This week, Israel announced its military had intercepted about 40 drones in the ongoing Gaza conflict, using high-power laser systems—a first for combat. Most of the drones were Hezbollah UAVs from Israel’s northern border. The Israeli Air Force’s new tactical air defense battalion, under the IDF’s Northern Command, operated these systems. The Israeli Defense Ministry didn’t specify which systems were used, but images suggest Rafael’s … Continue reading Israel claims drone interceptions with high-power lasers

An internal OpenAI memo, revealed during the Justice Department’s antitrust case against Google, outlines plans to evolve ChatGPT into a personalized “super-assistant” by 2025. This assistant would deeply understand users, handle a wide range of tasks—from everyday chores to complex skills like coding—and serve as a central interface across multiple platforms. While ChatGPT’s current capabilities haven’t fully reached this vision, the document shows OpenAI aims … Continue reading Secret OpenAI Memo Describes Plans to Make Users Rely on “Entity”

Researchers at ETH Zurich’s Robotic Systems Lab have created a four-legged robot, named ANYmal-D, capable of playing badminton with humans. The robot, described in Science Robotics, uses a stereo camera, a dynamic arm, and a reinforcement-learning-based controller to track and hit a shuttlecock. The team also implemented a “perception noise model” to help the robot adapt to real-world play, TechXplore has reported. Testing showed that ANYmal-D … Continue reading Four-legged robot plays badminton with humans

LEVA is a new robot developed by ETH Zurich and Swiss universities that combines wheels and legs to navigate urban and rough terrain. Unlike most delivery robots, LEVA can load and unload heavy cargo—up to 187 pounds—without human help. It uses sensors, cameras, and GPS to maneuver sidewalks, stairs, and uneven surfaces. LEVA could revolutionize deliveries in cities, farms, construction sites, and emergencies, making them … Continue reading Delivery robot autonomously lifts, transports heavy cargo

At Springwood Library in Australia’s Blue Mountains, MetaCats—lifelike robotic therapy cats—delighted a group of children during a reading event. The MetaCats, designed to reduce stress and provide comfort, feature animated LED eyes, soft fur, and realistic movements. They interact with voice commands, respond to touch, and purr when loved. Introduced to local libraries to combat loneliness and support children’s mental health, the MetaCats are especially … Continue reading These robot cats have glowing eyes and artificial heartbeats

Hong Kong-based Cornerstone Robotics plans to raise over 500 million yuan ($70 million) later this year to expand sales and develop new surgical robot products. The firm, which competes with da Vinci Surgical Systems, has focused on domestic component sourcing to enhance supply chain resilience. Founded in 2019, Cornerstone’s surgical systems have been used in Hong Kong, mainland China, and the UK, with around 250 … Continue reading Hong Kong surgical robot start-up Cornerstone eyes funds to take on da Vinci

China hosted the world’s first humanoid robot fighting tournament, the CMG World Robot Competition – Mecha Fighting Series, in Hangzhou. Robots, including Unitree Robotics’ G1 model, showcased their combat abilities in matches featuring punches, kicks, and real-time human-controlled battles. The event demonstrated China’s advances in AI, robotics, and engineering, with experts noting its potential to drive innovation. A larger humanoid robot tournament is planned for … Continue reading Humanoid robots fight in Chinese kick-boxing competition

LimX Dynamics, a robotics company from Shenzhen, China, showcased its bipedal robot TRON1 at the ICRA conference in Atlanta. Resembling a Star Wars AT-ST walker, TRON1 is designed for research in mobile manipulation and humanoid AI. It recently won a 2025 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award for its multi-modal locomotion. The robot can be upgraded with a single robotic arm, NVIDIA computing modules, voice interaction features, and sensors like lidar … Continue reading TRON1 robot extends its reach with a new optional arm

China is set to launch the Jiu Tan, a new drone-carrying mothership capable of deploying 100 kamikaze drones simultaneously. Developed by Shaanxi Unmanned Equipment Technology, the aircraft has a 25-meter wingspan, 12-hour flight time, and 7,000 km range. It can carry six tons of equipment, including cruise and air-to-air missiles. Designed to evade radar and overwhelm defenses, it could play a major role in a China-Taiwan … Continue reading China to launch drone mothership

The ZEUS laser at the University of Michigan has achieved 2 petawatts of power—twice that of any other U.S. laser—during its first official experiment. The ultrashort pulse lasts only 25 quintillionths of a second but reaches over 100 times the global power output. ZEUS is a user facility open to researchers and has applications in medicine, security, materials science, and astrophysics. Scientists aim to generate … Continue reading The US has a new most-powerful laser

New research suggests vast underground hydrogen reservoirs in the Earth’s crust could provide clean energy to power the planet for 170,000 years. These natural hydrogen systems exist beneath continents, including in at least 30 U.S. states, and have built up over a billion years. Scientists have developed an “exploration recipe” to identify and extract these reservoirs safely and economically. Unlike current hydrogen production, which contributes … Continue reading Hidden source of clean energy could power Earth for 170,000 years

A major race is underway in brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), technology that lets people with paralysis control devices and prosthetics using their minds. Fewer than 100 people have permanent implants so far, but that number is expected to more than double within a year as companies like Neuralink, Paradromics, Synchron, and Precision Neuroscience advance clinical trials. Apple plans to enable implants to control iPhones soon. While … Continue reading Coming to a Brain Near You: A Tiny Computer

Tesla unveiled major upgrades to its Optimus humanoid robot, showing improved balance, movement, and dexterity through demo videos featuring complex tasks like ballet. Trained via simulation and tested at Tesla’s Texas Gigafactory, Optimus is expected to enter production in 2025 with 5,000 units, possibly scaling to 12,000. External sales could begin in 2026, priced between $25,000 and $30,000, Yahoo News has reported. Tesla faces competition … Continue reading Tesla Robot Demo Stuns Audience, Mass Production Set for 2025

Scientists in the Netherlands have developed a soft, air-powered machine that can walk, jump, and swim—without any electronics, AI, or software. Inspired by inflatable tube men, the robot uses continuous airflow and fluid dynamics to synchronize its tubular legs and move. It can adapt to various environments and even swim when placed in water, reaching speeds faster than most other air-powered machines, Mental Floss has … Continue reading Scientists Build Soft Robot Inspired By Inflatable, Dancing Tube Men

Countries met at the U.N. on Monday to revive stalled efforts to regulate AI-controlled autonomous weapons, which are increasingly used in modern conflicts like Ukraine and Gaza. Despite growing reliance on AI in warfare, there are still no binding international rules, and progress has been slow since talks began in 2014. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres has set a 2026 deadline for creating clear regulations, but … Continue reading Nations meet at UN for ‘killer robot’ talks as regulation lags

Physicists at CERN have successfully turned lead into gold during high-speed collisions of lead nuclei in the Large Hadron Collider. The transformation, which briefly removes three protons from lead atoms to create gold, occurs in extremely rare instances and in minuscule, short-lived amounts—far too little for any practical use. The discovery, part of the ongoing “Alice” experiment since 2015, is detailed in Physical Review Journals, Swiss … Continue reading CERN scientists turn lead into gold

At a factory in Salem, Oregon, Agility Robotics is testing “Digit,” a humanlike robot designed to work in warehouses for companies like Amazon. Built to navigate spaces made for humans, Digit walks, lifts, and moves boxes, using blinking eyes and subtle motions to appear less startling to people. The robot stems from over $10 million in federally funded research at Oregon State University, but its … Continue reading Oregon facility builds and tests humanlike robot ‘Digit’

MIT scientists have captured the first-ever images of individual atoms freely interacting in space, marking a major breakthrough in quantum physics. Led by physicist Martin Zwierlein, the team developed a new imaging technique called atom-resolved microscopy, which allows atoms to move, then briefly freezes and illuminates them to reveal their exact positions. This method overcomes previous limitations in observing quantum behavior and offers unprecedented insights … Continue reading MIT captures first image of free-range atoms, can help visualize quantum phenomena

China will host the world’s first Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing from August 15–17, featuring robots competing in events like relay races, football, and gymnastics, along with real-world scenario challenges in hospitals and factories. Held at the National Stadium and Speed Skating Oval, the event aims to showcase advances in robotics and promote human-robot coexistence. Robots must be humanoid in form and independently developed, VNE … Continue reading World’s first Humanoid Robot Games set for August debut in Beijing

Amazon has unveiled a new warehouse robot named Vulcan, which uses an AI-powered sense of touch to handle tasks previously done only by humans. Vulcan can manipulate 75% of items in stock, operate 20 hours a day, and aims to reduce worker strain by handling hard-to-reach bins. While not replacing humans, Vulcan will create higher-skilled roles in robotics, CNBC has reported. Currently in full use … Continue reading Amazon says new warehouse robot can ‘feel’ items, but won’t replace workers

Several major companies—including Duolingo, UPS, Klarna, Cisco, and Intuit—are restructuring and reducing staff as they shift toward increased use of AI. Duolingo declared itself “AI-first,” planning to reduce contractor use and evaluate employees on AI skills. UPS is cutting 20,000 jobs while adopting more automation, though it claims AI isn’t directly replacing workers. Klarna’s AI chatbot now handles tasks once done by 700 employees, Fox … Continue reading Cisco, UPS, other companies adjusting workforce as they embrace AI

CCTV footage from a factory captured a humanoid robot suddenly going berserk, flailing its arms and trying to break free from a crane, startling nearby workers and knocking over equipment. It’s unclear when or where it happened, but the incident sparked online jokes and concerns about robot behavior. The video surfaced weeks after humanoid robots participated in a historic half-marathon in Beijing, where 21 bots … Continue reading Haunting moment robot attacks handlers in angry rampage as it tries to break free from restraints

Piaggio Fast Forward has released a Star Wars–themed version of its Gitamini cargo robot, dubbed G1T4-M1N1, in collaboration with Disney and Lucasfilm. Priced at $2,875, this special edition features droid-style decals, lights, and R2-D2–like sound effects, making it resemble a companion from Tatooine. Like the original Gitamini, it can carry up to 20 pounds, follow you autonomously at up to 6 mph, and run for up … Continue reading The cargo-carrying Gitamini robot is getting a Star Wars droid makeover

United Airlines plans to buy up to 200 of JetZero’s revolutionary “blended-wing body” Z4 aircraft, which promises a “living room in the sky” experience and up to 50% less fuel burn. The 250-seat plane, set to launch by 2030, features a wide, short body with enhanced lift, lower drag, and high-efficiency design. JetZero, backed by the U.S. Air Force and led by aerospace veterans, flew … Continue reading First ‘blended wing’ passenger plane flying people in ‘living room comfort’ to be launched by major airline

Apple has issued new warnings to iPhone users in 100 countries, alerting them to targeted spyware attacks. Among those notified were Italian journalist Ciro Pellegrino and Dutch political commentator Eva Vlaardingerbroek. The alerts, part of Apple’s ongoing effort to combat “mercenary spyware attacks,” suggest users were targeted due to their identity or work. While Apple hasn’t named the perpetrators, similar past attacks were linked to … Continue reading Apple sends out spyware attack notifications to targeted users