The promise and pitfalls of using robots to care for the elderly
There's something dystopian about the idea of a future in which robots care for the elderly. But is this something we should really fight against? A number of new projects show that a future of caregiving robots and artificial intelligence may be just what the doctor ordered.
The Tamagotchi Effect: How digital pets shaped the tech habits of a generation
Tamagotchis, the egg-shaped virtual pets that were the obsession of kids and the scourge of many parents and teachers in the late 1990s, are making a comeback. Here's how the originals helped shape the tech views of an entire generation of kids, now in their twenties and thirties.
Will GPS ever become obsolete? Meet the ant-inspired tech that could replace it
GPS is today’s go-to navigational system and it’s great until it doesn’t work. Researchers at universities and some of the world’s top tech companies are developing advanced navigational techniques designed to fill in the gaps when GPS fails.
Motion-sensing shrubs and robo-Venus flytraps: Inside the world of Cyborg Botany
From motion-sensing plants to a Venus Flytrap you control using a computer interface, Harpreet Sareen is the brains behind a weird field called Cyborg Botany. Here's why he believes that it matters -- and what we can expect from this fast-growing (literally) area in the future.
What would it take to build a Matrix-level simulation of reality?
What would it take, technologically speaking, to build a real version of the Matrix? Now that we're rapidly approaching the point at which such a thing will be possible, MIT computer scientist Rizwan Virk explores what we'd need to do to build a Matrix-level simulation
I mainlined a bag of liquid vitamins — for science
Nutrient IV therapy is a hot new trend. It involves pumping vitamins, minerals, and fluids directly into the bloodstream, bypassing the gastrointestinal tract for what is meant to be a rush of wellness to the veins. But is there science to support it? DT Investigates
Ford’s bipedal delivery robot can walk straight up to your doorstep
Autonomous wheeled delivery robots are seemingly everywhere in 2019. Oregon-based startup Agility Robotics has a different idea, however. Its cutting edge Digit robot carries out deliveries while walking on two legs. Here's why Agility thinks that's a necessary innovation.
The rise and reign of Starship, the world’s first robotic delivery provider
Excited about the impending delivery robot revolution? If so, you need to know about Starship Technologies, the company which kickstarted the whole thing. Founded by two of the original creators of Skype, Starship is poised to change the world of deliveries. Here's what you need to know.
How Super Mario, Magic: The Gathering, and PowerPoint are low-key supercomputers
What if the creators of Super Mario World, PowerPoint and even the card game Magic: The Gathering had accidentally created tools hiding a general-purpose computer in plain sight? Welcome to the weird world of the accidentally Turing complete. Here's what it all means, and why it matters.
Purdue’s robotic hummingbird is nearly as nimble as the real thing
A team of engineers in Purdue University’s Bio-Robotics Lab have developed an impressively agile flying robot, modeled after the hummingbird. Here's how it works, and why its creators think that it could prove to be a useful addition to future search and rescue missions.
San Francisco won the battle, but the war on facial-recognition has just begun
San Francisco has become the first city in America to ban facial recognition. Well, kind of. While the ruling only covers certain applications of facial recognition technology, it's nonetheless a very important decision to have been made. Here is why it matters so much.
Google’s Street View cars are helping build a giant map of global air pollution
For the past several years, a growing number of Google’s Street View cars have been doing more than just taking photos. They’ve also been measuring air quality. Here's how they've been doing it -- and what this could mean for solving the global problem of air pollution.
How facial recognition is changing life as we know it – for better or worse
From the police to advertising startups, everyone is investing in state-of-the-art facial recognition technology. Why is this field growing so rapidly, and what does it mean for ordinary citizens? Digital Trends took a deep dive into some of the latest potential applications.
Chicago’s trash-eating river robot is a glimpse into the future of crowdsourcing
From controlling a trash-picking robot on the Chicago River to helping discover new planets, our hyper-connected world is giving the public a host of new tools to help solve some giant problems. Here's why it's so exciting -- and what this all means for the future as we know it.
DroneBullet is a kamikaze drone missile that knocks enemy UAVs out of the sky
How do you get an enemy drone out of the sky as quickly as possible? According to anti-drone tech company AerialX, the answer involves a cross between a missile and a quadcopter. Meet DroneBullet. Here's how it works -- and why technology such as this is crucial in today's world.
Most cities can’t deal with escooters. Charlotte, N.C., wants to show them how
The city of Charlotte, North Carolina believes that e-scooters can have a positive impact on the world, so it's partnered with a shipping logistics company to figure out the best way for cities all over the globe to welcome micromobility startups onto their streets and sidewalks.
RFID-blocking products are practically worthless. Here’s why
From smart wallets to smart clothing, RFID-blocking products are big business, but are you really at risk from identity theft or fraud via RFID skimming? And if you are, do these products really keep you safe? We investigated RFID-related crime and spoke to an expert to find out.
Why Windows users will never let Microsoft kill their beloved MS Paint
Despite repeated threats to remove it, Microsoft this month confirmed that MS Paint will remain a part of Windows for now. Why are users still in love with a simple graphics editor that first shipped almost 35 years ago? Digital Trends set out to find a convincing answer.
How a clever photography trick is bringing Seattle’s shipwrecks to the surface
Photogrammetry uses hundreds of photos that are stitched together to make a realistic model of objects. Members of the Global Underwater Explorers, including Kees Beemster Leverenz, use the technique to make models of ships and planes that are sunk in the waters around Seattle.
The holy grail of robotics: Inside the quest to build a mechanical human hand
Building an ultra-accurate robot hand has long been the Holy Grail for robotics experts. Now the world's most advanced robot hand, the so-called Dexterous Hand, has gotten even better -- thanks to some amazing haptics tech that allows it to be operated from across the world.
Geoengineering is risky and unproven, but soon it might be necessary
From light-scattering aerosols in Earth’s upper atmosphere to artificial chemical sponges created to suck carbon-dioxide out of the air we breathe, geoengineering aims to purposely change the world's climate using technology. Here's why its proponents think it must happen.
How 3D printing has changed the world of prosthetic limbs forever
When he was 13 years old, Christophe Debard had his leg amputated. Jump forward to the present day, and his experiences have led him to create the startup Print My Leg. It offers open-source designs for 3D printed leg prostheses to whoever needs them. Welcome to a growing revolution.
Climeworks wants to clean the atmosphere with a fleet of building-sized vacuums
Using machines that resemble jet engines, Climeworks wants to fight climate change by extracting CO2 from thin air. The gas can then be sold to carbonated drink and agriculture companies, or sequestered underground.
Inside the Ocean Cleanup’s ambitious plan to rid the ocean of plastic waste
In 2013, Boyan Slat crowdfunded $2.2 million to fund the Ocean Cleanup, a non-profit organization that builds big, floating trash collectors and sets them out to sea, where they’re designed to autonomously gobble up garbage. The organization has since raised over $35 million and a lot of questions from incredulous experts.
Burgers are just the beginning: Embracing the future of lab-grown everything
You’ve almost certainly heard of the 'farm to fork' movement, but what about 'lab to table'? Welcome to the world of lab-grown meat: the fast-evolving dream of bringing customers their favorite edible dead animal without actually having to kill any animals in the process.
The grid of the future will be powered by … giant subterranean bagpipes?
In order to transition to a more renewable-focused energy system, we need to scale up our grid storage capacity -- and our existing methods aren't going to cut it. Could compressed air be the key?
Meet the gene-edited bacteria that could make cannabis plants obsolete
Ever wanted to brew cannabis like you brew craft beer? At the University of California, Berkeley, synthetic biologists have managed to engineer brewer’s yeast so that it produces the main cannabinoids found in marijuana. Here's why that's so darn exciting -- and what it means.
NASA is building an inflatable space robot named King Louie
Don't expect the robots which thrive in space to look the same as the ones that we're used to here on Earth. The latest illustration of this is King Louie, a NASA-funded inflatable robot which could travel to the stars in deflated form and then be blown up when and where required.
How emotion-tracking A.I. will change computing as we know it
Affectiva is just one of the startups working to create emotion-tracking artificial intelligence that can work out how you're feeling. From gaming to cars to healthcare, here are some of the ways that emotion-tracking tech promises to revolutionize computing as we know it.
How MIT hacked horticulture to cultivate a hyper-flavorful basil plant
As farmers maximize crop yield, the plants lose flavor and nutrition. MIT researcher Caleb Harper uses his personal food computers to alter indoor climates and influence the taste of basil. He found surprising results when exposing basil to light for 24 hours a day.
The next clash of Silicon Valley titans will take place in space
By launching their own attempts to bring internet access to every last person on Earth, tech giants from Amazon to Facebook have a major new mission. It's also one that will put them into competition with one another -- only this time in space. Here is what you need to know.
Animals, algorithms, and obstacle courses: Welcome to the A.I. Olympics
Scheduled to take place this June, the Animal-A.I. Olympics will test whether the world's top artificial intelligence algorithms can complete intelligence tests designed for animals. Here's why that matters -- and why this could be the ultimate challenge for today's A.I.
I had a one-night stand with a sleep robot
Would you sleep with a robot, if it promised to cure insomnia, and leave you better rested? That’s the idea behind the Somnox sleep robot, and we’ve slept with it.
Are we living in a simulation? This MIT scientist says it’s more likely than not
The simulation hypothesis, which was famously probed in the 1999 film The Matrix, is the subject of a new book by Rizwan Virk, a computer scientist and video game developer who leads Play Labs at MIT. In his book, Virk endeavors to unpack the heady arguments that call our physical world into question.