Already many of us have multiple electronic devices on our person and this will only increase in the coming years as the internet-of-things comes to fruition. Cell phones, smart watches, computerized eyewear, and health monitors will all need to communicate with one another to realize their full potential. Currently, Bluetooth is the standard means by which this is achieved, but it is highly energy-inefficient. Now scientists have demonstrated a new way for these devices to share information – by sending magnetic signals through the human body itself.
Many tasks that fall under the banner of ‘common sense’ for a human can require hours of explicit programming for a robot. For this reason, engineers are hard at work developing robots that can be taught through experience and observation. Their first order of business? A robot that can make pancakes and pizza. Sounds like these researchers have got their priorities in order.
