Maintenance

Back in 2022, we brought development news from a robotics startup looking to launch a smart garden helper sporting two jointed arms. A lot has changed since then, and as the commercial release approaches we take a fresh look at the Willow X.

A 45-story office tower in New York has become the first in the world to deploy the Ozmo automated window cleaning system, where a platform dangled from the roof is home to robots that spritz the glass 3x faster than human cleaning crews.

Robotic garden helpers have been keeping lawns in trim for decades, but none are as much fun to watch as the Verdie AI-powered outdoor maintenance bot from Electric Sheep as it wheels around edges, blows debris and gets to grips with power tools.

Dutch ship builder Damen has announced an all-electric version of its 70-m-long hybrid service vessel designed to support offshore wind farm operations. And the company is aiming to charge the batteries direct from a wind turbine.

While there are some mechanical problems that can easily be detected by a car's onboard sensors, there are others which are a bit trickier. The V2M system is designed to catch those other ones, by listening for them using onboard modules.

Following the successful Kickstarter for a 14-in-1 multitool last year, China's Talos is now aiming to keep cyclists on the road with the BikePal, which packs 23 tools into one pocket-friendly everyday carry package.

​The engines of an airplane are complicated machines that require careful maintenance. The future of this task, as Rolls-Royce sees it, could involve deploying different kinds of of robots that patrol these aircraft parts and quickly nip any problems in the bud. ​​

So you’ve had your Mac for a while and things don’t feel as fresh and clean as they used to. Here are the steps you can take to declutter your Mac, possibly get it running faster and make it feel like new again.

​​Moving motorcycles around just got a whole lot easier. These nifty bike stands use omnidirectional wheels, so you can pop your bike up off the ground, then spin it around and push it easily around the garage in any direction. A great idea from Australian company Dynamoto.​

The US Army Research, Development, and Engineering Center (ARDEC) is developing a Durable Solid Lubricant (DSL) for rifles that replaces the more conventional wet lubricants and cuts down on required weapon maintenance.​

Grundorf's portable GMT-004 folds out to accommodate acoustic or electric guitars, includes compartments for stowing away tools, strings and supplies, and features a pop-up support for the instrument's neck.

For most people, the "check engine" light in their car is pretty useless, providing no info about what the problem is or its severity. A new app wants to provide US drivers with exactly that information. Fixd provides notifications if a problem arises, along with the potential consequences and cost.