Envisioning armies of electronically controllable insects is probably nightmare fuel for most people. But scientists think they could help rescue workers scour challenging and hazardous terrain. An automated cyborg cockroach factory could help bring the idea to life. The merger of living creatures with machines is a staple of science fiction, but it’s also a ..read more

A big challenge when training AI models to control robots is gathering enough realistic data. Now, researchers at MIT have shown they can train a robot dog using 100 percent synthetic data. Traditionally, robots have been hand-coded to perform particular tasks, but this approach results in brittle systems that struggle to cope with the uncertainty ..read more

One of the world’s most advanced humanoid robots has been all play and no work. Boston Dynamics’ Atlas is famous for backflips, parkour, and dance mobs. These require extremely impressive robotic control, but they’re also mostly fun research demos. Now, six months after the legendary robotics lab unveiled an all-new electric Atlas, they’re showing off ..read more

The first 3D-printed house in the US was unveiled just over six years ago. Since then, homes have been printed all over the country and the world, from Virginia to California and Mexico to Kenya. If you’re intrigued by the concept but not sure whether you’re ready to jump on the bandwagon, you’ll soon be ..read more

In a tiny laboratory pond, a robotic stingray flaps its fins and swims around. Roughly the width of a dime, the bot dashes distances multiple times its body size. It easily navigates around corners and swims far longer than previous flapping microbots of a similar design. Its secret? The robot is a biohybrid blend of ..read more

After years of overly aggressive forecasts about self-driving cars, here’s a statistic that snuck up on us: People are now hailing 100,000 automated rides a week—a number that’s double the 50,000 weekly rides provided a few months ago. These rides are courtesy of Waymo, the self-driving car project incubated by Google and spun out as ..read more

Automating food is unlike automating anything else. Food is fundamental to life—nourishing body and soul—so how it’s accessed, prepared, and consumed can change societies fundamentally. Automated kitchens aren’t sci-fi visions from The Jetsons or Star Trek. The technology is real and global. Right now, robots are used to flip burgers, fry chicken, create pizzas, make ..read more

In November 2022, Icon and Lennar started 3D printing homes for a new neighborhood in Texas. Now, according to a report by Reuters, the 100-home project is nearly complete. While foundations, roofing, and finishes were built and installed traditionally, the walls of each house were constructed by Icon’s Vulcan 3D printer. Vulcan uses a long ..read more

One of the largest and strongest beetles in the world hardly seems the best inspiration for a delicate flying microbot. But using slow-motion cameras to capture the critters in flight, an international team designed a flying micromachine that can similarly expand and retract its wings. The robot—resembling a rocket before takeoff and a flying insect ..read more

Exoskeletons could help disabled people move freely again and one day boost the power and stamina of workers doing manual labor. A new AI-powered approach to building these devices could help expand their use. While the term exoskeleton might evoke images from sci-fi movies of people ensconced in massive robotic bodies, the real-world version tends to be more modest. Typically, these devices feature a few robotic hinges strapped to the wearer’s waist, where they add power to a person’s legs while walking, running, or climbing stairs. But ensuring these devices provide extra juice at the right ..read more