The first “Familiar” from Colin Angle’s new startup, Familiar Machines & Magic, is a robot that is designed to live in your home and interact autonomously with family members. | Image: Familiar Machines and Magic
Colin Angle, the maker of the Roomba and the man who helped put 50 million household robots into people's homes, is back with a new robot. But this one is designed as a companion, not a cleaner.
The first robot from Angle's new company, Familiar Machines & Magic, is a dog-sized robotic pet that resembles a cross between a bear, a barn owl, and a golden retriever. It has an expressive face, with movable eyebrows, ears, and eyes, and the company calls it a "Familiar," a name meant to evoke folklore around the idea of a supernatural companion. Based on a demo video I saw ahead of its appearance at the WSJ Future of Everything conference this w …
Read the full story at The Verge.
Some employers are reluctant to cut workers’ hours but pay them the same – but it just might be the future of work
We keep hearing that the four-day workweek is the future. So why are so few businesses actually adopting it?
Belgium, Iceland and Lithuania have passed legislation requiring the practice, and other countries in Europe are piloting the idea. Hundreds of companies in the UK have signed up for to give this a try. Microsoft tested the concept in Japan. Non-profits such as the 4 Day Week Foundation and WorkFour are dedicated to expanding the concept.
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An autonomous table tennis robot developed by Sony AI has competed against and defeated high-level human players in regulated matches, according to Reuters. The system is part of a broader category often referred to as “physical AI,” where artificial intelligence is applied to machines operating in real-world environments. The robot, named Ace, was designed to […]
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In feat hailed as milestone in robotics, Sony AI’s Ace wins three out of five matches played under official rules
An AI-powered robot has beaten elite players at table tennis in a landmark achievement for a machine faced with a human athlete in a real-world competitive sport.
Named Ace, the robotic system developed by Sony AI, won three out of five matches against elite players, but lost the two it played against professionals, clawing back only one game in the seven contests.
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#China's technological developments were on full display, and at full speed, in the robot half-marathon in #Beijing on April 19. The winning robot beat the human half-marathon record by nearly seven minutes, finishing in 50 minutes and 26 seconds.
