Robots

For the first time, Israeli researchers have developed a system that lets a human use brain waves to control nanobots in a cockroach. How could that help your health?

ByPatrick J. Kiger

Some "Star Wars" fans aren't content to just watch the movies. They have to bring the tech from the screen into the real world. Get the inside scoop on how creativity, ingenuity and dedication make fan-made droids come to life.

Whether they’re adorable like ASIMO or creepy like the world's most lifelike androids, today's robots take on a range of shapes and sizes. But they're not all humanoid. This gallery also shows off a few that are inspired by the animal kingdom.

ByHowStuffWorks.com Contributors

Heck, it's even hard for some people to have common sense.

ByMayank Kejriwal

Stanford researchers emulated the feet and legs of a peregrine falcon to enable a flying robot to land and perch on various surfaces, which could have lasting implications for future drone design and use.

ByPatrick J. Kiger

Famed composer Ludwig von Beethoven died leaving just a few notes for his 10th Symphony. More than 200 years later, scientists use artificial intelligence to finish the job.

By艾哈迈德Elgammal

It walks, it talks and it works as a receptionist. Honda engineers have been busy creating the ASIMO robot for more than 20 years, and it shows.

ByLee Ann Obringer&Jonathan Strickland

A robot and a human being are made up of the same basic components. And with each passing decade, robots become more lifelike. Find out how robots operate and the marvelous things they're already doing.

ByTom Harris&Chris Pollette

Created for social purposes, it’s meant to act as a virtual presence, helping keep far-off relatives and late-working parents connected to their families. What is it? A robot called the ConnectR.

ByJosh Clark

Robot armies could soon account for up to one third of all vehicles currently in service. Learn about robot armies and robot army development.

ByJonathan Strickland

机器人有一个徽章吗?警察机器人基于“增大化现实”技术e no longer the stuff of sci-fi movies like "RoboCop." Some cities are using robots to patrol beats, although they're more commonly used in dangerous scenarios.

ByJonathan Strickland

You've just been diagnosed with cancer. You prepare yourself for chemotherapy -- losing your hair and getting weaker by the day. But your doctor has something else in mind.

ByJonathan Strickland

It may seem like a strange idea, but one British researcher believes that by 2050, robots and humans will be able to marry legally in the United States. What social implications might this strange-sounding phenomenon have?

ByJosh Clark

Radio controlled toys are as popular with adults as they are with kids. Get inside an RC truck and find out how it translates radio signals into motion.

By Jeff Tyson

Will we see robots with Transformers' capabilities during our lifetimes? Some existing robots have a lot in common with Transformers. Learn how.

ByTracy V. Wilson

We think of robots as modern inventions, or maybe even retro creations meant to realize futuristic visions. But automata go back – way back – into history.

ByNathan Chandler

Get ready to welcome your new robotic coworker. He's careful and friendly, and he's ready to learn. And he could revolutionize the manufacturing industry.

ByBernadette Johnson

A robot, at its simplest, is a machine that can perform tasks normally undertaken by people. But when 'bots are too similar to their human creators, they become unsettling. Why is that, exactly?

ByBernadette Johnson

Could a computer chip implanted in our brains make the necessity of actually learning anything, like a language, obsolete because knowledge will be available for streaming 24/7?

ByPatrick J. Kiger

Computer-generated artificial celebrities, created with cutting-edge technology, have become some of the hottest social media stars on the planet, selling everything from insurance to perfume.

ByPatrick J. Kiger

Is ChatGPT the end of education as we know it, or just the beginning?

ByJesslyn Shields

Maillardet汽车maton, built around 1800, can write poems and draw pictures and was a precursor to today's sophisticated robots.

ByPatrick J. Kiger

A new robot ant uses the same technology desert ants use to safely, efficiently navigate through the searing Saharan sun.

ByJesslyn Shields

The serpentine qualities of snakes are the inspiration for a new type of robotic, interplanetary probe. Find out how snakebots will explore other worlds.

By Kevin Bonsor

A female Android designed to look like a 20-something Korean woman is capable of making facial expressions and holding a simple conversation.

ByCameron Lawrence