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Home and factory robots can be hacked to harm humans
Last month, cybersecurity firm IOActive let everyone know that Segway MiniPro hoverboards were vulnerable to hacks and outside control via their Bluetooth connections. Now it has revealed that industrial robots from Universal Robots and consumer models from Softbank Group and UBTech Robotics also have some troubling security flaws that can allow hackers to "modify safety settings, violating applicable safety laws and, consequently, causing physical harm to the robot's surroundings by moving it arbitrarily," according to a report published by the company today.
The Alpha 2 robot will dance its way into your house and your heart
The field of human-like household robots got a little more crowded today as Ubtech Robotics launched a crowdfunding campaign for its new Alpha 2 humanoid companion-bot. This diminutive domestic drone is designed on the same premise as today's smartphones -- that is, it offers a responsive, intuitive and attractive platform on which to build intelligent and useful functionality. As such, the Alpha 2 is fully programmable, operates on an open-source OS and offers cutting-edge sensory inputs including ultrasonic, touch and pressure sensors. And unlike Pepper and Buddy, Alpha 2 actually has legs. In fact, with more than 20 servos packed into its joints, this robot is surprisingly spry.
