Though IFA 2020 is a lot different from previous shows, the event is still happening in some regard and companies are still announcing new products. One such company is Neato Robotics, which today announced three additions to its lineup of robot vacuums - the Neato D10, D9, and D8.
A collaboration led by scientists at Cornell has created the first microscopic robots that incorporate semiconductor components able to be controlled by standard electronic signals. The tiny robots are also able to walk thanks to that electronic signal. Researchers say that the robots are roughly the size of paramecium and provided a template for building more complex versions of themselves that utilize silicon-based intelligence to be mass-produced.
A newly introduced home robot called Pumpkii is made specifically for pet owners (assuming they have a dog or cat, that is). The robot promises a variety of functionality that enables it to keep pets entertained, help owners interact with their pets from a distance, and more. One of the robot's most unique features is an extension arm equipped with a scoop for cleaning litter boxes.
Researchers from the University of Michigan have demonstrated that the behavior rules underpinning the Japanese art of origami could expand tiny robots' capabilities. The researchers say that the principles hold the potential to expand these little machines' capabilities and create the potential for greater use in a wide range of fields, from medical equipment to infrastructure sensing.
The United States Army has detailed the development of a new dialogue system that enables humans and robots to hold conversations. The new systems enable 'fluid communication' between soldiers and AI, according to the US Army, which refers to its new capability as Joint Understanding and Dialogue Interface (JUDI). By enabling conversations between humans and machines, officials say the two will be able to work together 'at operational speeds.'
The Amazon Scout delivery robot introduced last year is rolling out into new markets, Amazon has announced. After successful tests in California and Washington state, the company will deploy its Scout rover in certain southern markets, including Atlanta. Amazon Scout will make deliveries from Monday to Friday, using sensors and other advanced tech to navigate itself.
YouTube channel Stuff Made Here has published a new video showing off what is arguably one of the riskiest ways to cut your own hair: using a homemade robot wielding a pair of sharp scissors. No, host and subject of the video Shane doesn't lose an eye or an ear during the haircut, but he does show off the construction of his machine and explain how it works.
In the future, a special robot designed to help protect healthcare workers may test you for the flu, COVID-19, and other pathogens that require a nose swab. The contraption was created by engineers at the Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials (KIMM), which explains that the robot can be also be used to swab a patient's throat for conditions like strep.
We've come a long way since the very first Roomba rolled on living room and kitchen floors. While still sticking to that same circular design, robot vacuum cleaners have changed and evolved considerably over the years, gaining features like obstacle avoidance, simultaneous mopping, or voice control. Roborock's latest S6 MaxV cleaning helper has all those and more, making it one of the smartest robots to grace your floor and certainly one of the more expensive ones as well.
Boston Dynamics' Spot robots are grabbing headlines as a number of them get deployed to help address new limitations brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. This may have generated more interest in quadruped robots but Spot easily costs more than $50,000 and developing your own usually takes years and several teams working together. If you don't mind crediting someone else's work, engineers from the US and Germany have come up with a four-legged robot designed to be a platform that others can build on.
Today Qualcomm revealed the "world's first 5G and AI-enabled robotics platform" in the Qualcomm Robotics RB5 platform. Qualcomm is basically the biggest brand in the tech industry when it comes to processing chips for smartphones, especially when it comes to Android devices. The Qualcomm Robotics RB5 platform utilizes a variety of brand collaborations between Qualcomm and some of the biggest "ecosystem players" in robotics.
Boston Dynamics' robot dog, Spot, has been put up for sale to businesses, offering a four-legged - and somewhat creepy - way to integrate a robot into the workforce. The news expands on Boston Dynamics' early-adopter program launched last September, and marked Spot's move from development platform into regular production. Around 150 of the robots were deployed as part of the program.