“iRobot wants to do away with the annoying edge wire that most lawn mower robots use, but their wireless beacon proposal has angered radio astronomers.”
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.