Robohub.org
c-Politics-Law-Society
Drone journalism: Is Canada ready? | CBC’s The Current
Hallie Siegel
25 Feb 2014
Drones are going from making the news for deadly aerial bombings to gathering the news - aerial vehicles equipped with cameras have flown over disasters - in the pursuit of a story. Today, we hear fro...
Big deals: What it means to have the giants investing in robotics
Hallie Siegel
12 Feb 2014
If the world outside the robotics community didn't know about Boston Dynamics, Kiva and Nest, they do now. Recent robotics acquisitions and investments by major-league players like Google, Apple a...
Automation, not domination: How robots will take over our world
The first question people tend to ask when they find out you are a roboticist is, “When are robots going to take over the world and become our masters?” The answer to this question is a big “Ne...
The fate of jobs in relation to robotics is confusing
Frank Tobe
10 Feb 2014
Will a robot take your job? Will a higher minimum wage cause job destruction? Or is it all media hype? What's the truth?...
What’s hidden among the Internet of Things? | CBC Radio, The Current
Hallie Siegel
22 Jan 2014
Last week,Google bought Nest, a maker of smart thermostats and smoke detectors, for more than 3-Billion-dollars. Days before that, Google was found in violation of Canada's privacy laws. And its mov...
If you could enhance yourself with some robotic accessory or implant, what would it be?
RBI Editors
15 Jan 2014
cy·borg - ˈsīˌbôrg/ - noun
a fictional or hypothetical person whose physical abilities are extended beyond normal human limitations by mechanical elements built into the bod...
AJung Moon on “If you could enhance yourself by some robotic accessory or implant, what would it be?”
AJung Moon
15 Jan 2014
As a researcher in robotics, I tend to cringe whenever someone asks how long it will take until people start to see terminator-like robots on the streets. It’s a fun question to think about, but it ...
What were the top stories in robotics from 2013?
RBI Editors
11 Dec 2013
2013 is drawing to a close, and what a year it's been — not just for robotics news, but robotics-in-the-news too … this year has probably seen more news about robotics in the mainstream press than...
AJung Moon on “What were the top stories in robotics from 2013?”
AJung Moon
11 Dec 2013
2013 was a year filled with talk of drones.
I’m not saying this just because I’m biased by the recent news reporting on how large companies (Amazon, DHL, and UPS to be exact) are exploring t...
Working with EOD Personnel, with Julie Carpenter
AJung Moon
29 Nov 2013
Link to audio file (34:30)
In this episode, AJung Moon talks to Julie Carpenter, a recent graduate of the University of Washington who interviewed 23 U.S. Military Explosive Ordnance Disposal person...
Ethical robots: Some technical and ethical challenges
Alan Winfield
19 Nov 2013
I've been talking about robot ethics for several years now, but that's mostly been about how we roboticists must be responsible and mindful of the societal impact of our creations. Two years ago I w...
How drones will change your life | CNN
CIS Blog
11 Nov 2013
While it may seem that drones are set to take over our lives, the reality is a bit more complicated. Drone usage around the world is definitely picking up in the public sector, but when it comes to co...
Legal issues with robots | Communications of the ACM
CIS Blog
11 Nov 2013
There is no question that robotic technology is making life easier, safer, or more convenient for human beings. Despite these benefits, concerns remain about what happens when robotic technology fails...
#Robotsandyou: Help drive the discussion on the ethics of cognitive systems and robotics
Ron Chrisley
11 Oct 2013
On the 23 and 24th of October researchers in cognitive systems will meet in Brighton to discuss the social and ethical implications of their work. The conference is organized by EUCognition, the Europ...
Robots: Their rights and legal status | Australian Broadcasting Corporation
CIS Blog
08 Oct 2013
It might seem far-fetched at this stage, but robot ethics and the law is a growing field of study. It’s about their rights, it’s about our ethics and it’s also about liability.
Listen to the fu...
Why tech’s hottest companies want to hire more female engineers | TechCrunch
Andra Keay
08 Oct 2013
Judging by the job fair section at the annual Grace Hopper Celebration of women in computing held this past week in Minneapolis, it was very clear that all the hottest companies in tech are working as...
Don’t blame technology for persistent unemployment | Slate
John Payne
06 Oct 2013
Posting on the Slate blog Future Tense, James Bessen takes issue with the notion that technology causes unemployment, illustrating his point by debunking a pair of frequently cited examples, textile w...
NASA closes most of its doors due to US Congress shutdown, but Jet Propulsion Lab continues operating
Hallie Siegel
02 Oct 2013
We had hoped to be sharing highlights with you this week from NASA's Asteroid Initiative Idea Synthesis Workshop, which was scheduled to run this September 30 to October 2 at the Lunar Planetary Ins...
Call for papers: We Robot 2014
Robohub Editors
27 Sep 2013
We Robot 2014 - Conference on Legal and Policy Issues Relating to Robotics
University of Miami Law School, Coral Gables, FL
April 4-5, 2014
Submission/Registration Deadline: November 4, 2013...
Who gets a ticket when there’s no one behind the wheel? | Marketplace
CIS Blog
28 Aug 2013
Bryant Walker Smith, fellow at the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School, discusses the new legal issues presented by having cars with no drivers.
See more: Marketplace...
What does the UK public think about robots? Sciencewise wants to know
Toby Shannon
27 Aug 2013
What does the UK public want from robotics research? What are their hopes and fears? In order to discover more about what British citizens think about robotics and other key areas of technology, Sci...
The scourge of the RoboTroll is already upon us
Alan Winfield
22 Aug 2013
When a robot ethics working group met nearly three years ago one of the things we fretted about was privacy. We were concerned especially about personal companion robots. Whatever their purpose, be it...
Open season on drones? Town split over licenses to hunt unmanned aircraft
CIS Blog
21 Aug 2013
A town called Deer Trail, located an hour east of Denver, Colo., is considering issuing a novel kind of hunting permit. If passed, the town would give residents licenses to "kill" drones ... by shooti...
The right way to regulate drone privacy
Robert Morris
19 Aug 2013
On August 6th, I had the honor of testifying in front of the California State Assembly Public Safety Committee on regulation of drones, by the state of California. The committee is considering seve...
Trolling Effects | TechDirt
John Payne
16 Aug 2013
While in the robotics industry patent litigation hasn't yet become the gigantic headache it is in consumer electronics, that potential exists. Perhaps early attention, with an eye to just how bad the ...
Six questions states need to ask about self-driving cars | Governing
CIS Blog
13 Aug 2013
A growing number of states are taking up legislation that addresses self-driving vehicles in an effort to make it easier for researchers to explore the technology.
But most of the legislation deals...
White House hosts Google+ Hangout; NASDAQ gets new ETF targeting robotics and automation
Frank Tobe
10 Aug 2013
... Leading roboticists talked about their recent projects and what inspired them to become involved with robotics at a White House hosted Google+ Hangout Friday. The event was covered by many media i...
Major players in robotics join Whitehouse hangout
Sabine Hauert
09 Aug 2013
Major players in robotics joined the Whitehouse's "We the Geeks" Google+ hangout series to discuss the positive impact of robots in the future....
When terrible engineers are good
Andra Keay
06 Aug 2013
A recent post "I need terrible female engineers" on Medium by Amy Nguyen describes her feelings as a female engineer; feeling that technical women are expected to be super humanly perfect - like Summe...
Delivered by drones: Are Tacocopters and Burrito Bombers the next Pony Express? | Slate
CIS Blog
06 Aug 2013
The drones are coming! The drones are coming! But this time they’re not armed with hellfire missiles. These drones are packing a new kind of heat: steaming pizzas, fresh tacos, and cold beer.
...
The ethics of saving lives with autonomous cars are far murkier than you think | Wired
CIS Blog
30 Jul 2013
If you don’t listen to Google’s robot car, it will yell at you. I’m not kidding: I learned that on my test-drive at a Stanford conference on vehicle automation a couple weeks ago. The ...
Long view required to keep economic policy in step with developments in robotics
Frank Tobe
16 Jul 2013
Policy is really about long-term thinking — a process we should do but don't do for various reasons. Though China is a notable exception, very few governments make long-term planning a priority.
...
What do policy-makers need to do to keep pace with economic development in robotics?
RBI Editors
15 Jul 2013
Economic policy may not jump to mind as a hot topic for roboticists, but it is a fundamental and influential driver behind the failure or success of the robotics community as a whole. After all, econo...
Oxford Martin School founder and GF2045 keynote speaker James Martin dies
Frank Tobe
29 Jun 2013
... At Global Future 2045, in NYC, June 15-16, the keynote speaker represented rampant technological change as both a problem and a benefit, and it needed to be addressed as such. He died on June 24....
Ethical, social and legal issues, with Pericle Salvini
Per Sjöborg
19 Apr 2013
Link to audio file (33:23)
In this episode, Per talks to Pericle Salvini from Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna about his work with social, ethical and legal issues in robotics. He tells us about the Robola...
