Self-Driving Vehicles to Debut on College Campuses
This fall, students at Santa Clara University will have a new way to get around campus — a self-driving shuttle. The university has invited Auro Robotics to its palm tree-lined campus to test a prototype. The vehicle will be restricted to a top speed of 10 mph, and share the concrete and brick walkways with pedestrians. Students at the private university in Silicon Valley’s shadow aren’t the only ones to experience the buzzed-about...
Social Robots Want to Help at Home
When most people think of robots, they either think of hulking Terminators or the types of dumb industrial robots taking part in a future robot uprising. But there’s another class of robot that’s also gaining traction — social robots that cost less than $1,000 and are designed for the home. They are more WALL-E than Terminator, and are meant to be personal companions and even “one of the family.” For all the stories about the perils...
Generating a Lot of Buzz
Berkeley, Calif. — As the largest American maker of consumer drones, 3D Robotics Inc. sees big opportunities in selling mini-helicopters with cameras, sensors and whirling propellers that buzz like angry hornets. The Berkeley company expects to sell thousands of the pizza-sized drones — for about $1,000 each — at home and abroad this year. Tech-savvy customers want them for capturing wave-shredding surfing runs in the Pacific,...
