There's a human-like robot called Atlas that has amassed millions of YouTube views showing off its athletic prowess. Watching Atlas run, jump and tumble lands you straight in the “uncanny valley", which describes robots that are incredibly human-like, but not quite realistic. I had the same feeling last week when I met Spot, the robotic dog that shares the same creator as Atlas, at IBM Research's labs in New York.
US company Boston Dynamics built them with the same aim in mind - to assume roles that are too dangerous, boring or expensive for humans to do. While Atlas isn't on sale yet, it will likely cost a small fortune when it is, and be deployed in search and-rescue and military operations.
Spot, which sells for US$75,000, was in hot demand as staff shortages and Covid restrictions put a dent in the workforce responsible for mundane but important jobs in health and safety and security, such as monitoring oil and gas infrastructure or patrolling industrial facilities in the dead of night. IBM has built an add-on for Spot that uses sensors and cameras to gather information about the real world.
This story is from the June 11 - 17, 2022 edition of New Zealand Listener.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 11 - 17, 2022 edition of New Zealand Listener.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Morning songs
On a recent early and glorious Saturday morning - it was 4°C outside I let the complaining chickens out. Chickens never stop complaining.
Upwardly mobile
Climate-friendly e-scooters are proliferating but there are stumbling blocks for users and non-users.
A potent brew
There's a correlation between moderate coffee drinking and reduced risk of colorectal cancer - but evidence of a causal link is still percolating.
Food saviours
A little bit of silliness lightens the mood on the serious topic of food waste.
Ode to old masters
The Polynesian sound and Auckland's ska-punk scene are remembered in new releases.
Weaving Welsh with waiata
Te reo meets Cymraeg in a musical project partly spearheaded by Kawiti Waetford, an opera singer with connections to Wales.
Culture warrior
Activist and scholar Ngahuia te Awek6otuku achieved several firsts in society but had to fight many battles to get there.
An age-old problem
Is our lifespan fixed, or might we be able to slow down or even abolish ageing? And what would we do if we could?
When Jim becomes James
'What would white people do to a slave who had learned to read?' This impressive reimagining of Huckleberry Finn seeks to find out.
Manhattan transfer
A Kiwi movie star led the charge for an Anzac garden atop New York's Rockefeller Centre that's still in use today.