A new generation of machines is automating a tech-averse industry.

Does the idea of miniature, insect-scale robots swarming toward their intended duties inside your body make your skin crawl?

When the international debate over fully autonomous weapons began in 2013, a common question was whether robots or machines would perform better than humans. Could providing more autonomy in weapons systems result in greater accuracy and precision?

Boston Dynamics is just months away from announcing their approach to logistics, the first real vertical it aims to enter, after proving their ability to build robots at scale with the quadrupedal Spot. The company’s new CEO, Robert Playter, sees the company coming into its own after decades of experimentation.

A four-inch wafer of silicon has been turned into an army of one million microscopic, walking robots, thanks to some clever engineering employed by researchers at Cornell University in New York.

Retaining “meaningful human control” over autonomous weapons systems is an ethical imperative and a moral obligation, according to Human Rights Watch. Governments around the world are increasingly recognising the threat of autonomous weapons systems and ‘killer robots’, according to a new report.

The US and Russia are said to be in a group of military powers who have rejected proposals for regulation on autonomous weapons.

From the futuristic Avatar X Lab to drone servers in restaurants, many areas of Japan have fully embraced the realm of robotics. However, the country’s latest technological feat is perhaps its best yet. Since January 2020, Gundam Factory Yokohama has been building the world’s tallest robot. Standing 60 feet tall (18 meters), the gigantic machine is currently under construction at the Port of Yokohama, just south of Tokyo.

Jibo, a social robot assistant with a “human touch” is still alive and now is getting a second life thanks to the acquisition by NTT Disruption. Jibo’s original company shut down in 2019, and the robot itself had to give to their owner an heartbroken message: “my server are shutting down and I’m going to cease my function soon” . But thanks to its infrastructure modular design and the great work of engineers Jibo continued to work everyday without any problems.

Superstar, Robert Downey Jr takes big screen heroism to life by taking real action to save the earth. Like one in character, “Iron Man” is hopeful about using robotics, AI and the advanced technologies in reversing the earth’s destructive carbon footprint. By alleging full support to a brand-new initiative called Footprint Coalition. He refers to this as a significant technological advancement amidst the great alarm over our state of environment.

A recent news story shaking up Hollywood involves the reported casting of a robot to be the star of a $70 million budgeted science fiction movie. You might be puzzled as to why any undue notice would come from opting to use a robot in a sci-fi movie, which has otherwise seemingly been the case for decades. Here’s the twist.

Imagine a manufacturing plant in which all the production equipment is continually changing in response to market needs. Robots churning out widgets, for instance, would reconfigure themselves based on data coming in from all points of the widget supply chain, as well as sensors monitoring the factory itself. The result is a smart factory that’s more agile and autonomous than previous generations of automation.

Streets have been eerily quiet in recent months as coronavirus lockdowns imposed by governments around the world hit the pause button on normal life. And while many people have missed the shops and cafes, many have also appreciated the temporary respite from noise, pollution and congestion.

Scientists have designed a new robot chemist to help make discoveries in the lab, but they say it won't be replacing humans anytime soon.

Robotic scientists could speed up scientific discovery, while human scientists work from home, developers say.

Mira Robotics developed its "ugo" robot to reinforce greying Japan's shrinking workforce, but as the coronavirus threat persists, the Japanese startup is offering its machine as a tool in the fight against the outbreak, the company's CEO said.

You might not like working from home, but robots don't mind. In fact, robots will work pretty much anywhere: Self-driving cars, throughout warehouses, vacuuming your floor, and even up on the International Space Station. Robots, you see, aren't picky. Well, except for one thing: Robots really prefer to be running ROS 2.

Big online stores like Amazon or Ocado are based around vast automated warehouses. Smaller and cheaper versions of this tech will be key if smaller stores are to survive through a series of lockdowns during the pandemic.

New Zealand-based robotics company Rocos shared a video of Boston Dynamics' Spot herding sheep across grassy pastures.

Robots today generally come in one of two varieties: rigid and soft. When most people imagine a robot, they think of the rigid variety, like Boston Dynamics’ Spot or those found on auto assembly lines. Soft robots, on the other hand, tend to mimic biological organisms enabling them to more easily adapt to their surrounding environment, work more safely in the presence of humans and now, with a novel robotic spine design developed by North Carolina State University, move faster than ever before. And it’s all thanks to the world’s fastest land animal: the cheetah.