The Emerging Artificial Intelligence Era Faces a Growing Threat from Directed Energy Weapons
Autonomous and AI-enabled systems increasingly rely on optical and radio frequency sensors and significant computer power. They face growing vulnerabilities from directed-energy laser and microwave weapons
A Brief History of Automatons That Were Actually People
When human labor is hidden under the veneer of a robot or AI tool, that’s “fauxtomation”
Spiderlike Mars Robot Might One Day Crawl through Unexplored Volcanic Caves
This eight-legged probe would scour Mars’s underground lava tubes for places where explorers might camp—or for signs of past life
Computers Sculpt Hopping Gelatinous Robots
These bloblike bots have been optimized for speed
AI Teaches Robots the Best Way to Pack a Car, a Suitcase—Or a Rocket to Mars
Robots that can fit multiple items into a limited space could help pack a suitcase or a rocket to Mars
Robotics ‘Revives’ a Long-Extinct Starfish Ancestor
Engineers and paleontologists teamed up to reconstruct an ancestor of starfish from the Paleozoic era and figure out how it moved
AI Designs Little Robots in 30 Seconds, and They Keep Sprouting Legs
An AI used to build artificial neural networks can also create autonomous robot bodies with remarkable speed
Above-Elbow Bionic Arm Can Control Every Finger
Researchers have created the first nerve-controlled prosthetic hand that can be used in daily life
This Insect-Sized Robot Can Carry 22 Times Its Own Weight
The four-legged miniature machine is powered by tiny explosions
How to Roll a Joint Perfectly, according to Science
Scientists used a smoking machine—complete with a 3-D-printed mouthpiece—to figure out how to get the most cannabinoid per puff.
Shape-Shifting, Self-Healing Machines Are Among Us
Electronics that can bend, stretch and repair themselves could potentially work in applications ranging from tougher robots to smart clothes
The In-Credible Robot Priest and the Limits of Robot Workers
Some jobs just need the human touch to work, even with automated assistance