robotics – News Stories About robotics - Page 3

May 28, 2008 6:49 PM CDT

Monkeys Move Robotic Arm With Brains

Research could give paralyzed people more mobility

(Newser) - Monkeys were able to control a prosthetic arm with their brains, a development that could someday give paralyzed people and amputees more mobility, the New York Times reports. Researchers put sensors in the monkeys' brains, then trained them to manipulate the robotic arm through their thoughts. It's the most promising...

Robot Dogs Cheer Up Elderly

Mar 1, 2008 8:02 AM CST

Robot Dogs Cheer Up Elderly

Study says robo-mutt relieved loneliness as effectively as a real dog

(Newser) - Robot dogs are almost as effective as the real thing in cheering up elderly nursing home residents, a new study at St. Louis University has found. Once the patients had some time to get used to him, researchers say robot mutt AIBO lowered loneliness levels about as well as a...

Robots Battle for Championship

Dec 3, 2007 4:05 PM CST

Robots Battle for Championship

Tokyo's 12th Robo-One Grand Championship match

(Newser) - Robots battled for the title of world champion Saturday at Tokyo's 12th Robo-One Grand Championship match, where amateur-built bipeds competed to stay on their feet. With companies giving up on consumer robotics projects due to high costs, "the future of robotics depends on amateurs," the chairman of the...

In Japan, Robots Tackle the Dirty Work

Nov 30, 2007 12:13 PM CST

In Japan, Robots Tackle the Dirty Work

As workforce shrinks, machines gain favor over immigrants

(Newser) - With the birthrate sinking and the government showing no inclination to loosen immigration restrictions, Japanese businesses are turning to science for help with the impending worker shortage. The London Times visits a Tokyo exhibition that showcases the possible answer: robots. "Robots do the D-work"--dirty, dangerous, and difficult--"that...

Roaches Fooled by Robots, Follow Their Lead

Nov 17, 2007 6:57 AM CST

Roaches Fooled by Robots, Follow Their Lead

Cockroaches follow 'pied piper' impostors

(Newser) - Scientists have created robot cockroaches that genuine roaches accept into their communities—and even follow. The robots were covered in roach scent and programmed to like the same things roaches do—darkness and the company of other cockroaches. A Belgian theoretical biologist Jose Halloy and his colleagues found that the...

Carnegie Mellon Wins $2M in Robot Car Race

Nov 4, 2007 11:02 PM CST

Carnegie Mellon Wins $2M in Robot Car Race

Only three of 11 cars finished the 60 miles in 6 hours allotted

(Newser) - A robot car built by Carnegie Mellon University and General Motors beat out ten others to win a race for self-driving vehicles, race officials announced today. The cars had 6 hours to complete a 60-mile course—including missions like parking and merging into traffic—in pursuit of a $2 million...

Get Ready for Robot Love

Oct 13, 2007 12:28 PM CDT

Get Ready for Robot Love

Relations with the shinier-sex 'inevitable' according to study

(Newser) - It’s a small step from Roomba to betrothed, says researcher David Levy, whose Ph.D. thesis predicts humans will have sex with and marry robots within half a century. Robots have moved from factories to homes—witness the popularity of Roomba vacuum cleaners—and are becoming more human in...

Out-of-Body Experience Induced in Lab

Aug 24, 2007 4:13 AM CDT

Out-of-Body Experience Induced in Lab

Study unlocks clues to near-death phenomenon

(Newser) - Scientists researching out-of-body experiences have discovered ways to trigger the phenomenon in volunteers, the BBC reports. Researchers using virtual reality goggles and body images were able to trick participants into thinking they had moved several feet away from their bodies. The results, published in the journal Science, offer intriguing neurological...