The doomsayers believe that humanity will be overwhelmed by creating machines that – like Terminator’s Skynet – become ever-more clever and reach a singularity. They’re wrong.
Robots clean rivers and sort waste, monitor ecosystems, and inspect renewable-energy infrastructure. But even the greenest robot has an environmental footprint.
EPFL engineers have designed acoustic cavities that convert sound waves into thrust, propelling small robots and ultralight aerial vehicles without on-board actuators or electronics.