News
Montgomery Co. Department of Transportation scraps plan to use security robot in downtown Silver Spring
4+ hour, 32+ min ago (114+ words) Elia Griffin, Bethesda Today January 14, 2026, 6:47 PM The Montgomery County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) is scrapping a pilot program for a 420-pound robot on wheels that was introduced as a potential tool to help deter crime and surveil public parking garages,…...
Theme park-style exhibit booths transform CES into ‘Disneyland for techies’
3+ day, 10+ hour ago (446+ words) Steve Winter, WTOP contributor January 11, 2026, 8:18 AM After three full days of networking, deal-making and relationship building, why not spend your final hours at the Consumer Electronic Show enjoying yourself? Related stories At CES 2026, iMogul AI pitches a smarter path into…...
‘Worst in Show’ CES products include AI refrigerators, AI companions and AI doorbells
6+ day, 1+ hour ago (817+ words) January 8, 2026, 4:25 PM The promise of artificial intelligence was front and center at this year's CES gadget show. But spicing up a simple machine like a refrigerator with unnecessary AI was also a surefire way to win the "Worst in Show....
Tombot’s ‘Jennie’ puppy steals hearts at CES 2026 with real-world demos of robotic companionship
1+ week, 14+ hour ago (583+ words) Steve Winter, WTOP contributor January 7, 2026, 3:44 AM Amid the flashing lights and buzzing gadgets of CES 2026, robotic pets are making a big splash. From Ludens AI's fuzzy "Cocomo" duo that follow owners around the home, to the Vbot pup offering video…...
Hyundai and Boston Dynamics unveil humanoid robot Atlas at CES
1+ week, 2+ day ago (457+ words) January 5, 2026, 5:33 PM Hyundai-owned Boston Dynamics publicly demonstrated its humanoid robot Atlas for the first time Monday at the CES tech showcase, ratcheting up a competition with Tesla and other rivals to build robots that look like people and do things…...
Humanoid robots take center stage at Silicon Valley summit, but skepticism remains
2+ week, 2+ day ago (713+ words) WEATHER ALERT: There's a chance of flurries on New Year's Eve and by the time you ring in 2026, it'll be truly frigid in the D.C. area December 29, 2025, 10:15 AM But the commercial boom in artificial intelligence has lit a spark under long-simmering…...
Paraplegic engineer becomes the first wheelchair user to blast into space
3+ week, 4+ day ago (598+ words) December 20, 2025, 10:14 AM A paraplegic engineer from Germany blasted off on a dream-come-true rocket ride with five other passengers Saturday, leaving her wheelchair behind to float in space while beholding Earth from on high. Severely injured in a mountain bike accident…...
Musk the trillionaire? Debate over his Tesla pay package rages
2+ mon, 1+ week ago (892+ words) November 5, 2025, 1:36 PM Shareholders gathering Thursday for Tesla's annual meeting in Austin, Texas, will decide in a proxy vote whether to grant Musk, the company's CEO and already the richest person in the world, enough stock to potentially make him history's…...
How tiny drones inspired by bats could save lives in dark and stormy conditions
2+ mon, 2+ week ago (670+ words) October 30, 2025, 8:03 AM Instead, it's a testing ground for tiny drones that can be deployed in search and rescue missions even in dark, smoky or stormy conditions. "We all know that when there's an earthquake or a tsunami, the first thing…...
Can AI turn a robot dog into a first responder?
2+ mon, 3+ week ago (554+ words) October 20, 2025, 8:48 PM At a scene where there's more victims than medics, whether it's a crime scene, the scene of accident or on a battlefield, the future of that initial screening could be conducted by a robotic dog made by Boston…...