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NASA's Astrobee cube robot completes first hardware tests in space
NASA just inched closer to having robots take care of spacecraft. The agency recently completed its first hardware checkouts for Bumble (above), one of three Astrobee robots that will research automated caretaking aboard the International Space Station. The bot won't float on its own until later in the spring, but it should be good to go -- including for automated recharging at its docking station, Kibo.
Learning and STEM toys we love
By Courtney Schley This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that supports its work. Read the full article here. We don't think there's a right or wrong way for kids to play. For this kid-oriented gift guide, we focused on open-ended games, kits, toys, and crafts that promote lifelong skills like critical thinking, problem solving, logic, and even coding. To choose from the hundreds of toys available, we spent more than 30 hours trying 35 recommendations from experts, educators, and parents, including a reporting trip to the Katherine Delmar Burke School's tinkering and technology lab in San Francisco. And, of course, we spent some time playing with our picks at home with our own kids.
'Kirobo, please stop talking and open the pod bay doors' (video)
Kirobo, the mini-robot / Japanese Space Agency marketer, has spoken his first words in space after being launched last month. The University of Tokyo and Toyota research project wished Earth "good morning" and mouthed other space platitudes from his perch at the International Space Station. The bot can also recognize voices and will converse with astronauts as part of his mission goals. Then, after he's lulled them into a false sense of security...
