New Atlas

Robotics Audio available

MIT's cyborg plant can drive itself into the light

Michael Irving December 5, 2018

Plants are incredibly complex organisms that sense and react to their surroundings. Their normal methods of getting around are pretty slow, so to give them a helping hand researchers at MIT have now created “cyborg plants” that can control a robot base to drive themselves where they want to go.

MIT Media Lab has created Elowan, a cyborg plant that can drive itself towards light sources

Around The Home

BART robotic bartender lets your vacuum serve the drinks

David Szondy December 1, 2018

If you need a hand entertaining over the holidays, Stella Artois has a suggestion. The company has come up with its Bartending Automated Robotic Technology (BART), which converts a robotic vacuum into a drinks- and snacks-toting bartender that can both serve guests and clean up simultaneously.

BART (Bartending Automated Robotic Technology) is designed to lend a hand at parties

Robotics

Researchers call on Iron Man for nuclear workwear inspiration

David Szondy November 29, 2018

For decommissioning a nuclear site, researchers at the University of Bristol are proposing an Iron Man-like armored exoskeleton that would protect workers from radioactive contamination, while also reducing fatigue and providing vital information through helmet-mounted AR displays.

Future nuclear worker suits could take their inspiration from Iron Man

Military

Robots take to the battlefield in Britain in record numbers

David Szondy November 12, 2018

A century after it saw the first tanks roll across it, Salisbury Plain is playing host to the largest military robotic exercise in British history. Over the next four weeks, the Autonomous Warrior exercise will test over 70 different types of robots under simulated combat conditions.

Robots will be used in a variety of roles as part of Autonomous Warrior

Robotics Audio available

Furhat Robotics puts a new face on AI interactions

Rich Haridy November 6, 2018

Furhat Robotics has been working to create the next generation of social robot. Its solution, designed to transcend the current mechanical limitations in creating a realistically lifelike humanoids, is to use projection technology to transfer a face onto a moveable head-shaped platform.

The Furhat system uses back-projection to display a human face onto a mask

Robotics Review

Vector review: Anki's charming home robot is more fun than function

Michael Irving November 1, 2018

Anki’s new home robot, named Vector, is part pet and part digital assistant, but just how good is he at those jobs? After a few weeks of having a pet robot living in the kitchen, we’ve come to enjoy his company – but not for the reasons we expected.

Anki's Vector is a home assistant/pet robot

Materials Audio available

MIT punches out cell-sized robots made of graphene

Michael Irving October 23, 2018

MIT engineers recently managed to create cell-sized robots that could collect data about their environment, but were a little tricky to manufacture. Now, the team has found a way to mass produce these synthetic cells (syncells) through controlled fracturing of graphene.

MIT researchers have developed a technique to mass produce cell-sized robots out of graphene

Robotics

Robotic xArm designed to lend a hand to smaller businesses

Michael Irving October 19, 2018

Robot arms have been lending a hand on production lines for decades, but handy as they are, that kind of help usually costs an arm and a leg. UFactory has now unveiled the xArm, an entry-level robot arm designed to be affordable enough for those who might normally be left empty-handed.

The xArm by UFactory is designed to be an accessible robotic arm for small and mid-sized ...

Robotics

Boston Dynamics' Spot can now dance, twerk, and do the running man

Rich Haridy October 16, 2018

Boston Dynamics is having a busy week, hot on the heels of its video showing Atlas mastering parkour, and the four-legged Spot wandering construction sites, it has released another video. This one unveils a lighter side to its robots, with Spot dropping some impressive dance moves to Uptown Funk.

Spot rocking the Boston Dynamics d-floor

Robotics

Boston Dynamics gives Spot the robot a job

David Szondy October 14, 2018

Boston Dynamics is putting one of its advanced robots to "work" for the first time. In a YouTube video released by the company, the latest version of its Spot quadruped robot starts its new job demonstrating its ability to carry out on-the-spot inspections of building sites in Japan.