Former Space-X engineer invents a “Robotic Blacksmith Army”
Roboforming is a revolutionary way of shaping metal using robots and artificial intelligence. To keep up with our ever-shifting digital world, manufacturing needs to deviate from the standard practices established decades ago that most of the industry is still following.
Machina Labs is taking manufacturing to the next level by making it more nimble and accessible, no huge factories required. They’re approaching the industry with one big idea: What if custom manufacturing could be just as affordable and efficient?
* Telly Awards - Gold Winner
Should war robots have “license to kill?”
Autonomous weapons aren’t science fiction. They’ve existed, with varying levels of autonomy, for hundreds of years, and they are getting more sophisticated all the time. Today, powered with deep learning AI and advanced computer vision technology, autonomous weapons can exhibit a range of “freedom” that has never been achieved before in warfare.
Their proponents believe that if autonomous weapons are more accurate, more precise, and kill only their intended targets, it may mean fewer casualties. It may also mean removing the psychological and emotional burden of death from more people. While opponents argue that relieving human beings from the moral and tactical burden of deciding when to kill a person — deliberately losing control of a weapon — is an ethical nightmare that cannot be allowed to happen.
It’s a question at the heart of the debate around autonomous weapons, as militaries develop them and arms control and humanitarian organizations seek a ban.
Inside Zoox: The robot vehicle totally changing transportation
Riding in a Zoox car is boring, which is exactly how the company likes it. Every time a rider says they had a boring ride, Zoox knows it’s one step closer to delivering fully autonomous vehicular transportation to the masses.
Car ownership could become obsolete and in its stead may be a safer, greener, more reliable form of vehicular transportation.
The Ultimate Battery Hack: Recycling
Battery recycling might not seem super important - but they impact every aspect of our lives, and they’re only getting more essential.
That's why ReCell is making battery recycling more affordable and more effective than ever before.
Zero Pesticides, Zero Weeds, 100% LASERS
This death ray kills weeds 80x faster than humans – with no chemicals.
Every weed growing in a farm field takes away nutrients from the food humans are trying to grow and eat. Weeds are a significant pain for farmers: They are not only expensive to control but are also able to develop resistance to herbicides, meaning that farmers may resort to using more powerful chemicals on crops just to kill the unwanted, wild plants.
That’s why Carbon Robotics has developed an autonomous system that uses lasers to kill weeds, all without spraying potentially dangerous chemicals on crops or damaging the soil.
Why This Non-Toxic Goo is 10x Stronger Than Water
Wildfires are getting worse every year—but firefighting tools haven’t changed much in decades. That’s what Strong Water founder Jeffrey Denholm set out to fix.
In this episode, we explore a groundbreaking, non-toxic fire additive that helps water stick to surfaces, smother flames more effectively, and do it all without harming the environment.
Could this be the future of firefighting?
The farming robots that will feed the world
The agricultural industry is no stranger to automation. Robotics was first introduced into the industry to help guide vehicles in the 1920s, and it's now common for farmers to use GPS-guided planters, sprayers, and combines, not to mention the wide array of automated machines used elsewhere in the agricultural supply chain.
But there's one job that has been prohibitively difficult for robots: picking soft fruit. It requires a delicate and dexterous touch, as well as the ability to maneuver around the plants so that the fruit can be accessed from the best angle.
The UK-based startup Dogtooth Technologies is developing robots with just such abilities. What's more, the robots are able to gently pick berries at night and then deliver them to a chamber where the fruit can be inspected for defects. Freethink explores Dogtooth Technologies and the future of robot farming in this episode of Hard Reset.
Meet Apollo, the real-life robot who wants to give you more free time
Forget everything that sci-fi movies told you about robots. Introducing: Adaptable, general purpose robots who can work side-by-side with us on almost any task and in any environment. In other words, friend, not foe.
Named Apollo, this mobile robot is being built by Apptronik to capably complete thousands of tasks, and step into emergency situations that may be too dangerous for humans.
So while robots likely won’t be replacing you, Apollo has been crafted to help make your life easier, and give you more time to focus on what’s really important.