There’s A Secret Military Airline Known As “Janet” (Cool Weird Awesome 1136)

At the airport in Las Vegas, there's a terminal you can't use to fly in and catch a Golden Knights game or drop by a casino. It's used only by one of the most out-of-sight airlines in the world, a secret airline known as "Janet."

By |2023-11-29T08:54:19-05:00November 29, 2023|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , |

Here’s A Robot That Can Roll Up And Down Stairs (Cool Weird Awesome 1116)

Today we’re looking at a robot that’s moving up in the world, because this robot, known as the Ascento Pro, can climb stairs.

By |2023-10-25T09:37:36-04:00October 25, 2023|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , |

A Medical Robot Can Help Steer A Needle Through Living Tissue (Cool Weird Awesome 1112)

It's a big and little development in medicine and technology all at once: a robotic system that can autonomously move a medical needle safely through living tissue. Plus: starting tomorrow in Grand Marais, Minnesota, it's the Moose Madness Family Festival.

By |2023-10-19T06:09:10-04:00October 19, 2023|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , |

Meet ESTHER, A Robot That Plays Wheelchair Tennis (Cool Weird Awesome 1005)

We’ve talked a lot on the show about the many different skills robots are learning. Now we can tell you about Experimental Sport Tennis Wheelchair Robot, which is learning to play tennis. 

By |2023-05-10T07:44:21-04:00May 9, 2023|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , |

For Self-Help Robots, Looks Matter (Cool Weird Awesome 976)

The University of Cambridge did a study about robotic wellbeing coaches. And it turns out that if we want robots to help us help ourselves… they need to be cute. 

By |2023-03-22T07:47:42-04:00March 22, 2023|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , |

How To Keep Flying Robots Flying Even When Their Wings Are Damaged (Cool Weird Awesome 972)

Drones are becoming increasingly useful, but they can get damaged and grounded pretty quickly. A team at MIT has found bee-inspired workarounds that would keep impaired robotic crafts flying.

By |2024-03-17T14:10:16-04:00March 17, 2023|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , |

Farming Robots Are Weeding The Fields With Lasers (Cool Weird Awesome 875)

If you have fields, you almost certainly have weeds. Pulling them can take a lot of time or money, but farmers now have a new way to make that part of the job a lot easier: a weed-zapping robot that uses lasers.

By |2022-10-27T06:45:50-04:00October 27, 2022|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , |

The Robot That Could Do Surgeries In Space (Cool Weird Awesome 837)

MIRA is a small robotic surgery system that's set for testing on the International Space Station - and could end up helping astronauts prepare for long-term missions to the Moon as part of the Artemis project.

By |2022-08-29T09:13:02-04:00August 29, 2022|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , |

Waiters In Paris Once Went On Strike Over Mustaches (Cool Weird Awesome 753)

This month in 1907 waiters in Paris went on strike. Yes, they wanted better pay and improved working conditions, but their most high profile demand: they wanted the right to grow mustaches.

By |2022-04-12T06:52:20-04:00April 12, 2022|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , |

This Worm-Shaped Pipe-Clearing Robot Could Be The Fatberg Fighter We Need (Cool Weird Awesome 738)

There really is a robot now called the Pipe-Worm. It's built to unclog pipes, and it does it by mimicking earthworms.

By |2022-03-22T09:26:52-04:00March 22, 2022|Categories: Cool Weird Awesome, Podcasts|Tags: , , , , , |
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