Self-driving Tesla knocks over autonomous robot

University of Hong Kong researchers are testing a mobile robot to patrol sidewalks, track clusters of pedestrians, and encourage social distancing. At this point though, I think this approach is more likely to attract crowds, not disperse them. From their technical paper: We introduce a fully autonomous surveillance robot based on a quadruped platform that… READ THE REST

The robot is your shepherd. In collaboration with cloud robotics firm Rocos, Boston Dynamics demonstrates how their robot dog Spot can herd sheep and handle other farming tasks. From the video description: The use of autonomous robots in agriculture is increasing the efficiency of food production. Robots, like Spot from Boston Dynamics, increase accuracy in… READ THE REST

Robotic employees such as hotel concierges and English teachers are nothing new in Japan, but here is its first robotic bartender. QBIT Robotics created this chatty robot that works in one of Tokyo's Yoronotaki izakaya restaurants. READ THE REST

Thanks to Netflix's wildly popular series, The Queen's Gambit, chess, a game invented about 1,500 years ago, is surging back into public consciousness. But while the Game of Kings may be riding a wave of increased awareness right now, it is, by no means, the only game that has survived the test of time into… READ THE REST

Only 20% of American students learn a foreign language. While that's low, it ends up feeling downright pathetic when you consider that more than 9 out of 10 European students are schooled in at least one other tongue.  Sure, there are so many languages in Europe that residents there have to learn a few to… READ THE REST

You love your family and friends. You love your spouse. You love your kids. But, even among those things you treasure most in this world, there's still a special kind of love you hold only for your pet.  For as much as we shower our love and affection over these furry family members, there isn't… READ THE REST