U.S. Navy’s robot submarines could carry out autonomous attacks
New reports show the U.S. Navy is in the process of developing armed robot submarines, which could theoretically be used to kill without direct human oversight.
New antibacterial coating kills germs with the help of regular indoor lights
We’re receiving a wake-up call about just how germ-covered the surfaces that we touch on a regular basis can be. This antibacterial coating may be able to help.
Algorithm lets swarms of robots work together to create shapes without colliding
Researchers have developed an an algorithm that lets robot swarms reliably converge to form a predetermined shape in under a minute. With no collisions!
Drivers needed (sort of): Einride wants remote pilots for its driverless pods
Drivers wanted for driverless pods? It sounds crazy, but autonomous freight company Einride says it's the future of truck driving. Here's what you need to know.
Prosthetics that don’t require practice: Inside the latest breakthrough in bionics
Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a technique for creating the most advanced nerve-controlled prosthetic hands yet. Here's how it's done.
Environmentally friendly bendable concrete doesn’t shatter under pressure
Australian researchers' new concrete formulation is 400 times more bendable than the old-fashioned stuff. It's a whole lot more environmentally friendly, too.
Someone just uploaded open-source nuclear power plant blueprints to the web
It sounds like the diabolical scheme of a James Bond villain. In fact, it could be a game-changer for sustainable clean energy in the future. Here's why.
This Google robot taught itself to walk, with no help whatsoever, in two hours
Remember that scene in Walt Disney’s Bambi where the titular fawn learns to stand up and walk under its own power? Like that, basically, but with a robot.
Mayflower Autonomous Ship is headed to sea to test its self-driving boat tech
This trial, which will take place off the coast of Plymouth in the U.K., will test out the onboard A.I. and edge computing system to see how well it navigates.
Researchers build the world’s most sophisticated lab model of the human body
No, they're not building Frankenstein's monster. Instead, this miniature model of the human body could be used for researchers for testing future drugs.
Scientists want to grow new human skin using freeze-dried jellyfish from Mexico
Scientists have discovered a type of jellyfish boasting a structure that’s similar to human skin, which they believe could be used to create skin scaffolds.
In China’s hospitals, robots are helping to halt the spread of coronavirus
As the COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic continues to spread, hospitals in China have turned to a trio of robots to help fight the spread of the flu-type virus.
Could cellular seafood take pressure off Earth’s overfished oceans?
These biotech companies want to produce seafood without the sea. Here's how they're doing it -- and why they believe that it's going to be a game-changer.
Making meat out of thin air? Impossible. But this startup does it anyway
A steak takes a long time to land on your plate. Could science originally proposed by NASA in the 1960s help create meat out of thin air? A new startup thinks so.
Airplane Wi-Fi could get a massive upgrade in the near future
If planes were as reliable as inflight Wi-Fi, we’d never get on a flight again. Thanks to industry group Seamless Air Alliance, it could be about to get better.
Astronomers discover the biggest explosion in space since the Big Bang
It was powerful enough to punch a cavity in the super-hot gas surrounding the black hole large enough to fit 15 Milky Way galaxies lined up next to each other.
Flippy the burger-flipping robot is changing the face of fast food as we know it
A robot that flips burgers is coming to a fast food joint near you. And it can do a lot more than that, too. Meet Flippy, the robot superstar of Miso Robotics.
Scientists make artificial and biological neurons communicate over the internet
Rat neurons and artificial neurons just talked to each online. That might sound crazy, but it could one day help to change lives. Here's what you need to know.
Repair robot swims through oil pipelines and welds cracks — without exploding
This repair robot will weld oil pipeline defects from the inside while it's submerged in continuously flowing oil. Coming soon to an oil field near you.
Inside the mind of an autonomous delivery robot
Starship Technologies' autonomous delivery robots have driven thousands of miles. Here's how its bots experience the world -- and why it matters for our future.
This robot grabber is gentle enough to hold a jellyfish without damaging it
Soft robots are designed to interact with the living world without causing damage. Judging by this new jellyfish-gripping robot hand, mission accomplished!
Innovative edge-finding AR eyepiece lets firefighters see through smoke
Firefighters put their lives on the line every day. Could a new augmented reality head-up display called C-Thru save lives? Here's how it works.
This robot will change your tires in a fraction of the time a mechanic can
RoboTire is building robots which can change the tires on a car in a fraction of the time it takes a mechanic to do it. Here's what the company has planned.
Urine test could detect bladder cancer traces 10 years before other signs appear
More research is needed, but this urine test could be a breakthrough for non-invasively spotting signs of bladder cancer a decade before other signs appear.
Humanity’s media habits shifted radically in the 2010s. What do the 2020s hold?
Alexis Kirke is something of a visionary when it comes to the future of TV. The maker of interactive movies before Bandersnatch and an interactivity advisor to Hollywood studios, Kirke talked with Digital Trends about what the next decade holds for screen entertainment.
Using drones to detect coronavirus? It’s not as crazy as it sounds
Could drones be used to monitor the spread of coronavirus? Absolutely, says the CEO of a top drone company. And it's already been approached about doing it.
New drilling tech could tap Earth’s geothermal energy by melting through rocks
An abundant source of geothermal energy exists far beneath our feet, but accessing it isn’t exactly easy. A a new type of enhanced drilling system may help.
Terrifying handheld blaster can fire playing cards at 120 miles per hour
Intrepid engineer Emiel Noorlander has built a gun that's able to fire playing cards at 120 miles per hour. Awesome? Definitely. Totally safe? Probably not.
A.I. translation tool sheds light on the secret language of mice
Ever wanted to know what mice are actually saying? Neuroscientists at the University of Delaware do too. And they've got some cutting-edge A.I. to help out.
The latest weapon in the fight against Alzheimer’s? Flickering lights
Alzheimer's is an incurable disease that affects an estimated 5.5 million people in the United States alone. Could pulsed light be the answer for treating it?
New green device generates electricity by capturing moisture from the air
A device invented by scientists at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst could generate electricity from moisture in the air, aided by a natural protein.
U.S. military facial recognition could identify people from 1 km away
The Advanced Tactical Facial Recognition at a Distance Technology project started back in 2016. A working prototype of the tech was shown off late last year.
Neural implant turns regular grasshoppers into cyborg bomb-sniffers
Everyone knows sniffer dogs, but how about bomb-sniffing grasshoppers? Here's why they're a promising idea.
This 3D-printed four-legged robot is ready to take on Spot — at a lower price
There are plenty of four-legged, dog-inspired robots about. Could 3D printing make them more ubiquitous? Ghost Robotics and 3D printing company Origin think so.