Does anyone doubt that it really is just a matter of time before human assembly line workers are a thing of the past? And automakers are doing their best to gain a competitive edge by roboticizing their manufacturing plants. Here’s a glimpse of some of the robots that have recently stepped onto the assembly line floor.

When Ford’s 2013 Escape hits the road later this year, it’s a safe bet that no one will notice just how precisely it’s parts are put together, compared to past models. The improved … Read More → "Better, faster, and cheaper – these robots are invading car manufacturing plants"

If you read our interview with ARM co-founder John Biggs, you know the company behind the processor in most smartphones had quite modest beginnings, what with an office in a barn and all. But Biggs is only part of the story, and Reghardware fleshes the rest out with a two-part series on the “unsung heroes … Read More → "Series revisits ARM’s humble beginnings, BBC Micro and all"

Just because a piece of furniture is beautiful doesn’t mean it just has to sit there as a piece of eye candy. Martin Ballendat’s P@d lounge chair would look right at home alongside a modern living room set, while it hides a secret set of fold-out trays strong enough to support a laptop.
via < … Read More → "Lounge chair ingeniously hides a workspace in its arms"

If you had a machine that could print complex mechanical parts in an hour or so, what would you do? [Chris] is doing the coolest thing we can imagine and is building an electromechanical computer from 3D printed parts.
via Hack A Day

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A new report published in The Journal of Royal Society’s Interface has confirmed that the first assassinated man in history was killed by an arrow, shot into his back, 5,300 years ago. According to the paper’s lead author Albert Zink:

The fact that we found some of the fibrin [a protein that is part of the blood clotting process] … Read More → "The first assassinated man in history was killed by an arrow 5300 years ago"

There are few things we love more than photos of things being blown up. Fortunately there seems to be no shortage of artists who like blowing things up and capturing the moment in unique ways. This particular gallery shows a bunch of regular objects captured at the moment of explosion in lush, saturated color.
via Read More → "Regular stuff made ridiculously cool by being blown up"

The Boeing/Bigelow CST-100 test article being prepared for its drop test from a helicopter. Photo: Boeing

Before you go to space, you have to drop from a helicopter. At least that’s the method Boeing is using to test its new Crew Space Transportation spacecraft over the Nevada desert this week. The aerospace giant is building the capsule as … Read More → "Boeing performs drop test of its new space capsule"

Over seven years into its (originally) 90-day mission, the Mars rover Opportunity arrived at the rim of Endeavour Crater. While the crater itself was formed from an ancient meteorite impact, the rocks at its rim show signs of a watery past. Chemical analysis found deposits typical of hydrothermal vents on Earth, along with features usually associated with evaporation. Together, these pieces of evidence suggest warm, shallow … Read More → "Mars Opportunity rover reaches Endeavour crater, finds signs of ancient Martian water"

The Tesla Roadster was a total game changer when it was introduced a few years ago, but now its crown as the world’s sexiest electric car is about to be snatched by a million-dollar upstart from Croatia, which boasts some insane performance to boot.

Croatia isn’t the first country that pops into my head when I think of supercars. The last vehicle I remember coming from … Read More → "Electric supercar from Croatia makes your Tesla look kind of slow"