What is a robot? - New Scientist
The word “robot” was coined by the Czech writer Karel Čapek in a 1920 play called Rossum’s Universal Robots, and is derived from the Czech robota, meaning “drudgery” or “servitude”.
The 25 best fictional robots – according to New Scientist
Jul 23, 2025 · Comment The 25 best fictional robots – according to New Scientist From R2D2 to the Terminator via Bender and Johnny-5, we choose our favourite robots from books, films …
Humanoid robot learns to waltz by mirroring people's movements
Jan 16, 2025 · An AI that helps humanoid robots mirror a person’s movement could allow robots to walk, dance and fight in more convincingly human ways. The most agile and fluid robotic …
Surgical robots take step towards fully autonomous operations
Jul 9, 2025 · Technology Surgical robots take step towards fully autonomous operations An AI system trained on videos of operations successfully guided a robot to carry out gall bladder …
Robotic pigeon reveals how birds fly without a vertical tail fin
Nov 20, 2024 · A pigeon-inspired robot has solved the mystery of how birds fly without the vertical tail fins that human-designed aircraft rely on. Its makers say the prototype could eventually …
This robot can build anything you ask for out of blocks
Nov 12, 2024 · A robot that can create simple objects from reusable building blocks based on spoken commands could one day be used to quickly build furniture. Artificial intelligence …
The two standout science-fiction films of 2025 | New Scientist
Dec 3, 2025 · Comment The two standout science-fiction films of 2025 From Mickey 17 and M3gan 2.0 to a musical about the end of the world, this was an eclectic year for science-fiction …
Delicate robot hands know just how hard to squeeze
Jan 2, 2025 · Technology Delicate robot hands know just how hard to squeeze A robotic hand uses fingertip sensors and AI to determine how firmly to grip before closing in on an object, …
Tiny insect-like robot can flip, loop and hover for up to 15 minutes
Jan 17, 2025 · An insect-inspired robot that only weighs as much as a raisin can perform acrobatics and fly for much longer than any previous insect-sized drone without falling apart. …
Fictional female robots have a long history, and it's often quite dark
Jul 23, 2025 · Comment Fictional female robots have a long history, and it's often quite dark Sierra Greer's novel about a female robot, Annie Bot, just won a prestigious sci-fi prize, the …