Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

November 22, 2008 6:58:43 AM CST

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Home Is Where the Robot Is

Posted Jun 21, 08 5:01 AM CDT in Business,  Glossies,  Technology 

(Newser) – A kinder, gentler, smarter Frankenstein may soon be mowing your lawn and folding your unmentionables. Manufacturers are developing a new generation of metallic humanoid that will not only carry heavy objects, but pull their weight around the house and at work, the Economist reports. These new-age robots can touch, see, and may even respond to commands.

The technology marries mechanics, optics, computers, and electronics, producing robots reliable enough for human interaction. Safety, however, remains an issue. “One of our goals is to move robots from the factory to the home without any safety fence,” said an engineer. Falling production costs mean that a robot could soon be polishing its metallic cousin at a home near you.

Source Economist

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • A.I. Will Match Human Brain in 20 Years

    Feb 16, 08 6:54 PM CST
    A.I. Will Match Human Brain in 20 Years One engineer and futurist says it’s only a matter of time before machines are as smart as people, and people are part machine, the BBC reports. Ray Kurzweil claims that artificial intelligence will produce human-level smarts and even emotions by 2029. Humans, meanwhile, will inject nanobots into their brains to improve intelligence. More »

  • Feed Me, Seymour! Lab Decodes Floral Intelligence

    Oct 30, 07 3:30 PM CDT
    Feed Me, Seymour! Lab Decodes Floral Intelligence Plants have signaling and response systems that could make major contributions to robotics and communications research. The controversial field of “plant neurobiology” starts from the assumption that plant biology mirrors the human nervous system—and has a lot to teach scientists and engineers, Wired reports. The head of the world’s only plant intelligence lab says smarts aren’t “only about having a brain.” More »

  • Get Ready for Robot Love

    Oct 13, 07 12:28 PM CDT
    Get Ready for Robot Love 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 appearance. “The question is not if this will happen, but when,” Levy told LiveScience. More »

  • 'Blood Hits Streets' as Asian Markets Plunge

    Aug 16, 07 4:42 AM CDT
    'Blood Hits Streets' as Asian Markets Plunge Asian stock markets continued to slide today, pounded by fears of a global credit squeeze, recording their most precipitous drop in five years, Reuters reports. South Korea's Kospi index skidded 6.9 percent as major corporations and financial institutions took horrific beatings. Australia's Rams Home Loans Group revealed it can't refinance $5 billion of debt, and Toyota, Samsung and the Japanese Bank Mizuho suffered major falls. More »

Robots, a word derived from the Czech word for "forced labor," could soon be performing household chores and work at the office, scientists say.   (Index Stock)
Japan's home security robot BANRYU-T73S has a built-in sensor enabling users to control its moves and a built-in camera to capture images of its surroundings.   (AP Photo)
A humanoid robot, without its facial skin, is displayed at Japan's largest robot convention in Tokyo .   (AP Photo)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, and Shinzo Abe, ambassador of the prime minister of Japan, watch a humanoid robot.   (AP Photo)
Honda's ASIMO robot walks on stage at Orchestra Hall in Detroit.   (AP Photo)
Honda's ASIMO robot stands next to assistant Tiffany and demonstrates its skills at Orchestra Hall in Detroit,.   (AP Photo)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 3)

Tags

Toyota • Asia • robots • artificial intelligence



Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other Technology Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »