Tag Archives: robots

Nvidia Jetson Nano is a $99 AI computer for makers, students

Nvidia’s new Jetson Nano platform aims to make AI development more accessible to everyone.  Announced Monday by Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang at the Nvidia GPU Technology Conference, the Jetson Nano comes in a $99 devkit for developers, makers and enthusiasts and a $129 production-module for mass-market edge systems. Living up to its name, …

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Sphero RVR wants to be your future hackable robot kit

At first glance, Sphero’s newest robotic toy looks like an RC car. In a lot of ways, that’s what it is. Sphero’s co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, Adam Wilson, drives the tread-wheeled little tank-thing around with a phone app. It’s zippy, can spin and pivot, and has good traction. It also looks cute, but almost like something that came from …

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Robots will fix us, whether we like it or not

The hollow ball rattled back and forth across the table between me and the robot. Sometimes I outplayed the robot. More often, the robot outsmarted me. That was at CES, a show that keeps you moving, but my heart never raced faster than when I was squaring off against Forpheus. Forpheus, made by a company called Omron, used a combination …

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Can Disney make VR relevant? (The 3:59, Ep. 510)

On this podcast, we talk about: Disney’s plans for a second VR short film. The many work and companion robots shown at CES 2019. What Samsung may name its new foldable phone. Now playing: Watch this: Can Disney make VR relevant? (The 3:59, Ep. 510) 4:25 The 3:59 gives you bite-size news and analysis about the top stories of the day, …

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Giant Food Stores rolling out googly

Employees at Giant Food Stores will soon have a new googly-eyed robot coworker. Marty, a tall grey robot assistant, will take on the aisles of all of Giant Food Stores’ 172 locations, the company said Monday. The robot can identify and report spills to customers and employees. Marty roams the store unassisted to flag spills and other hazards using image …

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Robots, poop sensors and a dog food cannon: The bold new tech of CES 2019

CES has been running for 52 years and if feels like I was at all 51 of them. Like many in the tech industry, I feel like I mostly know what I’m going to get when I arrive at the world’s biggest tech show. Cavernous halls filled with the world’s biggest brands, dazzling TV displays, wafer-thin computers and futuristic cars …

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A ping pong robot at CES 2019 made me wonder: Could I go pro?

I finally realized I could’ve been a professional ping pong player. But tragically, it’s too late for me now. I have good reason to believe in my ping pong skills, thanks to Forpheus, a robot I met this week at CES in Las Vegas. Made by Omron, Forpheus first appeared at CES last year to show off its ping pong prowess. It’s …

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Alexa talks to you through a disembodied robot head at CES 2019

At CES 2019, there were a lot of robots waiting to chat to you, but Alena was probably the most haunting and terrifying.  Designed by Oregon startup Robomodix, Alena is a robot designed to create a more human interface between you and your smart speaker. The robotic bust has six digital motors inside that move its head, eyes and mouth …

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Apple and Samsung steal CES 2019

Apple and Samsung have done it again. In a week in which pretty much every tech company in the world is unveiling flashy new products, the two giants have managed to steal the limelight. This time, it was at CES 2019, the world’s biggest electronics show.  The Las Vegas confab is the event that sets the stage for the coming year in …

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At CES 2019, I met a robot that showed me a future where we’re not so lonely

At CES this year, there was one thing I was more excited to see than anything else: a robot I’ve been waiting to meet for almost three years. A little like a penguin, a little like a sloth, Lovot is a companion robot with big googly eyes and an even bigger AI-powered heart. It’s designed and built by Kaname Hayashi, …

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