Archive for the 'Rise of the Machines' Category
Robot Baristas
October 20th, 2013Via: Quartz: In a common area at the University of Texas at Austin, the Briggo coffee kiosk, covered in fake wood paneling and a touch screen and not much else, takes up about as much space as a pair of phone booths. Its external appearance was designed by award-winning industrial designer Yves Behar, with the […]
The Navy’s Newest Warship Is Powered by Linux
October 18th, 2013Via: Ars Technica: The USS Zumwalt will be a floating data center—armed with missiles and robot guns. When the USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) puts to sea later this year, it will be different from any other ship in the Navy’s fleet in many ways. The $3.5 billon ship is designed for stealth, survivability, and firepower, […]
Smart Shelves Will Identify Grocery Shoppers, Deliver Custom Advertisements
October 15th, 2013Via: Technology Advice: According to an interview with the Wall Street Journal, snack company Mondelez International will introduce so-called “smart shelves” into grocery stores starting in 2015. The shelves, which will be concentrated at the checkout line, will use a variety of tools to identify a shopper’s sex and age. The machine will then use […]
Fort Benning: Companies Demo Armed Robots for Ground Combat
October 15th, 2013You know why they chained the weapon to posts in the ground, right? *chortle* See: ED209 Malfunction Via: Computerworld: A weaponized robot acting as a member of a squad of U.S. soldiers fighting on the battlefield is no longer science fiction. They may not be two-legged, humanoid robots yet, but with wheels or tracks they […]
The Big Data Magic 8 Ball Now Hiring
October 11th, 2013Via: Bloomberg: They can drive cars, win Jeopardy and find your soon-to-be favorite song. Machines are also learning to decipher the most human qualities about you — and help businesses predict your potential to be their next star employee. A handful of technology companies from Knack.it Corp. to Evolv Inc. are doing just that, developing […]
GE and AT&T Partner to Make Engines, Trains and Turbines Cellular-Capable
October 9th, 2013What could possibly go wrong? Via: All Things D: General Electric is announcing a partnership with AT&T on Wednesday to add wireless capabilities to a wide range of the company’s industrial machines. The deal — an expansion of the existing partnership between the two companies — is designed to equip millions of jet engines, locomotives, […]
“Soon, Drones May Be Able to Make Lethal Decisions on Their Own”
October 8th, 2013Acronym of the day: LAR – Lethal Autonomous Robot Via: National Journal: Scientists, engineers and policymakers are all figuring out ways drones can be used better and more smartly, more precise and less damaging to civilians, with longer range and better staying power. One method under development is by increasing autonomy on the drone itself. […]
Aerospace Company Develops Drone That Can Fly Continuously For 5 Years
October 8th, 2013Via: CBS: An aerospace company has presented its design “atmospheric satellites” that fly at 65,000 feet and provide drone-like services such as live-mapping and monitoring narcotics trafficking. Titan Aerospace recently offered the Solara series of such drones: which can fly continuously for nearly five years, charging its own battery high above commercial aircraft through the […]
Self-Assembling Robots: MIT M-Blocks
October 7th, 2013Via: MIT News: Small cubes with no exterior moving parts can propel themselves forward, jump on top of each other, and snap together to form arbitrary shapes.
Introducing WildCat
October 4th, 2013Via: Boston Dynamics: WildCat is a four-legged robot being developed to run fast on all types of terrain. So far WildCat has run at about 16 mph on flat terrain using bounding and galloping gaits. The video shows WildCat’s best performance so far. WildCat is being developed by Boston Dynamics with funding from DARPA’s M3 […]
