Is this the “new normal” or a temporary bump on the long road to material prosperity? EARLIER this week, the American Bureau of Labor Statistics said that labour productivity (output divided by hours worked) grew [...]

America is in trouble. Emerging economic powers China and India are heavily investing in educating the world’s future workers while we squabble about punishing teachers and coddling children. This week, the Center for American Progress [...]

“We’re on the cusp of completely changing manufacturing and distribution,” DRACHTEN, the Netherlands — At the Philips Electronics factory on the coast of China, hundreds of workers use their hands and specialized tools to assemble [...]

Tecnalia has committed itself to combining the intelligence of the human being with the characteristics of industrial robots   The first robots reached the world of industry over 60 years ago. Since then, for security reasons, [...]

Sights set on the current robotic world sailing record   The ASV Roboat was adapted from a 3.75 m (12 ft) Laerling keelboat, which was originally designed as a learner boat for children. For this [...]

As manufacturing goes digital, it will change out of all recognition, says Paul Markillie. And some of the business of making things will return to rich countries OUTSIDE THE SPRAWLING Frankfurt Messe, home of innumerable [...]

Currently, the degree is the only meaningful “unit” of education to which employers give any credence. Jailbreak verb. 1 To get out of a restricted mode of operation. 2 To enable use of a product [...]

The robotic future is here, and it looks nothing like we thought it would. Instead of humanoid, highly-intelligent robots that do our bidding, the future is increasingly one of robotic swarms, robotic quadrotors, and tiny [...]

In a community ants can solve complicated tasks On its own, an ant is not particularly clever. But in a community, the insects can solve complicated tasks. Researchers intend to put this swarm intelligence to [...]

Amazon’s New Robots Amazon’s acquisition of Kiva Systemsfor $775 million offers a clear (and rather obvious) signal into the present and future of warehouse and inventory management –that of increased automation. The robots manufactured by [...]

Can Radical Efficiency Revive U.S. Manufacturing? Both traditional and new U.S. industries will have to increase energy efficiency if the nation is to retain its global position as a leading manufacturer Industry has long formed [...]

Thousands of these robots are expected to be introduced in the U.S. In the next few years, tasks like delivering medication and food or transporting laundry and trash could be carried out by specially-developed “service [...]