A robot for an MP – who’d vote for that? Shutterstock/Mombo

Can we replace politicians with robots?

If a machine can write a speech for a politician, why not go the next step and replace the elected human with a programmed robot?
Drone racing can be done indoors or out, as long as there are obstacles that make the course interesting. Porco 777

Explainer: what is FPV drone racing?

There’s a new sport in the making, with enthusiasts racing tiny drones through obstacle courses while wearing 3D goggles.
It takes time for a human to become good at diagnosing ailments, but that learning is lost when they retire. Shutterstock/Poprotskiy Alexey

Digital diagnosis: intelligent machines do a better job than humans

Humans can only do so much when it comes to diagnosing what’s wrong with a patient. So why not let machines take over? They learn faster than humans and never retire.
Disney’s WALL.E needed to see all the rubbish on Earth so it could clean it up. AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy

How do robots ‘see’ the world?

Robots that can learn to ‘see’ the world around them – and share their learning with other robots – will lead the next revolution in robotics.
Have questions about robots and artificial intelligence? Shutterstock

Your questions answered on artificial intelligence

Is genuine artificial consciousness possible? Should we protect jobs from automation? Your questions on AI and robots answered here.
We’ve all met the angry driver – but how should a driver-less car react to such behaviour? shalunts

What happens when a self‑driving car meets a road rage driver?

Driverless cars could soon be cruising Australian roads if South Australia gives the go-ahead to reforms to its road legislation. The technology promises to increase safety on our roads, but what happens…
If you get lost in the bush, you might be found by a flying robot, such as this one. UAV Challenge

Robots in the skies: how Outback Joe was found and rescued

Lost and thirsty in the Australian bush, Outback Joe waited eight years. And finally, in September this year, he was found – by a flying robot. Outback Joe is not a real person, but for a week each September…
A co-pilot on Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo (seen here in 2010) died after the spacecraft crashed in the Mojave desert. EPA/Mark Greenberg/Virgin Galactic

SpaceShipTwo cost a life, so why do we still use human test pilots?

Tragically, the experimental spaceplane SpaceShipTwo crashed in the Mojave desert during a test flight on Friday, killing one pilot and injuring another. It is not clear what went wrong, and the coming…
A display of the final Zebedee 3D map of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. CSIRO

Lean on me: Australian inventors help map Pisa tower

Scientists have used a hand-held 3D laser scanner to map the hard-to-reach nooks and crannies of Italy’s Leaning Tower of Pisa, documenting vital information needed to repair the iconic building if it…
Changes in the environment will be easier to automatically detect using new 3D mapping technology. JasonDGreat

Scanning for suspicious packages just got easier

Suspicious packages and public spaces go together like, well, like suspicious packages and public spaces. Sadly, they’re something we all know about, get warned about and, increasingly, have to worry about…

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