Even in an age when serious talk of killer robots is reaching as high as the United Nations, there are counter arguments and enthusiasts: Japan has just set up an organization promoting robots, and it promises to transform the world.
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.