Technology 23 September 2020 By Donna Lu Two Curly robots, which are designed to play the game of curlingWon et al., Sci Robot. 5, eabb97 A curling robot has beaten humans at their own game. Klaus-Robert Müller at the Berlin Institute of Technology in Germany and his colleagues have developed a robot powered by artificial…
By David Hambling The Bluebottle uncrewed vessels can operate autonomously at seaOcius Technology Australia is deploying a fleet of uncrewed robot boats to patrol its waters and monitor weather and wildlife. They will also flag boats potentially transporting asylum seekers, a plan that has concerned human rights groups. The 5-metre-long vessels, known as Bluebottles after…
By Donna Lu ANYmal can spot issues in the sewersHendrik Kolvenbach/ETH Zurich A four-legged robot that inspects concrete can walk through underground sewage tunnels and detect when they need repairing. Hendrik Kolvenbach at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) in Switzerland and his colleagues have developed a robot that scratches one of its…
By Donna Lu Nindamani, a prototype weed removal robot that can distinguish weeds from cauliflower cropsAutoRoboCulture Artificial intelligence is getting down in the weeds. An AI-powered robot that can distinguish weeds from crops and remove them could eventually be used as an alternative to chemical insecticides. Kevin Patel and Nihar Chaniyara at tech start-up AutoRoboCulture…
Kataza the baboon. Facebook / Baboon Matters The City of Cape Town has asked the public not to feed a baboon that has relocated to Tokai. The baboon, known as Kataza or SK11, is slowly being integrated into the Tokai troop. Video footage, however, shows humans feeding Kataza. The City of Cape Town has requested that Kataza…
As SA Rugby moves to determine which franchises will go to Europe in future, Rassie Erasmus has noted several potential benefits for the local game should that route be followed.The national director of rugby believes the high world rankings of Wales, Ireland and Scotland mean PRO Rugby is competitive and that fans will eventually identify…
(John Finney Photography/Moment/Getty Images) An abnormally bad season of weather may have had a significant impact on the death toll from both World War I and the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, according to new research, with many more lives being lost due to torrential rain and plummeting temperatures. Through a detailed analysis of an ice…