Robopocalypse Report #10

Welcome to the tenth Robopocalypse Report!  This is where I highlight some of the different technologies which are up and coming in the bot arena, software and hardware, that are going to add to the coming economic disruption or at least change that I have nicknamed the Robopocalypse.

Drones! Drones!  Drones!  We normally start with drones.  BUT NOT THIS TIME!  

The Robopocalypse isn't all doom and gloom (actually its rather the opposite, but people take convincing).  Robotics is helping and will help the disabled in vast, vast ways.  

Ok, now onto the drones!

Google is pulling its drone development out of NM and back to the SF Bay Area.

There has been some hoopla over the fact a drone carrying drugs, cell phones, etc crashed in a prison attempting a delivery in South Carolina!

The European Aviation Safety Agency (aka Euro FAA) has called for input on the rules they are drafting for drone use.

The FAA has now approved over 1008 UAV exemptions. 

Unfortunately, twits keep going where they ought to know better with their drones.  In this case JFK airport in NYC.  If they are not careful, they'll end up with a regulation and legal backlash making drones virtually banned.

The Koreans have researched how to take out drones via sound waves.

Scientists have also been using drones to fly through whale spouts to collect samples.

You also know drones have gone mainstream when a drone is decked out as the Human Torch to promote the Fantastic Four film.

Governor Brown signed laws relating to self driving cars in California this past week and showed up in a Google car for the event.  See awkward AP video above.

It is being speculated that driverless cabs will end traffic and help significantly with parking in cities.  This feels like the 'electricity too cheap to meter' from the past, but I could be wrong.

Then...Tesla:

That's their new electrical charger prototype.  Obviously, Dr Octopus works at Tesla.

Moving on to more general robotics information, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has developed robotic whiskers for use much like mammals do.

MIT has developed an algorithm to allow robotic grippers to use their environment to grasp items they are having difficulty with.

Moving to software, researchers at UCL have developed AI to predict fine wine prices.

CNET has an Everything You Need to Know About the Robopocalypse article.