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Cheery robots may make creepy companions, but could be intelligent assistants![]() University Park PA (SPX) Jan 13, 2017 Cheery robots may give people the creeps and serious robots may actually ease anxiety depending on how users perceive the robot''s role in their lives, according to an international team of researchers. In a study of robot use in a retirement home, senior citizens were more likely to consider an assistant robot as socially attractive and intelligent when they thought its demeanor was cheery, according to S. Shyam Sundar, Distinguished Professor of Communications and co-director of the Media Effect ... read more  | 
 
Robots need 'kill switches', warn Euro MPsThe unstoppable rise of robots in our everyday lives requires urgent EU rules such as "kill switches", European Parliament members warned Thursday as they passed a resolution urging Brussels into action on automaton ethics. ... more For autonomous ground vehicles (AGVs), one of the most important issues is path tracking. Conventionally, steering and velocity control are generally two typical aspects in path tracking problem. St ... more  
Robots show their 'personality' at big tech showProfessor Einstein rolls his eyes, sticks out his tongue, and can give a simple explanation of the theory of relativity. With his lifelike rubbery "skin" and bushy mustache, he can almost make you forget he's a robot. ... more  
Amazon Alexa virtual assistant shines at tech showAmazon's virtual assistant Alexa is emerging as one of the big winners at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, cropping up in TVs, cars, fridges - you name it - in what may signal a breakthrough moment for the smart technology. ... more  | 
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Textron begins testing Common Unmanned Surface VehicleTextron Systems Unmanned Systems began on-water testing for the 4th-generation Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle, a project for the U.S. Navy. ... more  
China turns to robots as workers ageFlat, orange robots glide under stationary cars and ferry them to empty Chinese parking bays, using space more efficiently and, their creators say, reducing driver stress. ... more  
NASA showcases spaceflight, robotics and autonomous systems technology at CES 2017Joining industry technology leaders, NASA hosted a booth at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Jan. 5-9, 2017, to display and discuss its advanced technologies for human and robotic s ... more  
How to control the unknown: Novel method for robotic manipulationA simple, linear robot is easy to control. With known goals and a clear understanding of variables, a controller tells the robot the rules to follow. If button A is pressed, for example, pick up an ... more  
Pentagon successfully tests micro-drone swarmThe Pentagon may soon be unleashing a 21st-century version of locusts on its adversaries after officials on Monday said it had successfully tested a swarm of 103 micro-drones. ... more  | 
![]() For 'intelligent' robot, chess is just a hobby  
Bionic woman: Chinese robot turns on the charm"Jia Jia" can hold a simple conversation and make specific facial expressions when asked, and her creator believes the eerily life-like robot heralds a future of cyborg labour in China. ... more  
Brazil orders remote-controlled weapon stations from ElbitA Brazilian subsidiary of Israel's Elbit Systems has received a framework contract to supply remote-controlled weapon stations to the Brazilian army. ... more  | 

  A small autonomous underwater vehicle for defense and commercial use in now available for purchase online from General Dynamics Mission Systems. 
 The new Bluefin SandShark weighs less than 11 pounds - before adding a mission payload - fits in a backpack, can swim up to five knots and dive down to 656 feet, the company said. 
 Its tail section houses the battery and system electron ... more Liteye, Tribalco to deliver AUDS systems to U.S. armed forces UAV performs first ever perched landing using machine learning algorithms IS using hobby drones to bomb Iraqi forces in Mosul: US official | 
 
For the first time, UNSW biomedical engineers have woven a 'smart' fabric that mimics the sophisticated and complex properties of one nature's ingenious materials, the bone tissue periosteum. 
Having achieved proof of concept, the researchers are now ready to produce fabric prototypes for a range of advanced functional materials that could transform the medical, safety and transport sectors ... more Unusual physics phenomenon could improve telecoms, computing NIST physicists 'squeeze' light to cool microscopic drum below quantum limit York Space Systems signs Cooperative Research and Development Agreement | 
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 Microchip giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) says it will create more jobs in the United States as the firm posted record profits.  
Chairman Morris Chang said at the company's earnings conference on Thursday TSMC had already brought "hundreds of thousands of jobs" over the last three decades to the US.  
"Mr. Trump has said many times that he wants to create jobs in the U ... more Multiregional brain on a chip NUS researchers achieve major breakthrough in flexible electronics | 
 
AREVA NP signed a multimillion-dollar agreement with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to provide fleet-wide refuel equipment upgrades. Under this contract, AREVA NP will upgrade existing refueling platforms, manipulator cranes, fuel transfer systems and used fuel bridge components. This modern equipment will help operators increase efficiency, strengthen performance and reduce time when rece ... more Portugal protests against Spain nuclear waste near border France sells off Engie stake to finance Areva rescue UK asks regulators to assess Chinese nuclear reactor | 
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  The Islamic State group gained ground around a key eastern Syrian city on Sunday, a monitor said, despite a heavy air strikes by government warplanes. 
The jihadists pressed their brutal assault on Deir Ezzor for the second day, seizing territory near an air base on the city's edges, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 
"IS seized several hilltops that overlook the airpor ... more Senegal to extradite Guinean soldier wanted over massacre Mauritania, Saudi Arabia strengthen military cooperation US air strikes in Syria kill Al-Qaeda militants: Pentagon | 
  Li Ka-shing's Cheung Kong Infrastructure on Monday moved a step closer to a more than Aus$7 billion (US$5.2 billion) takeover of Australian energy group Duet after a recommendation from the energy group's board. 
In December, the Hong Kong billionaire put in an unsolicited and conditional offer of $Aus3 per share for Duet. 
Following a review of the offer, the Duet board said it had agreed ... more China to build $1.5 billion power line across Pakistan MIT Energy Initiative report provides guidance for evolving electric power sector Toward energy solutions for northern regions | 
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Just when lighting aficionados were in a dark place, LEDs came to the rescue. Over the past decade, LED technologies - short for light-emitting diode - have swept the lighting industry by offering features such as durability, efficiency and long life. 
Now, Princeton engineering researchers have illuminated another path forward for LED technologies by refining the manufacturing of light sou ... more Nanoscale view of energy storage UK-Led Hydrogen Fuel Project Promises to Provide Ultra-Clean Air in China Scientists discover a molecular motor has a 'gear' for directional switching | 
 
The rocket Kuaizhou-1A (KZ-1A) has sent three satellites into space in its first commercial mission on Monday. 
The rocket, carrying the satellite JL-1 and two CubeSats XY-S1 and Caton-1, blasted off from northwestern China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at around 12:11 p.m. Monday Beijing Time, according to a statement from the center. 
The KZ-1A was developed from the Kuaizhou-1 r ... more China Space Plan to Develop "Strength and Size" Beijing's space program soars in 2016 China Plans to Launch 1st Mars Probe by 2020 - State Council Information Office | 
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 French astronaut Thomas Pesquet floated into space on his first-ever spacewalk Friday, and helped install three new, refrigerator-sized lithium-ion batteries to upgrade the power system at the International Space Station. 
Wearing a white spacesuit with the French flag emblazoned on one shoulder, Pesquet and US astronaut Shane Kimbrough switched on their spacesuits' internal battery power to  ... more 'Hidden Figures' soars in second week atop box office The dust never settles on the Space Station Real time imaging and transcriptome analysis of medaka aboard space station | 
 
The crew has been selected, and research studies confirmed for the 2017 mission of the University of Hawai?i at Manoa's Hawai?i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS). 
At approximately 3:30 p.m. on January 19, 2017, six astronaut-like crewmembers will enter a geodesic dome atop Mauna Loa on the island of Hawai?i as part of an eight-month research study of human behavior and perf ... more New Year yields interesting bright soil for Opportunity rover Hues in a Crater Slope 3-D images reveal features of Martian polar ice caps | 
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Orbital ATK has completed a significant mission milestone for NASA's next International Space Station cargo mission. 
The Pressurized Cargo Module (PCM) of the Cygnus spacecraft has arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center for processing and assembly before launch. The OA-7 mission is targeted to launch on Thursday, March 16 from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in  ... more ISRO set to increase vehicle capacity to accommodate more space launches SpaceX launches, lands rocket for first time since Sept blast Michoud complete stand for testing SLS main fuel tank | 
 
Washington State University researchers have developed a soy-based air filter that can capture toxic chemicals, such as carbon monoxide and formaldehyde, which current air filters can't. 
The research could lead to better air purifiers, particularly in regions of the world that suffer from very poor air quality. The engineers have designed and tested the materials for the bio-based filter a ... more Judge orders Beirut dump shut after birds threaten flights Study describes new method to remove nickel from contaminated seawater E-waste rising dangerously in Asia: UN study | 
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  Auto sales in China, the world's biggest car market, surged at their fastest in three years in 2016, an industry group showed Thursday, jumping nearly 14 percent after authorities slashed a purchase tax. 
The world's second-largest economy is crucial to global auto manufacturers, but the market took a hit from slowing economic growth in 2015. 
However a total of 28.03 million cars were sol ... more Oslo temporarily bars diesel cars to combat pollution US deal won't end 'dieselgate' pain for Volkswagen NAVYA Self-driving shuttle goes to work in Las Vegas | 
 
Shrinking the investigation of objects down to the nanometer scale often reveals new properties of matter that have no equivalent for their bulk analysis. This phenomenon is motivating many current studies of nanomaterials which can reveal fascinating new phenomena. 
It inspired a group of researchers at the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) to explore the extent of our  ... more Nano-chimneys can cool circuits The researchers created a tiny laser using nanoparticles Nanoscale 'conversations' create complex, multi-layered structures | 
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For the first time, UNSW biomedical engineers have woven a 'smart' fabric that mimics the sophisticated and complex properties of one nature's ingenious materials, the bone tissue periosteum. 
Having achieved proof of concept, the researchers are now ready to produce fabric prototypes for a range of advanced functional materials that could transform the medical, safety and transport sectors ... more Unusual physics phenomenon could improve telecoms, computing NIST physicists 'squeeze' light to cool microscopic drum below quantum limit York Space Systems signs Cooperative Research and Development Agreement | 
  Europe should expand a ban on bee-harming pesticides, environmental lobby group Greenpeace said Thursday, as it released a report warning of widespread risks to agriculture and the environment. 
The report by biologists at the University of Sussex, commissioned by Greenpeace, concluded that the threat posed to bees by neonicotinoid pesticides was greater than perceived in 2013 when the Europe ... more Pressures from grazers hastens ecosystem collapse from drought Grasslands hold potential for increased food production Russia's Vavilov institute, guardian of world's lost plants | 
 
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