While we all wait breathlessly to see if the Hubble Space Telescope will pull through, there’s other news of robots continuing their march into our every day lives.
- Robotic landscaping startup Scythe emerges from stealth with $13.8M raise [TechCrunch] “Landscaping is a relatively low-hanging fruit for robotics. There’s certainly a lot to be said for automating the process for those with large swaths of land. Toro, notably, recently acquired Left Hand Robotics, and iRobot has announced its own (since delayed) robotic mower.”
- Want Your Nails Done? Let a Robot Do It. [New York Times] “Don’t give up your regular appointment just yet. While all three companies have secured substantial outside financing, the devices are still being tested and altered before their full market debuts. And none of the three are offering a full salon-type manicure with shaping and buffing. Still, they could ultimately upend the growing nail care market.”
- A Tentacle-Headed Robot Amuses Your Pets While You’re Away [Wired] “Inviting Wi-Fi-enabled cameras into your home is a big concern. Even the most reputable companies have been hacked or have security breaches.”
- How My Robot Vacuum Got Me Through the Pandemic [Gizmodo] “Frankly, I needed all the help I could get. Being locked inside for months on end inevitably breeds clutter, and that clutter can kick off a vicious mental cycle that leaves you too depressed, too overwhelmed, and just too dang tired to actually start cleaning.
From the Ohio Web Library:
- Larkin, Marilynn. “Personal Robots Help Reduce Isolation, Boost Engagement during the Pandemic and Beyond.” Journal on Active Aging, vol. 19, no. 5, Oct. 2020, pp. 36–39.
- Joseph, Lawrence. “What Robots Can’t Do.” Commonweal, vol. 147, no. 11, Dec. 2020, pp. 44–47.
- Lawrie TA, Liu H, Lu D, Dowswell T, Song H, Wang L, Shi G. “Robot‐assisted surgery in gynaecology.” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2019, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD011422. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD011422.pub2. Accessed 22 June 2021.
