Tag Archives: robotics

Bloomberg News reports: Apple Inc. has teams investigating a push into personal robotics, a field with the potential to become one of the company’s ever-shifting “next big things,” according to people familiar with the situation. Engineers at Apple have been exploring a mobile robot that can follow users around their homes, said the people, who asked not to be identified …

Ars Technica reports: Meet ANYmal, a four-legged dog-like robot designed by researchers at ETH Zürich in Switzerland, in hopes of using such robots for search-and-rescue on building sites or disaster areas, among other applications. Now ANYmal has been upgraded to perform rudimentary parkour moves, aka “free running.” Human parkour enthusiasts are known for their remarkably agile, acrobatic feats, and while …

Axios reports: A factory planning to pump out 10,000 two-legged robots a year is taking shape in Salem, Oregon — the better to help Amazon and other giant companies with dangerous hauling, lifting and moving. Agility Robotics says that its RoboFab manufacturing facility will be the first to mass-produce humanoid robots, which could be nimbler and more versatile than their …

The BBC reports: A man has been crushed to death by a robot in South Korea after it failed to differentiate him from the boxes of food it was handling, reports say. The incident occurred when the man, a robotics company employee in his 40s, was inspecting the robot. The robotic arm, confusing the man for a box of vegetables, …

The Military Times reports: Marines strapped a rocket launcher to a so-called robotic goat in the California desert in September, in a test of robots’ abilities to carry and fire weapons in battle. Marines with Tactical Training and Exercise Control Group conducted the proof-of-concept test at Twentynine Palms, California ― a vast installation with many ranges where Marines can do …

Gothamist reports: A 420-pound, 5-foot-2-inch robocop with a giant camera for a face will begin patrolling the Times Square subway station overnight, the NYPD announced Friday morning. At a press conference held underground in the 42nd Street subway station, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said the city is launching a two-month pilot program to test the Knightscope K5 Autonomous …

Reuters reports: Robots presented at an AI forum said on Friday they expected to increase in number and help solve global problems, and would not steal humans’ jobs or rebel against us. The nine humanoid robots gathered at the ‘AI for Good’ conference in Geneva, where organisers are seeking to make the case for artificial intelligence and the robots it …

Axios reports: The first commercially available human-shaped robots designed for warehouse work were unveiled last week by a company called Agility Robotics, for delivery in 2025. Digit, which is built to work alongside humans, can lift and move plastic bins in a warehouse or distribution center. Fully self-charging, Digit — who is a slim 5’9″ and 140 pounds — will …

Newsweek reports: Viewers were left “creeped out” by Jason Derulo’s robotic backup dancers during a pre-Super Bowl performance. Derulo performed at the NFL’s TikTok Tailgate event to get fans excited for Super Bowl LVII, but one aspect of his performance didn’t have the desired effect. Derulo was joined on stage by a number of human backup dancers, who in turn, …

The Verge reports: Is Boston Dynamics slowly preparing to put its bipedal robots to work? In a glossy new video, the company has shown off its prototype Atlas robot tossing planks and tool bags around in a fake construction site. It’s a notable change in messaging from the Hyundai-owned company, which has never previously emphasized how its bipedal machines could …

The Associated Press reports: Supervisors in San Francisco voted Tuesday to give city police the ability to use potentially lethal, remote-controlled robots in emergency situations — following an emotionally charged debate that reflected divisions on the politically liberal board over support for law enforcement. The vote was 8-3, with the majority agreeing to grant police the option despite strong objections …

Axios reports: Several robotics companies, including Boston Dynamics, are pledging not to support the weaponization of their products and are calling for others in the industry to do the same, according to a letter shared first with Axios. Robots, like drones before them, have a wide range of peaceful and even life-saving uses, but can be turned into war-fighting machines, …

Reuters reports: Tesla CEO Elon Musk showed off on Friday a prototype of its humanoid robot ‘Optimus’, predicting the electric vehicle maker would be able to produce millions and sell them for under $20,000 – less than a third of the price of a Model Y. An experimental test robot that Tesla said was developed in February walked out to …

Reuters reports: Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk blamed overreliance on factory robots for sending the electric carmaker to “production hell” four years ago, saying humans were better at certain jobs. My, how times have changed. Musk’s Texas company now is floating ambitious plans to deploy thousands of humanoid robots, known as Tesla Bot or Optimus, within its factories, expanding eventually …

Vice News reports: At a Russian arms fair this week, a developer showed off their new creation, and the logical next step of the robot arms race: a Boston Dynamics-style dog robot with an RPG strapped to its back. A video uploaded by RIA Novosti, a Russian-state owned news agency, shows the robot in action, in which the robot tiptoes …

The New York Times reports: Inside a dimly lit tunnel along a stretch of simulated subway track, one of the New York Fire Department’s new dogs showed off a few of its tricks. Lie down. Roll over. Stay. But the most remarkable things that the two robotic dogs can do were mastered by real dogs long ago: jogging across rugged …

The Verge reports: Hyundai-owned Boston Dynamics has released a holiday video featuring its dog-like Spot robot, and it’s turned out as creepy as ever. The video, posted to Twitter, starts innocuously enough — there’s a large present of the type anyone would be happy to see under their tree, sitting in a courtyard. Then, the gift stands up and walks …

Global News reports: Robot engineers at Cornwall-based Engineered Arts have unveiled a remarkably human-like android, named “Ameca.” A short promo video released by the company shows Ameca seemingly “waking up,” looking at its hands and then towards the camera. The 40-second clip has racked up well over 10 million views online since Engineered Arts released it earlier this week. Ameca …

CNET reports: The world’s greatest rock and roll band has met its match in the world’s greatest robot dog. Boston Dynamics’ creepy-cute Spot whipped out its best moves-like-Jagger impression in a shot-by-shot video tribute to The Rolling Stones’ 1981 hit (and Windows 95 commercial jingle) Start Me Up. The video shows Spot mimicking the dancing and singing of front man …

The Drive reports: Ghost Robotics and SWORD International have teamed up to create a rifle-toting “robot dog.” Called the Special Purpose Unmanned Rifle, or SPUR, the system adds a 6.5mm Creedmoor rifle from SWORD to one of Ghost Robotics’ quadrupedal unmanned ground vehicles, or Q-UGVs. The SPUR made its debut on the show floor at the Association of the U.S. …