Jobs in the hospitality industry will be among the hardest hit by automation as the coronavirus outbreak ‘accelerates the rise of robots’. A study by the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) found the current crisis was increasing demand for less contact with people and fuelling a rise in technology to perform roles … Read more
A new report reveals that robots working in Amazon fulfillment centers are leading to more injuries among human employees – although the e-commerce giant claims the technology reduces incidents. Based on internal records from 150 warehouses, serious injuries were 50 percent higher at facilities with robots than those without, according to the Center for Investigative … Read more
Robots have become key players during the coronavirus pandemic and United Airlines is using one to disinfect planes with the hopes of encouraging people to take flight again. The firm has designed a 100-pound robot to disperse an antimicrobial spray that forms a long-lasting bond on surfaces and hinders the growth of microbes. Called NovaRover, … Read more
An insect-like machine with six individually powered legs that was intended for the battlefield received millions in US government funding during the 1980s. The project to create a fleet of real-life AT-AT walkers from Star Wars started in 1981 at Ohio State University, as the military searched for ways to traverse rough terrain that wheeled … Read more
An army of microscopic robots thinner than a human hair have been created that can be injected into the body to wage war on disease, researchers claim. It resembles the plot of sixties film Fantastic Voyage in which a vehicle was injected into a patient. Scientists inside destroyed his blood clot – with a laser … Read more
Locust swarms could hold the key to developing effective collision avoidance technology for robots, drones and self-driving cars Locusts fly in swarms of millions but a special neuron stops them from colliding Researchers from the US have made an electronic version inspired by the insects The sensor is far less bulky than current alternatives and responds in … Read more
Endangered sperm whales are less likely to forage for food at dawn in some areas of the Mediterranean, underwater robotic equipment has revealed. Unmanned underwater robots equipped with acoustic monitors recorded the sperm whale sounds over several months and thousands of miles of ocean. Sperm whales emit distinct ‘clicks’ to sense objects from reflected sound waves … Read more
A fleet of steam powered robots could one day be used to explore the moons of Jupiter and Saturn by ‘taking giant leaps across their frozen landscapes’. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory researchers are developing small football sized spherical robots equipped with steam powered thrusters for future exploration. If they ever move beyond the initial concept … Read more
BBC presenters are not ‘robots or idiots’ and ‘we’re not there to simply, blankly read the news’ says Naga Munchetty after Emily Maitlis row Naga Munchetty said broadcasters try to be impartial but still provide insight The BBC Breakfast presenter said broadcasters are not ‘robots or idiots’ She said it is not the job of … Read more
Microsoft will axe up to 50 journalists and replace them with robots using AI to select news stories Microsoft used journalists to collate its MSN website and Edge mobile browser Journalists selected stories from other publishers for the company’s homepage Staff were emailed that they were being replaced by artificial intelligence By Darren Boyle for … Read more