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Ideas 400 hours · each station's power reserve Astrolab proposes a Moon power and 5G network with 400-hour stations WatchWatch for tests before 2028.
IdeasReport

Astrolab proposes a Moon power and 5G network with 400-hour stations

The US firm shows solar stations that would give lunar equipment power, Wi-Fi and connectivity, with a first deployment targeted for 2028.

Why it matters. A power and communications grid on the Moon would help equipment and rovers work there, but it is still a proposal.

In simple words. A company wants to build stations on the Moon that give power and internet to machines there. It is still an idea, and work could start in 2028.

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Worth a look if you enjoy space news.

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RobotsReport

70 cells: Samsung SDI battery for Atlas charges in under 3 minutes

According to The Elec, Samsung SDI supplies the Boston Dynamics humanoid with a pack of about 1.3 kWh.

Why it matters. The battery decides how long a robot works before it stops, and these are the first numbers for Atlas.

In simple words. The Atlas robot runs on a battery made of 70 small cells. A report says it works for two to four hours and charges fast. The report comes from one site, and the companies have not confirmed it.

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Worth a look if you like knowing what is inside robots.

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Robots: top picks right now

Compare →
Best for what it can do today
Boston Dynamics Atlas

Humanoid · Trials with companies · 190 cm

GoodLarge companies testing a humanoid for heavy material handling.

Watch outIt is built for industry, and 2026 units are already committed to its first partners.

Best value
Unitree Go2$1,600

Robot dog · On sale · 40 cm

GoodCurious people, schools and developers who want an affordable robot dog.

Watch outThe battery lasts about 2 to 4 hours, and the $1,600 base model has fewer features than the pricier versions.

RobotsConfirmed

+2%: Agility Robotics ends its first Nasdaq trading day higher

The US humanoid robot maker now trades as AGLT after merging with a listed shell company, and closed above the deal price.

Why it matters. The listing funds production of the Digit robot and shows investor interest in humanoid robots.

In simple words. A company that builds a human-shaped robot to carry boxes in warehouses began selling shares on the stock market. Its first day ended slightly higher.

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Serve Robotics launches Physical AI Services to link robots to AI models

The maker of sidewalk delivery robots now sells connectivity and data tools to other robot builders.

Why it matters. Smaller robot makers may use powerful AI models without putting all the computing inside the robot.

In simple words. A company that makes small delivery robots started selling its tools to other companies, so their robots can use stronger AI.

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Face-off · Robots

1X NEO1X NEO$20,000Boston Dynamics AtlasBoston Dynamics Atlas

Pick the 1X NEO for being ready to buy.

See who wins →Images: 1X, Boston Dynamics

IdeasReport

Milan researchers develop a nonflammable gel membrane for fluoride batteries

The membrane moves fluoride ions at room temperature, and the battery’s theoretical energy density is about 600 Wh/kg.

Why it matters. Lighter, safer batteries could last longer one day, but the idea is still in the lab and no complete battery has been built yet.

In simple words. Scientists made a gel that does not catch fire and helps a new kind of battery work at normal temperature. Batteries could last longer one day, but it is still lab work.

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Watch: a clever idea with a long road ahead.

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China blocks SoftBank’s purchase of ABB’s robotics unit

A Chinese foreign-investment review body prohibited the deal in China, and ABB says it is still working with SoftBank.

Why it matters. China is a big market for ABB robots, so the decision may shape the deal.

In simple words. SoftBank wanted to buy ABB’s robot business. China did not approve the deal inside its borders, and the two companies are still talking.

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Korean researchers print a solid-state battery layer like a sticker over 120 cm²

A KRICT team in Korea developed a transfer printing method that makes thin, uniform layers for solid-state batteries.

Why it matters. Making thin layers over large areas is a step toward safer, cheaper solid-state batteries.

In simple words. Researchers made a very thin layer for a safer battery, in a way that is like sticking on a label. It is still a lab test.

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One-tenth the energy: Hopcopter drone hops instead of flying all the time

Researchers from Hong Kong and Toronto added a flexible foot to a one-legged drone that hops between spots and flies when needed.

Why it matters. Hopping saves energy, so drones may work longer on search and inspection jobs.

In simple words. A small drone hops like a bird instead of flying all the time, which saves energy. It is still a research test.

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250 charge cycles: a prototype battery that runs on vitamin B12

Researchers at Spain’s University of Córdoba built a rechargeable zinc-air battery with a vitamin B12 catalyst.

Why it matters. Abundant, safe materials could make storing renewable energy cheaper one day.

In simple words. Scientists used vitamin B12 to build a battery you can recharge. It is still a lab test and will not be in shops soon.

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Realbotix opens orders for a $11,950 tabletop humanoid in the US

Realbotix's Echo is an armless torso with a moving head and face. It costs $11,950 plus a required subscription, in limited numbers.

Why it matters. A humanoid for the desk costs less than a walking one, but the subscription, small run and US-only shipping limit who can buy it.

In simple words. A US company sells a robot that sits on a desk, with a head and face that move, and talks with you. It costs a lot and needs a monthly subscription, and only a few will be made.

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Watch: wait for CES 2027 to see it.

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Fraunhofer develops a way to recover neodymium from old hard-drive magnets

German researchers are testing chemical processes that separate neodymium, boron and iron from discarded computer magnets.

Why it matters. Europe wants to depend less on imported magnet materials, starting with old devices.

In simple words. A tiny magnet inside an old hard drive holds valuable metals. Researchers are testing ways to get them out and reuse them. It is still an experiment.

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Watch: an idea that reuses parts of old devices.

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A Harvard app guides blind users with the phone camera and cuts collisions

The Mobilio app uses the phone camera to pick a safe path and gives step-by-step spoken guidance.

Why it matters. Ordinary phone maps are not enough for people with low vision. This research suggests the camera can fill the gap, but it is not in app stores yet.

In simple words. Researchers at Harvard built an app that uses the phone camera to guide people who cannot see well. In the test it reduced bumps indoors. They have not yet said when everyone can get it.

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Watch: a lovely idea that uses your phone to help others.

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Researchers build a motor from one molecule shaped like an Archimedes screw

Electricity turns a spiral molecule whose direction flips when the voltage is reversed, a Nature study reports.

Why it matters. It shows an electric machine can work at the scale of one molecule. Practical uses are far off; this is a lab test on a single molecule.

In simple words. Scientists made a motor from a single spiral-shaped molecule. It spins when electric current passes through, and spins the other way if the electricity is reversed. It is a lab experiment, not something you can buy.

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Watch: a lovely idea about machines the size of a molecule.

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Robots🇨🇳 From ChinaReport

AGIBOT proposes Worken to measure robot productivity and shows its AHA3 robot

At its Shanghai Innovation Day, AGIBOT offered a measure of useful robot work hours, plus a new humanoid platform and AI models.

Why it matters. Measuring the work a robot really does helps compare robots beyond the number of units built.

In simple words. A Chinese company proposed a way to measure how much useful work robots do on their own. It also showed new robots for factories. None of it is for sale to us yet.

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Watch: a step toward measuring robot work.

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89%: adding iodine lifts a tin flow battery’s efficiency from 53%

A Chinese team adds iodide to the battery liquid so tin uses its full charge, in a lab test.

Why it matters. Flow batteries can store solar and wind power for the grid. This is lab work, far from a product you can buy.

In simple words. Chinese scientists added a material called iodine to the liquid of a large battery, so it uses more of its energy. It was tested only in a lab, so you will not see it in stores soon.

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Watch: a nice example of improving a battery by changing only its liquid.

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Clothes may carry a woven-in touchscreen: a Singapore prototype

National University of Singapore researchers built a sleeve that shows images, responds to touch and survives washing.

Why it matters. Clothes could one day show notifications and health alerts. For now it is a low-resolution research prototype.

In simple words. Researchers in Singapore wove a tiny screen into the fabric of a sleeve. It reacts when you touch it and survives washing. It is still a lab test and is not for sale.

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Watch: a nice example of clothing becoming a screen.

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Fujifilm invests about $63 million to boost tape output 5x

The company wants to raise magnetic tape production capacity fivefold by fiscal 2028, to store AI data archives.

Why it matters. Data centers need a low-cost place for archives, and tape is still an option.

In simple words. Fujifilm will make many more storage tapes. Data centers need them to keep AI files. This is for big companies, not homes.

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Watch: old tape gets a new role.

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Google's test satellite answers from orbit with Gemma 4

The Suncatcher satellite carries four TPUs and sent its first reply to Earth after about three weeks of testing.

Why it matters. Google is testing whether AI data centers could one day run in orbit on solar power.

In simple words. Google sent a small satellite into space with AI chips inside. It answered a question and sent the answer to Earth. The test is just beginning.

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Watch: a small step toward data centers in space.

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10,989 robots: North American robot orders rise 24.8% in Q3

Industry group A3 says Q3 was the strongest quarter of 2026, with growth spread across several sectors.

Why it matters. Industrial robot orders reflect factory activity. They rose in semiconductors and pharma and fell in food.

In simple words. Factories in North America ordered more robots than last year. Most of the growth came from chip and medicine factories.

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Watch: a look at the industrial robot market.

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A four-legged inspection robot for gas and oil sites starts shipping

ANYbotics begins delivering ANYmal X, which it calls the first legged robot built for explosive atmospheres.

Why it matters. Inspecting explosive zones needs people in protective gear, and a robot reduces how often they enter the riskiest places.

In simple words. A company launched a four-legged robot that checks oil and gas plants. It is built to go into dangerous places instead of workers.

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Watch: a robot that enters places ordinary robots cannot.

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CATL confirms pilot production of solid-state batteries in 2027

The company told investors it keeps investing in solid-state cells, with small-batch pilot production starting next year.

Why it matters. Solid-state batteries promise more energy for the weight, but mass production for phones and cars is still far off.

In simple words. The biggest electric car battery maker says it will start testing a new kind of battery in 2027. Products you can buy with it will come later.

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Watch: the nearest date is pilot production in 2027.

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Korean scientists extend perovskite solar cell life by removing lithium

A cell kept 95% of its efficiency after 1,000 hours of heat and humidity, in a lab test.

Why it matters. Durability is the biggest hurdle before perovskite reaches the panels people buy.

In simple words. Scientists in Korea found a way to make a new kind of solar cell last longer in heat and damp air. It is still only a lab test.

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Watch: a simple idea for an old solar-cell problem.

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Researchers 3D-print meter-long single crystals of titanium

A wire-and-arc printing method grows one crystal layer by layer, and resists high heat better than conventional samples.

Why it matters. Materials with no grain boundaries that stand up to heat, useful one day for reactor parts and laser mirrors.

In simple words. Scientists printed very long metal pieces made of one single crystal. This kind of metal handles high heat better than normal metal. It is still in the lab and will not reach shops soon.

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Watch: a nice idea, but not in a product soon.

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A feather-star-inspired robot swims three ways with just two actuators

A team at North Carolina State University built a soft robot that swims three ways using two actuators instead of six.

Why it matters. Smart body design could make underwater robots simpler and lighter than adding many motors.

In simple words. Researchers built a robot that swims like a sea animal called a feather star. It moves in three different ways using only two motors. This is lab research, not a product.

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Watch: nature keeps inspiring robots.

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The small Microduck robot passes 20,000 preorders ahead of Christmas

It appeared in Jensen Huang's GTC Berlin keynote and is expected before Christmas. It is open source, from Pollen Robotics.

Why it matters. A small open-source home robot that owners can teach new moves and share them. Hugging Face's CEO thinks it may be among the year's best-selling robots.

In simple words. A small duck-like robot walks, sits and does a somersault when asked. More than 20,000 people ordered it before it shipped. You can teach it new moves.

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Watch: small robots are getting closer to homes.

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Shanghai researchers record 100 hours with a wearable rig to train robots

A team from Shanghai AI Laboratory and two universities built a wearable rig that captures body motion, hands and touch for robots to learn from.

Why it matters. Robots need lots of data on how people move. This rig gathers it from the wearer's own point of view.

In simple words. Researchers had a person wear a camera, sensors and gloves while working. They want robots to learn from those moves. So far it works only inside a computer.

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Watch: this is how robots may one day learn our work.

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Tesla starts Optimus robot production at its Fremont factory in California

Tesla said in its third-quarter shareholder letter that production has begun in space once used to build electric cars.

Why it matters. Production starting comes before any sale, and Musk himself calls it early and slow at first.

In simple words. Tesla has started building its Optimus robot in a California factory. It is a small, slow start, and you cannot buy one yet. The company hopes to make a lot of them within a year or two.

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Worth a look if you follow humanoid robots.

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Researchers in Singapore weave a touchscreen into a garment sleeve

Fibers that both light up and sense touch, woven by an NUS team into a sleeve that shows images and video and responds to touch.

Why it matters. Clothes may one day be screens and sensors, but this is still a lab prototype.

In simple words. A team in Singapore wove threads that glow and feel a finger's touch. They made a whole sleeve that works as a small screen. It is still a lab experiment, and we don't know when it could reach clothes.

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Watch: a sleeve with a real touchscreen, still in the lab.

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The hand-cranked Divya washing machine cuts washing labor by 75%

An engineer built an electricity-free washing machine that holds about 7 kg and uses 30 litres. It has reached about 105,000 people.

Why it matters. Housework takes many people hours; this simple machine gives some of that time back where there is no power.

In simple words. An engineer made a washing machine you turn by hand, with no electricity. It saves a lot of time for people who wash clothes by hand. It now reaches families through aid programs.

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Watch: a simple idea that helps people without steady power.

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Tuesday Labs opens reservations for its Voxel home robot at about $20,000

The Voxel Series-1 robot learns routine household tasks. Reserving costs $200, the full price is expected near $20,000, and shipping is 2028.

Why it matters. Home robots are starting to take reservations, but this one is far off: shipping is expected in 2028.

In simple words. A company is making a home robot that tidies things and helps you find what you lost. You can reserve one now with a small payment. It will not arrive before 2028 and will cost a lot.

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Watch: a charming idea, but you have a two-year wait.

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Green hydrogen could get cheaper: a nickel electrode in place of platinum

Korean researchers built a nickel-cobalt electrode that matches platinum in the lab, with materials costing about 99% less.

Why it matters. A large part of green hydrogen's cost comes from precious metals, and replacing them may lower the price in future.

In simple words. Green hydrogen is a clean fuel made from water. The costly metal used to make it raises the price. Researchers found a cheap metal that works like it in the lab. It has not reached factories yet.

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Watch: a promising idea, still in the lab.

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Mercedes-Benz and NVIDIA expand their automated driving partnership

The two companies will build the next driver assistance systems together, aiming at future Level 4 uses such as robolimousines.

Why it matters. It shows how carmakers plan to bring AI driving help to future cars.

In simple words. Mercedes and NVIDIA will keep working together on cars that help with driving. They did not say when you can buy one.

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Watch: no cars or dates yet.

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Micron is developing EIM memory built for humanoid robots

Micron says edge inference memory stacks low-power DRAM on a logic die. Reports expect mass production in 2028.

Why it matters. Robots need memory that is fast but sips power, and Micron is designing for that.

In simple words. Micron is designing a special computer memory for robots that walk and work. It is still being built and should reach products in a couple of years.

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Watch: it is years away.

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2,590 cycles: WPI turns mixed battery waste into new cells

Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute built full test cells from recovered waste that lasted about twice as long as commercial ones.

Why it matters. Old batteries could become new ones without losing quality. This is lab work, so it is years from products.

In simple words. Scientists took apart old batteries and used the pieces to make new ones. The new ones lasted about twice as long in tests. It is still a lab idea.

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Worth a look: old batteries may get a second life.

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40x fewer errors: Google tests a new way to make quantum 'magic states'

On its Willow chip, Google prepared special quantum states and checked them over and over, keeping only the good ones.

Why it matters. Quantum computers need these states for many useful tasks. Making them cleanly is one of the hard steps toward a working machine.

In simple words. Quantum computers make many mistakes. Google found a way to prepare an important ingredient with far fewer mistakes. It is still a lab test, and a useful quantum computer is far away.

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Skip: nothing changes for you. It is research, years from a product.

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Korean team's nanoscale coating makes hydrogen cells work better and last longer

Sungkyunkwan University researchers added a very thin layer inside ceramic fuel cells. The cells made more power and ran steadily through quick temperature swings.

Why it matters. Cleaner power and hydrogen need cells that last. This is early lab work, not a product you can buy.

In simple words. Scientists in Korea put a very thin layer inside a special power cell. It helps the cell make more electricity and last longer. It is still only in the lab, so it will take years to reach real products.

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Worth a look: a small step toward cleaner energy.

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Volvo plans hands-free point-to-point driving by 2030 with NVIDIA

Volvo and NVIDIA are expanding their partnership. Volvo wants a driving system for city streets, starting in a next-generation car.

Why it matters. A big carmaker is choosing a shared computer and software platform for driver assistance. The driver still has to supervise it for now.

In simple words. Volvo and NVIDIA will build a system that helps cars drive on city streets. Volvo says it should arrive by 2030. The driver still has to watch the road.

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Worth a look if you like cars: safety and trust are Volvo's focus here.

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TU Delft gives a tiny drone whiskers so it can feel its way in the dark

Researchers built a drone with two touch-sensing whiskers. It followed walls and found exits in complete darkness.

Why it matters. Small drones are too light for heavy cameras or lidar. Whiskers are a light way to sense walls.

In simple words. Mice use whiskers to feel walls in the dark. Scientists gave a tiny drone two whiskers that work the same way. It is only an experiment for now.

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Worth a look: drones that feel like a mouse.

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Weather forecasts two to six weeks ahead may get better with free Microsoft tool

Microsoft researchers published a Nature study on machine learning that corrects bias in existing weather models. The software is open source.

Why it matters. Farmers and emergency teams plan better with reliable long-range forecasts, and this runs on ordinary CPUs.

In simple words. Microsoft built a free tool that helps weather models guess better, even weeks ahead. It runs on normal computers. Weather services still need to start using it before your phone app gets better.

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Worth a look: better forecasts help farms and rescue teams.

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Science Corporation implants PRIMA vision chip in first Stargardt patient

The tiny retina implant, already sold in Europe for one eye condition, is now in a trial for an inherited disease.

Why it matters. Early results come from one person, but they show a possible new use for a chip that already exists.

In simple words. A tiny chip placed in the eye helps some people see again with special glasses. A man with an inherited eye disease now has one. He can read a word. It is early and tested in one person.

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Worth a look: hopeful early science.

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Your old Android phone can be the brain of a small walking robot

UCLA researchers built PhoneBot, a 48cm biped that uses a phone's camera, sensors and chip. The design is open source.

Why it matters. Using a phone you already own removes the costliest parts of a small humanoid, making robotics easier to try.

In simple words. Scientists made a little robot that uses an old phone as its eyes and brain. It can walk and follow a person. It is for learning and tinkering, not a robot you can buy yet.

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Worth a look: a fun second life for an old phone.

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A nuclear clock now keeps its own laser steady, TU Wien reports in Nature

Researchers built a thorium-based clock that corrects a laser by itself. It ran for over 24 hours, but it is still an early prototype.

Why it matters. Better clocks help navigation, networks and science. This one shows a new way to build them, though it is years from products.

In simple words. Scientists built a clock that uses the inside of an atom to keep time. It can now fix its own laser without help. It is a lab test, not a product yet.

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Worth a look: a clock built from the core of an atom.

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EPFL builds a 1-3 mm fiber motor that can flex a robotic finger

Swiss researchers made a thin linear motor from two nested polymer fibers. Four bundled motors lifted a 46 g chocolate bar.

Why it matters. Soft, thin motors could one day help in clothing that assists movement, haptics and prosthetics.

In simple words. Researchers made a motor as thin as a thread. It can bend a small robot finger. It is still a lab project, but it may help future clothing and soft robots.

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Worth a look: a motor as thin as a thread.

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289 yuan a day: rented humanoid robot prices fall in China

After a Spring Festival Gala spike, some Unitree humanoids now list for rent from 289 yuan per day, about $40, reports Notebookcheck.

Why it matters. It shows how quickly interest and prices for humanoid robots can change.

In simple words. In China, people can rent robots that walk like humans. A few months ago a day cost a lot. Now some cost about the price of a few meals.

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Worth a look: robots are becoming easier to try.

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500 cycles: new catalyst moves rechargeable zinc-air batteries forward

TU Darmstadt chemists built a catalyst that let a zinc-air battery charge and discharge up to 500 times in lab tests.

Why it matters. Zinc-air batteries could store much more energy than lithium-ion, but they are hard to recharge.

In simple words. Scientists made a new part that helps a special battery recharge many times. This kind of battery could one day hold much more power. It is still only a lab test, so it will not be in devices soon.

For most peopleMake it about you →

Worth a look: it shows where future batteries may come from.

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73 researchers agree test rules for indoor solar cells

A Nature Energy paper sets shared ways to test solar cells that run on lamp light, so lab results can be compared.

Why it matters. Small sensors and remote controls could one day run on room light. Fair tests help the best designs reach products.

In simple words. Scientists agreed on one fair way to test solar cells that work from room lights. Labs can now compare results. Gadgets that never need batteries may come later.

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Try it: imagine a remote that never needs batteries.

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1 gram: University of Washington's DirectHop robot hops over a stair step

Researchers built a palm-size robot that pulls itself up with a motor instead of pushing off the ground like a spring.

Why it matters. Tiny hopping robots could one day explore rough ground where wheels get stuck.

In simple words. Scientists made a robot as light as a paperclip that can hop high enough to climb a stair. It is still a lab test, but one day it may explore places that are hard to reach.

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Worth a look: a flea-style hopper you can picture easily.

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Boston Dynamics shows a humanoid hand with four fingers, 13 actuators

The company explains why its new robot hand drops the pinky, and how the design aims at mass manufacturing.

Why it matters. Hands decide what a humanoid robot can pick up. A simpler design may be easier to build in large numbers.

In simple words. Boston Dynamics has built a new hand for its humanoid robot. It has four fingers, not five, which keeps it simpler and sturdier. The company wants to build many of them.

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Watch: robot hands are getting simpler and tougher.

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RobotsReport

$60M: Mecka AI raises Series B to collect human motion data for robots

Sequoia led the round. Mecka pays people to record everyday tasks with body sensors and phones, to help train humanoid robots.

Why it matters. Robots need examples of real tasks. Companies that supply that data are becoming a key part of the robot supply chain.

In simple words. A company called Mecka raised $60 million. It pays people to record everyday jobs, like making coffee, using body sensors. Robot makers can use these recordings to teach robots how to do real tasks.

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Watch: it shows how robots learn from people.

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UMass engineers grow a mesh with heart cells that makes its own electricity

A thin mesh with living human heart cells turns each heartbeat into power. In lab tests it gave 10 times more power density than centralized power systems.

Why it matters. Pacemakers and similar implants need batteries that must be replaced by surgery. This idea could remove that need, but it only exists in the lab today.

In simple words. Engineers made a thin mesh and grew real human heart cells in it. Each heartbeat bends the mesh and makes a little electricity. One day it could power pacemakers without batteries, but it only works in the lab so far.

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Watch: a battery made from living cells is a big idea, still years away.

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RobotsReport

Boston Dynamics names ex-Amazon Alexa chief Rohit Prasad as CEO

Rohit Prasad, who led Alexa and Amazon's AI models, becomes the third CEO in Boston Dynamics' history, effective Oct 7.

Why it matters. Boston Dynamics is betting its next phase is AI software, not only hardware. A consumer-AI leader signals a push to sell robots at scale.

In simple words. Boston Dynamics, the robot company, has a new boss: Rohit Prasad, who used to lead Alexa at Amazon. It hints that the company wants its robots to get smarter through AI software, and to sell many more of them.

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Watch: a leader from Alexa now runs one of the best-known robot makers.

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6x wider view possible: Kyushu's VR chair needs no headset

Kyushu University researchers use a mirror plate and a chair-mounted display to give each eye its own image. No headset is worn.

Why it matters. Headsets can be heavy and tiring. This is a different idea, but the view is small and it is a research demo shown at SIGGRAPH.

In simple words. Most VR needs a headset on your face. This chair uses special mirrors to show each eye its own picture instead, so you wear nothing. It is only a demo with a small view, so it is not something you can buy.

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Watch: VR without wearing anything on your face.

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A pacemaker that is powered through your skin, even while you move

Korean researchers made a wearable patch and a stretchy implant that pass power wirelessly. They tested it in rabbits and pigs, and it kept the heart paced.

Why it matters. Implant batteries run out and need surgery. Wireless power that survives movement could one day end that. It has only been tried in animals.

In simple words. Doctors put batteries inside pacemakers, and those batteries must be swapped by surgery. These researchers made a stretchy implant that gets power from a patch on the skin, even when the body moves. It worked in pigs. Humans are a long way off.

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Watch: shows how future implants may never need a battery swap.

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Tokyo team makes atom-thin chip material with a 100-million on/off ratio

A team led by Vincent Tung grew boron carbon nitride in wafer-scale films and tested 224 transistors. It fills a long-missing p-type part for 2D chips.

Why it matters. Future chips need tiny, efficient transistors of both types. This gives the p-type kind in a one-atom-thin material, but it is still a lab result.

In simple words. Chips are made of tiny switches called transistors. Scientists made a material only one atom thick that works well as one kind of switch. It is a big step for future chips, but it needs to be made at lower heat first.

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Watch: the next chips may be built from sheets one atom thick.

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RobotsReport

Boston Dynamics gives Atlas a new 13-joint hand, drops the pinky

The redesigned Atlas hand has a thumb and three fingers, doubles the joints from 7 to 13, and can hold power tools.

Why it matters. Hands decide what a humanoid can actually do. This one is built for factory work and mass production, not to look human.

In simple words. Boston Dynamics gave its Atlas robot a new hand with a thumb and three fingers. It can bend in more ways than the old one and can hold tools like drills. The pinky was dropped because it was not worth the extra work.

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Watch: robots do not need hands that look like ours.

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NVIDIA releases Isaac ROS 5.0, free and open source, with AI agent skills

The new robot software release adds faster object tracking and ready-made skills so AI coding agents can help set up robots.

Why it matters. It lowers the work needed to build robots on NVIDIA hardware. It is a developer tool, not something you buy.

In simple words. NVIDIA released free software that helps people build robots. It can follow objects faster, and it comes with ready-made lessons so AI helpers can set robots up. It is a tool for robot builders, not something you buy.

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Skip: this is a tool for robot developers.

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