Trending News in the Robotics Field for October 2022

What's the trending news in the robotics field for October 2022? Welcome to the 33rd installment in our monthly series, ! 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 October. Let's see what caught our attention this month with the trending news in the robotics field for October 2022!

Yum, Marine Waste

Good news for our oceans. Per Sustainable Brands, there's now an aquatic robot (from Dutch startup RunMarine) called a "WasteShark" that makes a meal of plastic waste and biomass, helping to clean up nearby waters. Check out the article for an intriguing breakdown of how WasteShark works. Where would you like to see it deployed first? 

Who Needs Uber?

Here's something straight out of The Fifth Element: robot taxis are on the way, according to The Hill. This fascinating article details the efforts of Boeing-backed Wisk, a company paving the way for the future Ubers, Lyfts, and yellow cabs of the sky. Flying cars seem to be the totem of the future; just check out any sci-fi book from the 1950s. It will be fascinating to see the response when they're finally here. 

Iceberg, Right Ahead!

Maybe if this invention existed, Jack and Rose would still be together. Per WPRI, the University of Rhode Island researchers will use robots to get a very close look at icebergs and their composition - and, unfortunately, due to global warming, their dissolution rates. It's concerning to see how often robotics get deployed to chronicle the effects of climate change. At least it's optimistic to think they may be able to provide some solution in the future. 

Okay, Robots Aren't PERFECT...

Here's a fun story for the month, underscoring that robots aren't always perfect. This amusing Hackaday article details the foibles robots have with one of those annoying chores we all have to do: folding the laundry. Even the geniuses at Berkley are still only in the "demo" stage with their laundry-folding robot. Check out the article for a breakdown of the very much "in-progress" laundry folding robot, and know that that chore won't come off your list anytime soon. 

Quick Hits

• Per Shephard, robots are proving their worth as helpers in naval shipyards, doing everything from lifting platforms for visual inspections or removing rust and paint with existing tools (it's a real nautical theme this month).

• Check out this robotic falcon drone developed to help stop bird strikes from CNN.The drone patrols around airports, scaring birds away and helping to prevent bird-on-plane accidents (helping save plenty of bird lives, too). 

• From the Concord Monitor, take a look at robotic cow-milking technology (yes, really), helping the farmers with their labor (they can get up a whole hour later in the morning!) 

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 "oceans." We all know just how vital the oceans are to the future of our planet, and we all know just how endangered they are. However, it's great to see the big brains behind robotics work to create solutions for our big ocean problems. From "sharks" that clean up the seas to robots monitoring those disappearing icebergs or helping out in shipyards, robotics are helping to get our world's oceans in good shape for the years to come. 

The bottom line: robotics, as a whole, is on a roll. It's adapting to every aspect of our lives and touching every element of what we do, 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 in the future. 

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 October? Comment below, and we might feature it in our next issue!

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Picture Credit: RanMarine / Wisk Aero / R. F. Storms et al./J. R. Soc.