Robots

Now You Can Measure How Long It Will Take for R2-D2 to Get Sick of Being Merchandised

Aside from Hello Kitty, it’s hard to think of a character whose image has been slapped onto more products than Star Wars’ R2-D2. Everything from oven mitts to coffee makers bear the little droid’s likeness, and now you might even see him pop up on construction sites as an officially-licensed tape measure. Created by ThinkGeek,…

io9 Andrew Liszewski

Watching This Super Precise Robot Doodle Is Super Satisfying

Evil Mad Scientist’s new AxiDraw V3 personal drawing machine can use any pen or marker to print or write on your behalf if your penmanship is awful. But simply watching the machine draw ultra-precise doodles and complex patterns is so satisfying you might be able to justify its $475 price tag as just a relaxation…

Sploid Andrew Liszewski

This Adorable Robot Can Do Parkour Way Better Than You

Meet Salto, a UC Berkeley-designed robot that, like a parkour athlete, can string together consecutive vertical jumps. Its developers hope to use the robot in search-and-rescue missions, where it can dart around quickly across complex landscapes. Salto (which stands for “saltatorial locomotion on terrain obstacle”) is the brainchild of UC Berkeley roboticist Duncan Haldane, who…

Tech News George Dvorsky

MIT’s New Plastic Muscles Could Bring Us One Step Closer to a Real-Life Westworld

We strive to make robots in our own likeness because, as far as we can tell, humans are best adapted to deal with our world. And thanks to researchers at MIT, who’ve found a way to use cheap, nylon plastic as an artificial muscle, we’re now one step closer to creating artificial humans—and opulent fantasy…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski

There’s at Least One Robot Humanity Doesn’t Have to Fear

As robots get larger, smarter, faster, stronger, and more agile, there’s good reason for humanity to be a little worried about the day they eventually turn on us. Unless all robots end up like UCLA’s BALLU which is really nothing more than a pair of skinny robot legs attached to a helium balloon. BALLU—which stands…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski

How Do We Know That We Aren’t Actually Robots?

Welcome to Giz Asks, a series where we ask suddenly urgent questions and experts try to answer them. Today, we’re wondering if it’s possible to be a robotic artificial intelligence entity and not know it. On Westworld, some humanoid androids are catching glimpses of a horrifying reality behind their artificial self-perception—that they, the robot “park…

Tech News Sophie Weiner

How to Turn a BB-8 Toy Into an Authentic-Looking Movie Prop

The marvels of modern manufacturing allow toymakers to add incredible detail to their products. But the reason the BB-8 toy you bought looks almost nothing like the BB-8 seen in The Force Awakens is because you need to add a weathered, worn finish like the film’s prop makers did. However, you don’t need to be…

io9 Andrew Liszewski

Something Kind of Cool and Creepy Was Cut from Real Steel

As someone who digs sports and giant robots, I hope I’m not the only person who is a fan of Real Steel. The 2011 Hugh Jackman film about robot boxing is one of those predictable but fun Hollywood films designed to give you goosebumps. And it really would have done that, had a certain moment…

Movies Germain Lussier

Watching Toy Robots Fight Over the Batmobile Is Mindless Fun

There’s no real explanation as to why these toy Gundam robots want to steal the classic 1960s Batmobile, but by the end of this short film, by the talented stop-motion artists at YouTube’s Counter656, you won’t care. Besides, since when do you need a good reason to watch robots fight? Watching these toy robots go…

io9 Andrew Liszewski

Elon Musk: We Need Universal Income Because Robots Will Steal All the Jobs

Spacentrepreneur Elon Musk thinks we’ll eventually need a basic universal income because of “automation.” “People will have time to do other things, more complex things, more interesting things,” he told CNBC. “Certainly more leisure time. And then we gotta figure how we integrate with a world and future with a vast AI.” “Ultimately, I think…

Tech News Eve Peyser

This Is Why You Should Take Lithium-Ion Battery Fires Very, Very Seriously

Back in June, after installing a new lithium-ion battery into its ape-inspired RoboSimian and plugging it into charge, researchers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory had their lunches cut short when the battery suddenly exploded in a spectacular fireball that completely torched the bot. Lithium-ion battery fires have obviously been a big issue over the past…

Gadgets Andrew Liszewski

Watching Robots Make Tiny Springs Is Wonderfully Hypnotic

This is easily the best video to spend your eyeball time on today. That’s partly because it’s wonderfully shot and reveals the inner workings of the machines. But it’s mostly because it’s a bunch of robots making tiny springs. What more do you need? The robot arms dance in this beautiful synchronized symphony, deftly twisting…

Sploid Casey Chan

How Many Drones Does It Take to Change a Light Bulb?

“Work smarter, not harder” should be everyone’s mantra. Marek Baczynski certainly abides by it. Why else would he spend hours of trial and error figuring out how to get a drone to change a lightbulb? We can finally add ladders to the list of things robots will eventually replace. After spending an entire day trying…

Gadgets Andrew Liszewski

A Future Where Tiny Swarming Robots Bring Me My Phone Is the Future I Want

Making robots act like humans is hard, but making robots act like insects is considerably easier. And if you’ve ever seen a towering ant hill, or a massive bee hive, you know that thousands of insects working together can accomplish impressive things. So why not have a bunch of tiny robots do the same? Researchers…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski

Candy-Flinging Lego Bot Deals With Trick-or-Treaters For You

Kids love Halloween because they get to dress up, act like a monster, and be rewarded with free candy. Then you become an adult, and suddenly have to deal with little monsters demanding free sweets. Halloween is suddenly less fun, unless you build a Lego robot to deal with trick-or-treaters. Jason Allemann of JK Brickworks’…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski

Chilling Ad Underscores the Insanity of Caregiving Robots

To address the burgeoning “loneliness epidemic” and the demands of an aging population, some think that we should deploy robotic caregivers. A new ad titled “B.E.N. (Biologically Engineered Nursing),” however, suggests that this is a dreadful idea. This five-minute ad was produced by the Society of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul (SSVP), an international Catholic voluntary organization that provides…

Tech News George Dvorsky

Disney Just Invented a One-Legged Robot That Hops Like Tigger

In Disney’s continued quest to breath life into all of its cartoon characters, it might be going beyond a mere costume. Its research branch just revealed what appears to be the first attempt to make a robotic version of Tigger, Winnie the Pooh’s tiger pal, who’s best known for bouncing around on his tail. The…

Tech News Andrew Liszewski

Toyota Made a Robot Baby to Replace Actual Babies

Japan’s birth rate has been on decline for some time now, so engineers at Toyota have come up with an ingenious solution to help people apparently feel the companionship of kids: an annoying robot. “He wobbles a bit, and this is meant to emulate a seated baby, which hasn’t fully developed the skills to balance…

Tech News William Turton

Your Lonely Grandparents Can Now Get a Robot Retriever To Keep Them Company

Last year Hasbro wowed, and saddened us a little, with a new line of toys targeted at seniors in need of a companion, but without the need for all the mess that comes along with a pet. The first addition to its Joy For All line was a robotic cat, but it’s now being joined…

Gadgets Andrew Liszewski

Watch a Giant Fighting Robot Get Beat Up By a Wrecking Ball

Two robot fighting teams—MegaBots in the US and Suidobashi Heavy Industries in Japan—challenged each other to a duel once upon a time. Both accepted, but the actual showdown is yet to happen. This stress test conducted by the MegaBots team on their giant mech might give some answer about how it’ll fare if a clash…

Sploid Avery Ellis

Now You Can Measure How Long It Will Take for R2-D2 to Get Sick of Being Merchandised

Watching This Super Precise Robot Doodle Is Super Satisfying

This Adorable Robot Can Do Parkour Way Better Than You

MIT’s New Plastic Muscles Could Bring Us One Step Closer to a Real-Life Westworld

There’s at Least One Robot Humanity Doesn’t Have to Fear

How Do We Know That We Aren’t Actually Robots?

How to Turn a BB-8 Toy Into an Authentic-Looking Movie Prop

Something Kind of Cool and Creepy Was Cut from Real Steel

Watching Toy Robots Fight Over the Batmobile Is Mindless Fun

Elon Musk: We Need Universal Income Because Robots Will Steal All the Jobs

This Is Why You Should Take Lithium-Ion Battery Fires Very, Very Seriously

Watching Robots Make Tiny Springs Is Wonderfully Hypnotic

How Many Drones Does It Take to Change a Light Bulb?

A Future Where Tiny Swarming Robots Bring Me My Phone Is the Future I Want

Candy-Flinging Lego Bot Deals With Trick-or-Treaters For You

Chilling Ad Underscores the Insanity of Caregiving Robots

Disney Just Invented a One-Legged Robot That Hops Like Tigger

Toyota Made a Robot Baby to Replace Actual Babies

Your Lonely Grandparents Can Now Get a Robot Retriever To Keep Them Company

Watch a Giant Fighting Robot Get Beat Up By a Wrecking Ball

Getting Stuck Inside a Glitching Robotaxi Is a Whole New Thing to Be Scared of

Artemis 2 Live Updates: Humanity’s Epic Return to the Moon 🔴

NASA’s Artemis 2 Mission Blasts Off

Disney’s Robot Olaf Dying Is the Funniest Thing to Happen in 2026

Kia’s EV3 Is Headed to the US This Year With Up to 320 Miles of Range

This Is the Way to Lego’s April Releases

Group Pushing Age Verification Requirements for AI Turns Out to Be Sneakily Backed by OpenAI

Amazon Facilities in Bahrain Hit Again as Iran Follows Through on Threat, Report Says

The Best Gadgets of March 2026

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

Asus ROG’s Massive Swift OLED Gaming Monitor Epitomizes Excess in the Best Way

Let us help find what you are looking for...