The European Parliament this month voted in favour of a resolution to create an ethical legal framework for robots. The Commission does not have to follow the parliament’s recommendations, but if it refuses it will have to explain why.
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.