Trending News in the Robotics Field for January 2023

What's happening in the robotics field for January 2023? Welcome to the 35th installment in our monthly series, What's Trending in Robotics News! We cover all the breaking news, hot issues, trending stories, and cool stuff that's happening — or has happened — in the robotics industry.

There were plenty of amazing things happening in the robotics industry throughout January. Let's see what caught our attention this month with the trending news in robotics for January 2023.

The Latest From Boston Dynamics

What would a month be without incredible updates from the wonder workers at Boston Dynamics? The robotic wizards earned a lot of attention this month for two very different aspects. First, from Futurism and YouTube, we have a rather amusing highlight (or lowlight) reel of bloopers from the Boston Dynamics favorites. It's good for a little robot-driven chuckle. More important for the future?

The new rollout of the "Atlas" robot from Boston Dynamics (as profiled in The Star and HypeBeast) can now assist in construction projects, giving a significant boost to these hard workers. Do you think we'll ever see a day in which the traditional lunchpail workers of the construction site give way to heaps of robots creating building after building? It's yet another example of robotics starting to move into some of the most traditional working fields out there. 

A Real-Life T-1000?

The liquified assassin robot called the "T-1000" from James Cameron's "Terminator 2" remains one of pop culture's most memorable (and terrifying) robotic creations. As profiled in New Scientist, ABC, Yahoo, and CNN, this type of robot can actually "melt" its way through tight places to get where it needs to go. Check out the video and article for a summary of the real-world applications; it's particularly intriguing as an option for critical surgery or repairs. Let's just hope we can control it when it needs to go after the future mother of the world resistance leader. 

The Highlights of CES 2023

Have you read our blog on the robotic highlights of 2023 yet? If not, check it out here. We cover everything, from the "Parky" EV robot to a "smart stroller" for new parents. It was an incredible show; take a look to see what's coming for the future! 

Quick Hits

• From EE News Europe: a "seed robot" flying by the power of wind and light. Sounds incredibly majestic. 

• Who is up for a Slurpee? From Petrol Plaza, here's a story about 7-11's delivery robots. 

• From the University of Illinois news service, check out these jumpin' beetle robots. 

• Insider has a video of a rockin' robot band covering some popular songs. 

What's to Come?

There is a lot of news out there, but these stories caught our eye this month. If we could give one big theme for the month, it would be "realization." This month, we see that the principles of one of robotics' most famous pop-culture creations - the T-1000 liquid robot - are now a reality in our lives. Granted, this type of reforming/liquefying robot is a ways away from the murderous, arm-knife-wielding Terminator of the early 1990s (thankfully). However, it is remarkable to step back and marvel at just how many science fiction things from 20th-century popular culture are now part of our everyday reality. Drones, advanced computing, artificial intelligence, flying cars, robots that build and work alongside us — everything people dreamed of and conjured up is now becoming possible. What's next?

The bottom line: robotics, as a whole, is on a roll. It applies to nearly every aspect of our lives and touches every element of our actions — from how we eat to where we will go as a species. Every month, it's a wonder to see where robotics has gone — and to imagine where the technology will go. 

One more thing, readers — if you know of anything we should add for the next edition, let us know! What caught your attention in the robotics world throughout January? Comment below, and we might feature it in our next issue!

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Picture credit : YouTube - Boston Dynamics / The Telegraph / Meropy