The falls and fumbles of robots in the DARPA Challenge point to the remaining hurdles for human-robot interfaces. When some of the world’s most advanced rescue robots are foiled by nothing more complex than a doorknob, you get a good sense of …Continue reading
An Algorithm Helps Robots Fall Safely
At a major robotics competition held in June, several multi-million-dollar robots struggled to perform even simple tasks like climbing a flight of stairs; some even toppled over with what seemed like impeccable comic timing. But a few of these amusing pratfalls resulted …Continue reading
Microsoft Researchers Are Working on Multi-Person Virtual Reality
Researchers in Jaron Lanier’s lab at Microsoft are exploring ways for people to share the experience of mixed reality. Augmented or mixed reality, which renders virtual images in a view of the real world, can be spectacular to experience. But it may …Continue reading
How Might Apple Manufacture a Car?
Automobile production might seem a stretch for a company more accustomed to making handheld electronic gadgets and software. While Apple has yet to make any official announcement, or even to comment on the speculation, mounting evidence suggests the company is at least …Continue reading
Inside Amazon
Some of the secrets behind Amazon’s phenomenal success as an online retailer can be discovered inside a million-square-foot warehouse that sits amid bucolic scenery in the town of Robbinsville, New Jersey. The building is one of Amazon’s most advanced fulfillment centers, and …Continue reading