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People Are Backflipping Off of Waymo’s Robotaxis

In a bizarre (or hilarious) late-night episode that underscored public unease with autonomous vehicles, several men climbed onto stalled Waymo robotaxis in San Francisco’s Marina District and began attacking them. They then started sitting and climbing on them and, at one point, began doing backflips off the driverless cars while a crowd cheered. City police eventually cleared the scene, but the incident highlights growing tensions over deployments of robotaxis in urban areas. So what happene

Tesla Makes a Huge Move to Appease Regulators

Tesla appears to be bending to the will of regulators. In a visible sign of its shifting posture from daredevil innovation to cautious compliance, Tesla this week relocated its robotaxi safety monitors, employees who supervise the autonomous software’s performance and can take over the vehicle’s operation at any moment, from the passenger seat to the driver’s seat. Tesla’s Robotaxi service represents one of the company’s most ambitious and long-delayed projects. First teased by Chief Executiv

IFA 2025 Highlight: MAMMOTION’s Tri-Fusion Positioning System takes its robot lawn mowers to the next level

Stephen Schenck / Android Authority Robot mowers may seem like a niche product, but the amount of time you save and the physical labor you avoid from not having to mow your own lawn can’t be stated enough. It started with low-powered devices that would get stuck on slopes and required physical boundaries that were difficult to install. But these robots have evolved exponentially since, with current generation robot mowers able to navigate using virtual boundaries and handle different types of t

People Are Back-Flipping Off of Waymo’s Robotaxis

In a bizarre (or hilarious) late-night episode that underscored public unease with autonomous vehicles, several men climbed onto stalled Waymo robotaxis in San Francisco’s Marina District and began attacking them. They then started sitting and climbing on them, and are one point began doing back flips off the driverless cars while a crowd cheered. City police eventually cleared the scene, but the incident highlights growing tensions over deployments of robotaxis in urban areas. So what happen

How to Build a High-Performance UR5 Inverse Kinematics Solver with IK-Geo

Hiring? I'm a robotics Ph.D. open to full-time or consulting roles. Contact me. How to Build a High-Performance UR5 Inverse Kinematics Solver With IK-Geo August 27, 2025 Inverse kinematics (IK) is a fundamental problem for robot arms: What joint angles achieve a desired hand pose? UR5e robot following a straight line with all 8 IK solutions. The best choice of IK solution may depend on joint limits, singularities, collision avoidance, or dynamic performance. IK remains a challenge for many p

Topics: ik joint p_ r_ robot

Apple has reportedly launched an AI chatbot, but it's not for the iPhone 17 (or you)

Jason Hiner/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways Apple has reportedly launched an AI chatbot for its retail staff. Asa is intended to be an automated digital sales assistant. The chatbot arrives just weeks before the launch of iPhone 17. Apple has reportedly launched a new AI chatbot -- for its employees, not for its customers. Nicknamed Asa, the chatbot is designed to serve as an automated digital assistant for the company's retail staff, maki

Roborock’s New Lineup at IFA 2025 Includes Its First Robot Lawnmowers, an Ultra-Thin Robot Vacuum and More

Roborock is one of the better-known companies if you’re looking to buy a robot vacuum. Options range from the capable Qrevo Curv to the innovative Saros Z70, which comes with a mechanical arm and a handsome price to match. So it shouldn’t be a surprise to hear that Roborock is entering the robot lawn mower market, a category we test that’s dominated by companies like Husqvarna, Eufy, Sunseeker, and others. There’s also a new set of stick vacuums, an ultra-thin robot vacuum and a self-santizing

Elon Musk's New Robot Demo Is Astonishingly Bad

Hot off of proudly announcing that he had replaced 4,000 people with AI at his company, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff posted a video of Tesla's humanoid robot, Optimus, calling it a "productivity game-changer." However, going by the 52-second clip, the carmaker has a long way to go until it can successfully have AI-powered bipedal robots replace human jobs. Is this really what will make up a whopping 80 percent of Tesla's value, as Tesla CEO Elon Musk promised in a tweet earlier this week? In an

Finally, You Can Cuddle With a Cute Camera-Clad AI Robot That Feels Jealousy

Lots of people had stuffed animals when they were little. My personal favorite was a teddy bear in army fatigues, named—you guessed it—Army Bear. Fidel Castro was already taken, unfortunately. As much as I loved Army Bear, I remember thinking, “This would be so much more adorable with an on-device LLM designed to understand cloud-free natural language prompts and enable object recognition via computer vision.” And finally, almost 30 years later, SwitchBot has answered my very real and not-at-all

The Dreame X50 Didn’t Just Mop My Floors -- It Outsmarted My Furniture

CNET's key takeaways No robot vacuum has truly solved the challenge of multilevel cleaning without requiring you to physically move it between floors. This robo-vac can do it, for the high-end price of $1,700. You won't find another robot vacuum with its features for less than $1,000 right now. The whole point of owning a robot vacuum is so you don't have to do the cleaning yourself. But that was never the case at my house -- partly because of what I call my "Ikea chair challenge." I've seen

Eufy Just Launched an Autonomous Shell That Carries Robot Vacuums Up Stairs

Stairs are the enemy of robot vacuums. There isn’t currently a single robot vacuum on the market that can climb a flight of stairs without human assistance. Even the best robot vacuums we recommend for their ability to cross obstacles, like the Dreame X50 Ultra and Roborock Saros Z70, can only handle thresholds between two and three inches. Eufy’s Marswalker may be the first robot vacuum to truly be able to tackle this problem. It’s a robot vacuum that looks a bit like a wheeled Mars rover with

Google's new Androidify app turns you into an adorable green robot - try it for free

Androidify / ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways The Androidify app lets you customize your own Android bot. You can use a photo or enter a text prompt. There's an app and a browser version of the tool. If you're an Android die-hard, Google is giving you a fun new way to express your fandom. For more than 15 years, a small green robot (a.k.a. Bugdroid) has been the official mascot of the Android operating system. Several versions of the mascot

Google's new Androidify app turns you into an adorable Android bot - try it for free

Androidify / ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways The Androidify app lets you customize your own Android bot. You can use a photo or enter a text prompt. There's an app and a browser version of the tool. If you're an Android die-hard, Google is giving you a fun new way to express your fandom. For more than 15 years, a small green robot (a.k.a. Bugdroid) has been the official mascot of the Android operating system. Several versions of the mascot

Roborock's new weed-killing robot mowers will save your back (and time)

Maria Diaz/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's takeaways Roborock has introduced its first robot lawnmowers. Three models will be available, each with a different purpose. The company hasn't revealed pricing or release date yet. Roborock is headed outdoors. The company best known for its robot vacuum cleaners (including the recent viral one with a mechanical arm that picks up small objects) has unveiled its first robot lawnmower. In an announcement today

AI logistics startup Augment, from Deliverr’s founder, raises massive $85M Series A

Having built and sold e-commerce shipping startup Deliverr to Shopify for $2.1 billion in 2022, co-founder and CEO Harish Abbott knows the logistics industry well. Abbott felt that many manual tasks in logistics could be automated using AI. That’s why last year he launched Augment which offers an AI assistant called ‘Augie’ that can take over tedious and repetitive work performed by freight shippers, carriers and brokers. On Thursday, Augment announced that it raised an $85 million Series A le

A high schooler writes about AI tools in the classroom

AI has transformed my experience of education. I am a senior at a public high school in New York, and these tools are everywhere. I do not want to use them in the way I see other kids my age using them—I generally choose not to—but they are inescapable. During a lesson on the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, I watched a classmate discreetly shift in their seat, prop their laptop up on a crossed leg, and highlight the entirety of the chapter under discussion. In seconds, they had pul

This New Ecovacs Robot Vac Uses AI for Something Useful, but It Doesn’t Come Cheap

AI is in seemingly every new technology product at IFA 2025. Just look at the Ecovacs Deebot X11 OmniCyclone, a new Matter-compatible robot vacuum that uses AI to automatically adjust its cleaning schedule to suit you. The cleaning bot also has more robotics packed into it, with a sticky-outy bit for better edge cleaning, and it can climb low transitions. And it’s available in the U.S. today for a collar-tugging $1,499.99 ($1,299.99 if you buy it in the next 10 days as of this writing). Ecovacs

Sequoia’s Roelof Botha joins TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 for a 20th anniversary conversation on the future of venture

We’re excited to announce that Roelof Botha, managing partner of Sequoia Capital and one of the most influential voices in venture capital, will join us live onstage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, taking place October 27–29 at Moscone West in San Francisco. For more than two decades, Botha has helped shape some of the world’s most iconic companies — and his perspective has never been more important. Why this session matters The venture ecosystem is in flux: Venture firms are evolving into broad

Anyone can now download Tesla's iOS Robotaxi app, but there's still a waitlist

Tesla has made its iOS Robotaxi app available for all iPhone users to download as it expands service beyond a group of early access users for the first time. Beyond the current lack of an Android app (Tesla says one is on the way), there are a couple of things to bear in mind here. The company's proper robotaxis are currently only available in Austin, Texas. There's also a waitlist, so you won't be able to book a ride immediately. That said, it might not take folks on the waitlist too long to g

Eufy’s Got a Little Stair-Climbing Mech Suit for Its Robot Vacuums

Robot vacuums that can climb stairs are now officially a thing if IFA 2025 is any indication. At the Berlin tech show, Eufy announced the MarsWalker, a dang stair-climbing mech suit that your robot vacuum can wear. And Eufy plans to release it in the spring of next year, with pricing to be announced later. Robot vacuum owners have been waiting years for a couple of things: a robot that actually does what you want with no compromises (we’re not there yet) and the ability for them to actually get

Want to Try Tesla's Robotaxis? Testing Is Now Open to All, Alongside Dedicated App

After a couple of months of testing its Robotaxi service with invited members, Tesla is beginning to open the doors to its Robotaxi program. The electric car maker's newly launched iOS app is now live, signaling the start of a wider public beta -- though it's not quite a free-for-all just yet. You'll still need to join a waitlist, but the service is now open beyond the Tesla-focused influencers who were previously invited. This move is Tesla's biggest yet in its driverless mission, and it comes

SwitchBot has ambitions to be the AI that powers your smart home

is a senior reviewer focused on smart home and connected tech, with over twenty years of experience. She has written previously for Wirecutter, Wired, Dwell, BBC, and US News. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. AI could bring the smart home closer to the Star Trek dream: a central “computer” that runs your home. At IFA this week, SwitchBot — best known for its button-pushing robots — is debuting a product that lays the groundwork for at leas

SwitchBot launches three AI-powered smart home products — including a pair of robots

is a senior reviewer focused on smart home and connected tech, with over twenty years of experience. She has written previously for Wirecutter, Wired, Dwell, BBC, and US News. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. It was inevitable that AI would be everywhere at IFA this year, but the smart home is where we’re really seeing action. SwitchBot, known for its quirky and clever home gadgets, launched three new AI-powered products this week: a smart

GaN fast charging is now coming to your…robot vacuum cleaner?

TL;DR ECOVACS has launched the DEEBOT X11 at IFA 2025, featuring GaN fast charging technology for reduced downtime. It has an improved mopping system, a new climbing system, and an on-device AI assistant. This new robot vacuum cleaner is available for $1,499.99 from Amazon and other retailers. A high-quality, top-tier robot vacuum cleaner is one of the best upgrades you can make to your house. It dramatically simplifies cleaning routines while saving you a lot of time and effort. But not ever

Musk Stakes Tesla Future on One Major Gamble

In a striking shift of narrative, Elon Musk has declared that Tesla’s future valuation will derive 80% from its Optimus humanoid robots, not its electric vehicle business. This declaration, made in tandem with the release of Tesla’s “Master Plan Part IV,” shifts the spotlight firmly to robotics and AI as the company’s aspirational core. Optimus has morphed from a speculative experiment into Tesla’s defining strategic centerpiece. Musk envisions deploying “thousands” of robots in factories by y

Best Stand-Up Paddleboards for 2025

A great paddleboard should have these three qualities: stability, maneuverability and durability. On top of that, most people also look for a good return on their investment. The Breeze Aero from Bote checks a ton of boxes for what your average paddler wants in a new, quality SUP. Not to mention, it's one good-looking board. The Bote Breeze Aero provides balance, speed, durability and maneuverability all in one SUP package. Speaking of packages, you also get additional gear with the board, like

Roborock’s Washer and Dryer Combo Also Doubles as a Robot Vacuum Dock

Roborock’s big product announcement at IFA 2025 is something I don’t think anybody saw coming: a combo washer and dryer with a secret compartment for robot vacuums. Called the 4-in-1 Household Cleaning Combo for now, it has no price and no release date, but it might be one of my favorite ideas on the show floor so far. The washer and dryer is essentially the Roborock Zeo One, which the company also showed off at the Berlin technology show. It’s a smart washer and dryer with a glossy glass front

Eufy’s Marswalker Is the First Robot Vacuum Designed to Climb a Full Flight of Stairs

Stairs are the enemy of robot vacuums everywhere. There isn’t currently a single robot vacuum on the market that can climb a flight of stairs without human assistance. Even the best robot vacuums we recommend for their ability to cross obstacles, like the Dreame X50 Ultra and Roborock Saros Z70, can only handle thresholds between two and three inches. Eufy’s Marswalker may be the first robot vacuum to truly be able to tackle this problem. It’s a robot vacuum that looks a bit like a wheeled Mars

Roborock graduates from vacuuming your house to mowing your lawn

is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. Roborock, a company best known for its robovacs, is entering a new product category: robot lawnmowers. During the IFA 2025 tech conference, Roborock took the wraps off a trio of robot mowers, with its premium RockMow Z1 featuring an all-wheel drive system to han

Google’s new Androidify app has helped create my favorite social media avatar yet

Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority Google relaunched the Androidify app today, bringing back a beloved tool for generating social media avatars. The original app was popular for a time but was eventually retired as the classic bugdroid design grew dated. After Google’s new 3D ‘Bot’ design breathed new life into the Android mascot, fans wondered when they could create the same custom designs used by some Googlers. The new Androidify app lets you do just that, creating a fully personalized Bot fr