robot

In 2010, Rajnikanth-starrer Enthiran gave us a glimpse into the life of ‘Chitti’, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered humanoid robot, who could fight, clean and even cook but was not programmed to eat or taste food. Cut to 2022, robot chefs are for real, overshadowing ‘Chitti’. Researchers from the University of Cambridge’s Bio-Inspired Robotics Laboratory said on Wednesday that their robot chef could assess how salty a dish is at different stages of the chewing process, just as…

A robot “chef” is being trained by Cambridge University researchers to taste food and determine if it is adequately seasoned while cooking it just like a human. The robot is being trained to even develop the ability to alter the flavour of the food, based on the preferences of the user. So, does this mean that the human chef is on the verge of extinction as machines mimic the work they do, and, possibly, even become superior cooks? The robot chef was designed by Cambridge University researchers to taste a sample plate of…

The Neato D10 is the Tesla Cybertruck of robot vacuums. Just look at it. But unlike the EV, the Neato D10 proves that form is, in fact, over function. (It's also in stock and won't hold your deposits for years.) With its D-shaped figure that's designed to clean as close as possible to walls and other straight-edged furniture, the Neato D10, in its design alone, is already a differentiator in a saturated robot vacuum market. However, the…

Beware of dog...and robot. (OK, neither are particularly scary.) Photo: GABBY JONES FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL…

The innovative use of magnetic fields has opened up some exciting possibilities in cancer treatment, with scientists demonstrating how they can be used to steer tumor-killing particles into cancer tissue or wires into veins in search of blood cancers, to list a couple of examples. A thin new robot developed at the University of Leeds follows in these footsteps, taking the shape of a tentacle that can be guided into the depths of the lungs to inspect suspicious lesions or deliver drugs.The tentacle-inspired robot was…

Boston Dynamics’ robot dog Spot has been tasked with a new job - patrolling the ancient ruins of Pompeii. The robot will be used to inspect the site for safety issues and record structural changes over time to better manage the historic ruins.Ever since Boston Dynamics began developing its dog-like robot over a decade ago it has been one of those innovative solutions in search of a problem. In recent years, as the company commercialized Spot, it has been given a number of jobs, from working on an oil rig to herding sheep…

If you're searching for technology that makes life easier, robot vacuums and robot mops should be at the tip of your list. And there are more affordable options than you think. For the past several weeks, I've been testing out the Shark ION Robot Vacuum AV751. It's a decent robot vacuum, and keeps up with my two dogs and cat. The Shark ION Robot Vacuum AV751 is an older model, making it a budget-friendly option with name-brand…

The West Japan Rail Company has released video of its new humanoid heavy equipment robot. Mounted on the end of a crane, this gundam-style robot torso mimics the arm and head motions of a human pilot, who sees through the robot's eyes via VR goggles.The key objectives here, according to the company, are "to improve productivity and safety," enabling workers to lift and naturally manipulate heavy equipment around the rail system without exposing them to the risk of electric shocks or falling.The robot's large torso is…

If you say “jump” I say “how high?” – and a new robot from UC Santa Barbara says “over 100 ft (30 m).” The research team says that’s higher than anything else has ever jumped, be it robot or animal, thanks to a unique design that multiplies its stored energy.The strange robot looks like a toy rocket sitting atop two intersecting bicycle wheels. The “tires” of those wheels are carbon-fiber compression bows, while the spokes are rubber bands extending from a spindle running up the center.To make the device jump, a motor…

This two-in-one robot vacuum and mop is our next candidate in our review series of tech that makes our everyday lives easier.  For the last few weeks, I've been putting the iLife A11 to the test in my home against a super-shedding German Shepherd, a German Shorthaired Pointer, and our cat. So if you're curious how this robot stacks up against some serious dirt and debris, my home has it and I've tried it.  The iLife A11 is a decent…