Category Archives: robots
Slavoj Zizek on Dating
Robot Rights
A provocative attempt to think about what was previously considered unthinkable: a serious philosophical case for the rights of robots. Read more (MIT)
The Next Human: Brain and Body as Connected Devices
Is there a difference if the tool is in our hand or if it is an implant in our brain?
The rise of virtual surgery
Now that the cultural resistance has been broken down, ‘Zoom surgery’ is likely to remain a feature of modern medicine. But during Covid-19 lockdowns, with travel restricted, doctors have not been able to work in other countries or share expertise with colleagues face to face. As a result, some of the cultural resistance among surgeons towards telemedicine has started to melt away. In 2020, there were ninefold and fivefold increases respectively in the number of users and procedures on Proximie’s platform. Read more (Financial Times)
AI through the eyes of the 1980s (and Dr. Who)
Are Robots the future of Retail Theatre?
For decades, the retail sector has used a host of strategies to offer theatre and engagement at the point of sale, creating spectacle, excitement and ultimately brand and product desire. Despite the growth in e-commerce sales, global brands continue to invest in flagship ‘concept stores’ which act as showcase experiences and a chance to ‘wow’ visitors, fans and shoppers at high-footfall locations around the world. Read more
Hyundai is in talks to buy the robotics company Boston Dynamics for upwards of $1 billion.
Rethinking “machines for living” – Living in a robot: ‘a house literally has to adapt to its occupants’
Will we live in a large robot in the future? Professor of Smart Architectural Technologies Masi Mohammadi is developing a robot house. “A house should accommodate its occupants needs and wishes.” Read more
Japanese Engineers Create Robot Hand for Lonely People to Hold
We are living in an era where finding a romantic companion is the easiest it’s ever been. With people sliding into DMs with cheesy pickup lines and spending hours swiping right on Tinder to land a match with a potential partner, discovering love is accessible even when you’re chilling on a toilet seat.
And yet many people still don’t get their happily ever after. For those single lonely hopeless romantics, research engineers in Japan have a solution — a robotic girlfriend’s hand. Not an entire robot’s body, just a hand. Read more (Vice)
