Robotics

When human labor is hidden under the veneer of a robot or AI tool, that’s “fauxtomation”

This eight-legged probe would scour Mars’s underground lava tubes for places where explorers might camp—or for signs of past life

These bloblike bots have been optimized for speed

Robots that can fit multiple items into a limited space could help pack a suitcase or a rocket to Mars

Engineers and paleontologists teamed up to reconstruct an ancestor of starfish from the Paleozoic era and figure out how it moved

An AI used to build artificial neural networks can also create autonomous robot bodies with remarkable speed 

Researchers have created the first nerve-controlled prosthetic hand that can be used in daily life

The four-legged miniature machine is powered by tiny explosions

Scientists used a smoking machine—complete with a 3-D-printed mouthpiece—to figure out how to get the most cannabinoid per puff. 

Electronics that can bend, stretch and repair themselves could potentially work in applications ranging from tougher robots to smart clothes

Some jobs just need the human touch to work, even with automated assistance

The buzzy industry of robotic pollinators is setting its sights on indoor farms for urban—and extraterrestrial—environments