ARM

There have doubtless been times when you've had both hands full, and wished that you had a third arm. Well, scientists have discovered that a robotic third arm can in fact be quite easily controlled via movements of the diaphragm muscle.

Equipping people with extra sets of robotic arms could definitely help them perform certain tasks, but what role might such arms play in social interactions? The wild-looking Jizai Arms were designed with that question in mind.

People suffering from ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) often have difficulty raising their arms, due to deterioration of cells in their brain and spinal cord. A new wearable system is designed to help, utilizing a pair of under-arm balloons.

Unitree's quadruped robots are clearly influenced by the SpotMini bot, which can be equipped with a manipulator arm. Not to be outdone, Unitree has now announced an arm of its own, which will allow its robots to perform a variety of new tasks.

Some are born with three arteries in their forearm, and a new study is suggesting more and more people are holding onto this temporary embryonic artery into adulthood, which the researchers believe could be natural selection at work.

Nvidia has confirmed that it's acquiring UK chip designer Arm from Japanese owner SoftBank in a US$40-billion deal made up of a combination of shares and cash, though the move is yet to undergo regulatory scrutiny.

Construction kits have been a blessing in lockdown, and a new one might appeal to those interested in tinkering with robots. ArmPal is a robot arm kit that you build yourself, then pit against other robot arms in battles based on picking stuff up.

Given that parents are already reluctant to buy fancy clothes that their tyke will soon outgrow, it follows that they would really question buying their amputee toddler a prosthetic arm. A new prosthesis, however, could prove to be quite inexpensive.

​When shopping for a new laptop, most of us would plump for Windows- or macOS-based systems. Or maybe a low cost, online working Chromebook may suit. But Linux-based systems are also available, the latest coming from Pine64 – a 14-inch portable with an attractive US$200 price tag.​

Jibo is an interactive buddy that is touted as the "world’s first family robot." Designed to engage with people in a human-like way, Jibo takes on various roles around the house including mail deliverer, environment controller, storyteller, telepresence device, event reminder, and cameraman.

CompuLab has unveiled the next generation of its Trim-Slice miniature computer, which is now called the Utilite.

Apple is exploring a move away from Intel in favor of in-house ARM-based chips.