life or the lives of those around them. But is porn addictive? Current research suggests it's complicated.
The US Food and Drug Administration has just approved a game-changing pill that can lower LDL cholesterol by around 60%. It's the first protein inhibitor to be made into a daily oral pill, doing away with the need for injections.
Two years ago, the list of signs and symptoms required to diagnose multiple sclerosis underwent a massive overhaul. Changing the definition of a disease is no small task and can have serious consequences for individuals requiring medical assistance.

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Editor's Picks

Electra's aircraft looks conventional enough, but it generates ludicrous amounts of lift, to take off and land at incredibly slow speeds, using almost no runway. With US$9 billion in pre-orders, it's outselling anything from the eVTOL world.
You’ve got to have a trick or two up your sleeve if you intend to break into a crowded EV market. And Indian two-wheeler startup Oben Electric has done just that by pricing its first electric motorcycle to perfection and making it available on Amazon.
Dragon Tiny Homes' Webster is well-suited to full-time living on wheels and features a spacious interior with three bedrooms, sleeping up to six people. The tiny house is currently up for sale for $85,000.
Once famous for building the world's biggest and most powerful engines, Finnish company Wärtsilä is investing heavily in technology to clean up the notoriously difficult heavy marine sector. CEO Håkan Agnevall lays out a roadmap to zero carbon 2050.
A landmark clinical trial testing the effect of microdosing LSD on symptoms of ADHD recently delivered its first data readout and the results have been surprising, to say the least, raising questions over the efficacy of this popular trend.
You could be forgiven for assuming that this pyramidal skyscraper project was a still from a sci-fi TV show, or perhaps another render that's never going to go ahead. But it is indeed real, and it's begun the early stages of construction.
As it heads out of the solar system never to return, the deep space probe Voyager 1 is headed for yet another cosmic milestone. In late 2026, it will become the first spacecraft to travel so far that a radio signal from Earth takes 24 hours, or one light day, to reach it.
I spent a few nights with the Akaso Sight-300 and came away fairly impressed. My previous experiences with night vision have been with very high-end scopes, so I wasn't sure what to expect on something that costs several thousand dollars less.