Darpa’s Next Challenge? A Grueling Underground Journey
Darpa calls on researchers to autonomously explore the innards of Earth. Get ready for high drama and some fantastical-looking robots.
Boston Dynamics’ Robot Dog Will Be Available Next Year
The secretive company has long been research-focused, but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been thinking about what consumers want out of SpotMini.
Lots of Doctors Recommend Weed Without Understanding It
Half of oncologists who recommended marijuana did so without feeling they had sufficient knowledge of the drug.
Inside the Arena Where Drones Battle a Wall of 1,300 Computer Fans
In Caltech’s fancy new drone arena, the machines face terrifying atmospheric disturbances, all to help shape the future of flight.
A Tornado’s Secret Sounds Could Reveal Where It’ll Strike
Tornadoes seem to emit sounds the human ear can't hear. That could help scientists develop better early detection systems.
Why Is NASA’s InSight Mars Mission Launching from California?
This month, NASA will fire its first interplanetary mission from Vandenberg Air Force Base north of Los Angeles. Why the snub for Cape Canaveral in Florida?
How to Interact With Robots Without Embarrassing Yourself
Researchers are crashing tiny drones into PhD students to make humans and machines get along better.
A Robotics Startup Perishes, and It’s Got Tales to Tell
With the demise of TickTock comes valuable insights into what the robotic home of the future may look like, and which company will end up conquering it.
The Lab Making Robots Walk Through Fire and Ride Segways
Benefits of robots: 1. They never get tired. 2. They can lift very heavy things. 3. They can walk through (controlled) conflagrations at the University of Michigan.
Delivery Bots Have Awkward Sidewalk Interactions, Too
Marble wants to make these things proficient enough to find their own way around the people and the buskers and the intersections.