Look out construction workers; Japan’s new robot might steal your job one day
This new robot built by researchers from Japan’s Advanced Industrial Science and Technology is capable of carrying out a range of construction tasks, such as hammering up sheets of drywall. That's great news if you hate DIY. It's not so good if you happen to work in construction.
MIT’s latest A.I. is freakishly good at determining what’s going on in videos
MIT researchers have created an A.I. system which uses a deep learning neural network to fill in the blanks in video frames to work out what activity is taking place. The results make it astonishingly good at determining what's happening in a video. Here's why that's exciting.
Make the most of your compost by transforming it into 3D printing filament
Could 3D printing have a role to play in disposing of food waste? Indeed it can, claims a new startup Genecis, which has developed a way to transform today's compost into tomorrow's 3D printing filament. Here's how it works -- courtesy of a little bit of high-tech biology magic.
MIT’s creepy-crawly robot can help monitor your health
Researchers from MIT are building a palm-sized bipedal robot called Skinbot that’s designed to crawl over your body using suction-cup feet, modeled on the adhesive abilities of leeches or cephalopods. Here's how it could be used as a personal health guardian just a few years from now.
Lighter and tougher, graphene may be the future of wheelchairs
Looking for the next innovative use of graphene? A Swiss wheelchair company is introducing a new graphene-skinned wheelchair. It uses everyone's favorite ultra-strong material to create a chair that is 30 percent lighter than classic carbon wheelchairs -- but 20 percent tougher.
Attention, space gardeners: Simulated Martian soil now on sale for $20 a kilo
Want your own taste of life on Mars? Astrophysicists at the University of Central Florida are selling simulated Martian soil for $20 a kilo, plus postage. They hope that this standardized material will help researchers investigating questions like how best to grow food on other planets.
Editing mosquito DNA could help wipe out malaria and Zika — here’s how
In the quest to stop the spread of malaria, researchers from the U.K.’s Imperial College London have demonstrated a way of editing mosquito DNA to disseminate a genetic modification that stops female mosquitoes from reproducing. Here's how it works -- and why it is so promising.
Can’t spare time to brush your teeth? EZ Teethbrush promises to do it 4x faster
Looking after your teeth used to be hella time-consuming. A new toothbrush called the EZ Teethbrush promises to help -- by brushing all our teeth at the same time. By doing so, its creators that it can reduce a thorough tooth clean from two minutes down to just 30 seconds.
A.I. security camera can identify guns with 99 percent accuracy
The U.S. company Athena Security has developed a smart camera system which is reportedly 99 percent accurate when it comes to spotting guns in video footage. It can then be used to alert law enforcement automatically, potentially saving lives in the process. Here's how it's being used.
The innovative Urmo hoverboard folds flat in just 2 seconds
The innovative Urmo self-balancing electric scooter can deliver a top speed of 9 mph, with a range of 12 miles. Decide to stow it, however, and it can fold flat it just a few short seconds. Here's how it works -- and how you'll soon be able to get your hands (well, feet) on one.
These crazy alien-like structures were built by MIT’s silkworm-inspired robots
MIT's swarm of silkworm-inspired Fiberbots can spin fiberglass threads into tall structures resembling otherworldly plants from a sci-fi movie. One day, they be used to carry out construction work in far-flung inhospitable environments, like Mars. Check them out in action.
Sprayable antennas could usher in a new era of ultracompact wearable devices
Researchers at Drexel University’s College of Engineering have invented new spray-on antennas, which can be applied as easily as spray paint or bug spray. The ultra-thin, sprayable antennas perform as well as the mobile antennas used in devices such as smartphones and wireless routers.
7 ambitious DARPA projects that could revolutionize the armed forces
With a multibillion dollar annual budget and access to some of the sharpest minds around, few research labs can dream of matching DARPA. Here are 7 of the amazing projects they're creating. It seems that tomorrow's U.S. military is going to have access to some pretty amazing tech!
7 of the most unusual wearable wellness devices
The Apple Watch Series 4 may currently be the toast of health-conscious wearables world. But there are plenty of other, more experimental wellness wearables out there -- able to do everything from take blood to monitoring how much UV light we soak up. Here are the most intriguing.
Magic of physics makes this fridge chill food without fans or electricity
Looking for your next cooler? The Fenik Yuma cooler is a portable food preserver that never needs ice, fans, or electricity. It comes totally flat, and pops up like a tent in under 20 seconds. Here is how you can get your hands on this wondrous next-gen refrigeration device.
This spinal electrical stimulation implant let a paralyzed man walk again
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have demonstrated how an implanted electrical stimulator in the spine can help a man paralyzed four years ago to regain the ability to stand -- and even walk the length of a football field. The breakthrough could an important step in overcoming paralysis.
Like a breathalyzer for exhaustion, new blood test can tell how tired you are
Researchers in the U.K. have developed a machine learning algorithm which can reveal signs of sleep deprivation, based on a blood sample. The resulting test can show with 92 percent accuracy whether a blood sample is taken from a well-rested or sleep-deprived individual.
‘Minimal Turing Test’ asks humans to prove they’re human with only one word
Devised by researchers from MIT and the University of Pennsylvania, a new spin on the classic Turing Test asks human participants to name a single word that they would use to explain just what makes humans, well, human. Here are the (sometimes surprising) results of the experiment.
Just like an eagle, this autonomous glider can fly on thermal currents
Using a type of artificial intelligence which learns based on trial and error, researchers have demonstrated how gliders can glide autonomously on thermal currents, much like an eagle does. Here's how they managed it and why this could have big implications for next-generation drones.
Teaching machines to see illusions may help computer vision get smarter
Researchers are teaching computers to see optical illusions. The reason? To hopefully create smarter, more brain-like artificial vision recognition algorithms that will prove more robust in the real world. The results could help everything from robots to self-driving cars.
This app-controlled prosthetic tail may be the weirdest wearable device yet
San Diego Comic-Con may be almost a year away, but it’s never too early to start preparing your cosplay costume. This wearable animatronic tail, controlled via your smartphone, should help -- regardless of whether you want to be Nightcrawler from 'X-Men' or a Xenomorph from 'Aliens.'
This mirror-wielding robot arm behaves in a freakily lifelike manner
Created by German-based artist Piet Schmidt, this robot arm 'Encounter' project will come close to tricking you into thinking it's a real creature, based on its behavior. Check it out in action -- and witness whatever the robotic version of the 'uncanny valley' is called.
Eye-tracking tech lets you control a drone by looking where you want it to move
Put down your smartphones and other drone controllers. Researchers at New York University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory have invented a method to allow drone pilots to fly drones using a pair of eye-tracking glasses. What could be simpler?
Removing ‘zombie cells’ in the brain could help battle the effects of dementia
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have demonstrated how the removal of so-called 'zombie cells' could potentially help stave off or reduce the effects of cognitive decline in the brain, including types of dementia. So far, they have demonstrated the effect in mouse models.
New sustainable plan to mitigate climate change involves… a hot dog cooker?
Chemists at the Department of Energy have demonstrated a new, energy-efficient method of pulling carbon dioxide directly from the air. The secret ingredients? An air humidifier and a solar-powered hot dog cooker. The resulting tech could help fight climate change.
JackRabbot 2 is Stanford’s friendly new campus-roaming social robot
No, it's not some concept design from an as-yet-unnanounced sequel to Pixar’s 'WALL-E'. In fact, JackRabbot 2 is a real robot created by researchers at Stanford University -- designed to navigate around the campus, while interacting in a friendly way with the humans around it.
Versatile robotic skin gives stuffed horse, other inanimate objects some giddyup
Researchers at Yale University have developed a new sensor-packed robot skin that can be wrapped around inanimate objects, such as toys, to transform them into functioning robots. Here's why that's so exciting -- and which robots the team has created with the new tech.
Robot jellyfish could be used to patrol fragile coral reefs
Could schools of robotic jellyfish soon be patrolling the world’s oceans, monitoring fragile environments, such as coral reefs? A team of U.S. researchers, comprising scientists from Florida Atlantic University and the U.S. Office of Naval Research, certainly thinks so.
Harvard’s soft robotic exosuit adapts itself to the needs of every wearer
Researchers at Harvard have developed a new multi-joint, textile-based soft robotic exosuit, designed to help soldiers, firefighters, and other rescue workers. Its smartest trick? Being able to personalize the support that it gives, based on the unique needs of the wearer.
An A.I. is designing retro video games — and they’re surprisingly good
Researchers from Georgia Tech have demonstrated how A.I. can be used to create brand-new video games after being shown hours of classic 8-bit gaming action for inspiration. The best part? The games are good. Check them out in all their retro-inspired glory.
Robots are going to steal 75 million jobs by 2025 — but there’s no need to panic
The robot job takeover may happen a bit sooner than you think. According to a new paper published by the World Economic Forum, half of all work tasks will be capable of being carried out by machines by 2025. That is about 75 million jobs in total. But they'll create far, far more.
Giant wind farm in Morocco will help mine cryptocurrency, conserve energy
One of the windiest parts of Morocco is set to get a $2 billion, 900MW wind farm power plant, which could help power eco-friendly cryptocurrency mining in a more environmentally friendly way. Here's what is being planned -- and why this is an important step for the future.
No more scraping? Anti-frosting advance could mark end of frozen windshields
Hate frozen windshields in winter? Researchers at Virginia Tech may have found a way to banish them for good, thanks to the world’s first passive anti-frosting surface. It's capable of remaining 90 percent dry and frost free in frigid weather -- and all without the need for chemical or energy inputs.
Crazy vending machine swaps computer art for your permanent selfie
Coder artist Matthias Dörfelt has created a camera-equipped vending machine called Face Trade, which promises to swap unique prints of computer-generated faces for the rights to upload your selfie onto the main Ethereum blockchain. Here's what it says about privacy in 2018.