Dancing with robots

Robots parodying the latest video hits are cute but some choreographers, artists and human-robot interaction specialists have pushed the boundary of how humans and robots move in fascinating ways. Thomas Freundlich has just uploaded a video of his work "Human Interface" with ABB industrial robots, which spurred me to post a snapshot or two from …

Ada Lovelace Day: Women in robotics

Maykah team at Maker Faire: Alice Brooks, Bettina Chen, Jennifer Kessler who make 'Roominate' the DIY electrical dollhouse. Celebrate women in science and technology today, in honor of Ada Lovelace, world's first computer programmer. Ada Lovelace Day was started by Suw Charman-Anderson in 2009 in recognition that good role models are crucial to engaging and retaining women …

Can Robots Inspire Us To Be Better Humans?

A wonderful TedX talk by Ken Goldberg, Berkeley 2012:

Melanie Hall: Science at the movies: Prometheus and artificial intelligence

search for the origins of humanity, meeting one's maker, and discovering why we are here: Ridley Scott's latest film Prometheus tackles some big themes. But arguably the most interesting one surrounds the issue of what it is to be human, raised in the form of the android David. Both Alien and its sequel Aliens, which Prometheus is said …