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Inspired by sea cucumbers—yes, you read that right—engineers designed mini robots that shift between liquid and solid states. The shape-shifting robots are magnetic and can conduct electricity. Researchers put the robots through an obstacle…

Where’s Guinness when you need him? It happened at UMD’s Energy Research Facility—Physics Professor Howard Milchberg and his team transformed a hallway into a laboratory. In anticipation of the experiment, they covered all shiny surfaces to…

During the cold war between the U.S. and Soviet Union (USSR), people built fallout shelters to protect themselves from the radiation possible in a nuclear attack. Public buildings also housed fallout shelters. We taught our children to hide…

Atlas, Boston Dynamics' most dynamic humanoid robot, is again demonstrating its agility—delivering a tool bag to an absent-minded construction worker on scaffolding. When I watched the video, I couldn't help but feel there must be a person…

Microsoft Corp just announced a multibillion-dollar investment in OpenAI, based on the AI ChatGPT tool taking Alphabet Inc's Google head-on. Microsoft first invested $1 billion four years ago when Elon Musk and investor Sam Altman created…

When you hear the words "housekeeping robot," what's the first name that comes to mind? We wouldn't be surprised if it's "Rosie," the Jetsons' home assistant. Certainly, the name was on the tongues of many CES 2023 attendees as they…

Where are we currently in the field of intelligent computing? According to experts, we're moving from an information society to an intelligent community where optimized computing will autonomously solve real-world problems. This is…

We've come a long way. Eight years ago, I updated an article series I originally contributed to Digi-Key in 2011. That update, The Five Senses of Sensors—Part I: Smell, Taste, and Hearing, discusses the technology that was available at the…

As a purchasing pro, grappling with thought-provoking challenges and getting in on company strategy is what you do. Your time is worth more than cutting and pasting part numbers. You need better and faster ways to find the parts you…

We've all seen robotic arms swinging and performing various tasks in industrial settings. So, what about miniature robots? There are tiny systems that transport minuscule amounts of liquid through fine capillaries. Developed s an aid for…