Dear robots: If you come to steal our jobs, please take these ones first
Over the coming decades, it’s likely that huge numbers of other jobs will be replaced thanks to advances in artificial intelligence and robotics. But are there jobs we should specifically try and automate away for the good of humankind? Here are some which fit the bill.
Photorealistic CGI product placement ads could soon invade your favorite movies
You know the kind of targeted advertising that you get online? Thanks to a new Hollywood visual effects startup, it could be coming to the world of movies and TV as well. Welcome to a future of personalized unskippable ads in your favorite media. Here's how the technology works.
The future has arrived. Want proof? Check out these amazing robotic exoskeletons
From Aliens’ Power Loader to the Combat Jackets from Edge of Tomorrow, science fiction is full of amazing assistive robot exosuits that can be worn by humans to increase their capabilities. But real life is fast catching up with sci-fi. Here are some of the most exciting real examples.
This robotic ping-pong trainer is basically a mechanized version of Forrest Gump
Table tennis is not a sport that’s particularly easy to practice on your own. That’s where the new Infinity Smart Table Tennis Training Robot, created by iPong and table tennis company veteran Joola, literally comes in to play. Here's how it works -- and where you can get your hands on it.
Has science gone too far? This invincible robo-cockroach is impossible to squish
A new cockroach-inspired roachbot can withstand weights of up to 1 million times its body weight. It can also carry heavy loads, climb slopes, and move at speeds of seven body lengths per second. Here's how its creators believe it could one day be used to help save lives.
The best deepfakes on the web: Baby Elon, Ryan Reynolds Wonka, and beyond
Deepfakes, the A.I.-aided face-swapping technology that threatens the future of truth as we know it, are everywhere. But while some of the potential applications are pretty darn unnerving, some of them are just plain fun as well. Here's a selection of the very best we've seen.
Trippy VR demo reads your brain waves to create sleep-inducing visuals
Struggle to get to sleep at night? Researchers in the Exertion Games Lab at Australia’s RMIT University have been experimenting with ways to combine a person’s brain activity with virtual reality headsets to create a kind of VR lullaby machine. Here's how it works -- and what's next.
It sounds like utter madness, but you can now buy a flamethrower drone
The TF-19 WASP Flamethrower Drone is a quadcopter attachment for commercially available drones which, according to its creators, 'allows users to ignite aerial and ground targets from miles away.' It's available to buy starting tomorrow. Now what could possibly go awry?
IBM’s Wimbledon-watching A.I. is poised to revolutionize sports broadcasts
IBM has developed a smart artificial intelligence with an appreciation for what makes a great tennis match. On display at the recent Wimbledon, it was used to create highlights packages. Here's how IBM developed it -- and why tools like it are the future of sport broadcasting.
Like the real thing, this robot ant colony is more than the sum of its parts
Researchers from Switzerland's EPFL institute have built a robot ant colony, consisting of tiny 10-gram robots which are able to communicate with one another, assign roles among themselves, and work together to complete tasks. Here's why they could prove to be so useful.
Stallone in Terminator 2? How one deepfake prankster is changing cinema history
Ever wanted to see The Shining with Jim Carrey instead of Jack Nicholson? How about Stallone in Terminator 2: Judgement Day? Thanks to the unnerving magic of deepfake AI technology, this kind of fantasy recasting is now possible -- as one creator ably demonstrates.
Top Oxford researcher talks the risk of automation on employment
The threat of robots and A.I. stealing jobs is hotly debated. In a new book, titled The Technology Trap: Capital, Labor, and Power in the Age of Automation, Oxford professor Dr. Carl Benedikt Frey sorts the truth from the fiction. Dr. Frey spoke with Digital Trends about his findings.
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.
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.
First, it was San Francisco. Now, the U.K. is fighting facial recognition
The U.K.'s first legal battle over police use of facial recognition technology has kicked off. The case involves a citizen who is taking action against South Wales Police, alleging that live facial-recognition technology was used against him in a breach of his own personal privacy.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
A.I.-generated text is supercharging fake news. This is how we fight back
Last month, OpenAI announced a text generating A.I. so scarily accurate they claimed it would be dangerous to release it. Now researchers have developed a tool to help spot text written by bots. Here's what it means for the future of fake news in an age of smart machines.
Kickstarter campaign aims to help make 3D-printed space habitats for Mars
Mars X-House sounds like kind of reality TV show pitched somewhere between astronaut training and Big Brother. In fact, it’s an ambitious project to create a prototype future Mars habitat using 3D printing. And, thanks to a Kickstarter campaign, you can help be a part of it.
SeaBubbles’ new electric hydrofoil boat is the aquatic equivalent of a Tesla
What do you get if you combine Tesla-style electric vehicles, flying cars and a cool sleek water-going vessel? Probably something a bit like SeaBubbles, the French 'flying' boat startup which offers a distinctly 21st-century electric take on the classic hydrofoil. Check it out.
Here’s how Facebook taught its Portal A.I. to think like a Hollywood filmmaker
When Facebook introduced its line of Portal screen-enhanced smart speakers, it wanted to find a way to make video chat as intimate as sitting down for a conversation with an old friend. Here's how its engineers tried to pull off the feat using some smart A.I. and a bit of human creativity.
After a record-setting 15 years, NASA ends Opportunity rover’s tour of Mars
NASA has officially called it quits on its record-setting Mars rover Opportunity, eight months after last hearing from the lander. The space agency had been attempting to make contact with the rover since communications went dark following an intense dust storm in 2018.
Tokyo 2020 is on track to create Olympic medals with recycled electronics
The committee behind the Tokyo 2020 Olympics has revealed that it is on target to be able to forge all winning athletes’ gold, silver and bronze medals from recycled electronics waste, consisting of discarded and obsolete electronic devices such as smartphones and laptops.
Little Sophia is the pint-sized robot buddy that promises to teach kids to code
Intended for kids aged 7 to 13, Little Sophia is a 14-inch robot, capable of walking, talking, recognizing faces, and pulling a variety of different facial expressions. Oh, and teaching kids the all-important skill of coding. Here's how you can get your hands on one as soon as possible.
Rise of the Machines: Here’s how much robots and A.I. progressed in 2018
2018 has generated no shortage of news, and the fast-changing worlds of artificial intelligence and robotics are no exception. Here are our picks for the most exciting and game changing examples of A.I. and robots that we saw in the last 12 months. Get ready to have your mind blown!
NASA’s InSight lander successfully touches down on Mars
Later today, NASA will attempt to safely touch down its unmanned InSight lander on Mars. This feat involves a hair-raising deceleration through Mars’ thin atmosphere, prior to making its landing. Sound scary? You bet. The good news is that you can watch live coverage online.