Robots

For the first time, Israeli researchers have developed a system that lets a human use brain waves to control nanobots in a cockroach. How could that help your health?

By Patrick J. Kiger

Some "Star Wars" fans aren't content to just watch the movies. They have to bring the tech from the screen into the real world. Get the inside scoop on how creativity, ingenuity and dedication make fan-made droids come to life.

Whether they're adorable like ASIMO or creepy like the world's most lifelike androids, today's robots take on a range of shapes and sizes. But they're not all humanoid. This gallery also shows off a few that are inspired by the animal kingdom.

By HowStuffWorks.com Contributors

A female Android designed to look like a 20-something Korean woman is capable of making facial expressions and holding a simple conversation.

By Cameron Lawrence

It walks, it talks and it works as a receptionist. Honda engineers have been busy creating the ASIMO robot for more than 20 years, and it shows.

By Lee Ann Obringer & Jonathan Strickland

A robot and a human being are made up of the same basic components. And with each passing decade, robots become more lifelike. Find out how robots operate and the marvelous things they're already doing.

By Tom Harris & Chris Pollette

Artificial intelligence has advanced very quickly. Some believe that it's possible that machines will eventually be able to improve themselves. But could machines ever truly achieve consciousness?

By Jonathan Strickland

Robot armies could soon account for up to one third of all vehicles currently in service. Learn about robot armies and robot army development.

By Jonathan Strickland

Bots with a badge? Police robots are no longer the stuff of sci-fi movies like "RoboCop." Some cities are using robots to patrol beats, although they're more commonly used in dangerous scenarios.

By Jonathan Strickland

Radio controlled toys are as popular with adults as they are with kids. Get inside an RC truck and find out how it translates radio signals into motion.

By Jeff Tyson

Will we see robots with Transformers' capabilities during our lifetimes? Some existing robots have a lot in common with Transformers. Learn how.

By Tracy V. Wilson

It may seem like a strange idea, but one British researcher believes that by 2050, robots and humans will be able to marry legally in the United States. What social implications might this strange-sounding phenomenon have?

By Josh Clark

A Google engineer made headlines for claiming that an AI called LaMDA had become sentient or conscious. While many AI scientists disagreed, what would it take for an AI to ever become sentient?

By Chris Pollette

A hospital stay can be a stressful experience for anybody, and especially for a child. But a smiling new robot named Robin plays games, tells stories and comforts children in need of a friend.

By Jesslyn Shields

Computer-generated artificial celebrities, created with cutting-edge technology, have become some of the hottest social media stars on the planet, selling everything from insurance to perfume.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Could a computer chip implanted in our brains make the necessity of actually learning anything, like a language, obsolete because knowledge will be available for streaming 24/7?

By Patrick J. Kiger

Maillardet's Automaton, built around 1800, can write poems and draw pictures and was a precursor to today's sophisticated robots.

By Patrick J. Kiger

So you like to complain about your demonic boss, moronic co-workers and fancy company coffee machine that never, ever works? You need to zip it and meet these 10 hard-working bots. They could tell you stories.

By Robert Lamb

Get ready to welcome your new robotic coworker. He's careful and friendly, and he's ready to learn. And he could revolutionize the manufacturing industry.

By Bernadette Johnson

Many people worry that drones will invade their privacy, though experts say the fear is greater than the actual threat.

By Patrick J. Kiger

AI already can outperform humans in some narrow domains, but in the future AI may go inside the human brain to enhance intellectual capabilities, turning users into human-machine hybrids.

By Patrick J. Kiger

Well, heck yeah, we can, and we have. Let's take a look.

By Robert Lamb

With the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots heating up, we step back a few decades to look at the first human death by robot.

By Bryan Young

There's more to replacing human riders than just using cool tech, as the advancement helps solve a serious human rights issue.

By Chris Opfer

The android known as FEDOR used pistols to display its decision making and dexterity, officials said, not as a preview of robot warfare.

By Patrick J. Kiger