IEEE Spectrum Robotics
All articles about robotics from IEEE Spectrum magazine
Robots Could Turn E-Waste Into a Source of Legacy Chips
Electronic waste is set to hit 82 million tonnes annually by 2030, prompting stricter regulations worldwide. San Francisco startup Tuurny has built a robotic system, Nantul, that can extract up to 300 intact RAM chips per hour from circuit boards before shredding. The company secured a six‑figure deal with UK recycler Areera and plans a field rollout in early 2027. By separating reusable chips first, Tuurny aims to create a new supply chain for legacy components and recover valuable metals.
Home Robot Safety Is All About Relationships
ISO is finalizing a revision of its 12‑year‑old ISO 13482 standard for personal‑care robots as domestic humanoids move from prototypes to market‑ready products. The draft expands hazard identification and risk assessment to include the bidirectional nature of human‑robot interaction, but it...
Proposed Chinese Robot Ban Is Latest U.S. Tech Sovereignty Move
The bipartisan American Security Robotics Act, introduced by Senators Tom Cotton, Chuck Schumer and Rep. Elise Stefanik, would bar U.S. government use of Chinese‑made ground robots such as humanoids, quadrupeds and crawlers. The proposal follows the FCC’s recent crackdown on...
Wi-Fi That Can Withstand a Nuclear Reactor
Researchers at the Institute of Science Tokyo have demonstrated a 2.4 GHz Wi‑Fi receiver that survives up to 500 kilograys of gamma radiation, a level far beyond what space‑qualified electronics can tolerate. The hardened chip, presented at ISSCC, kept functional performance with...
First Air Taxi Service to Launch in Dubai in 2026
Joby Aviation announced it will launch the world’s first integrated air‑taxi network in Dubai by 2026, leveraging a six‑year exclusive operating agreement with the city’s Roads and Transport Authority. The rollout includes four Skyports‑designed vertiports at Dubai International Airport, Dubai...
Ghost Robotics’ Arm Brings Manipulation to Military Quadrupeds
Ghost Robotics unveiled a six‑degree‑of‑freedom arm for its Vision 60 quadruped, turning the rugged robot into a mobile manipulator and sensor platform. The arm, engineered as a fifth leg, survives the robot’s 50 kg roll‑overs and enables tasks such as door...