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An edited collection of advanced computing news from Communications of the ACM, ACM TechNews, other ACM resources, and news sites around the Web.


Drone Exemptions For Hollywood Pave the Way For Widespread ­se
From ACM News

Drone Exemptions For Hollywood Pave the Way For Widespread ­se

The commercial use of drones in American skies took a leap forward on Thursday with the help of Hollywood. The Federal Aviation Administration said six companies...

'dr. Fill' Vies For Crossword Solving Supremacy, but Still Comes ­p Short
From ACM TechNews

'dr. Fill' Vies For Crossword Solving Supremacy, but Still Comes ­p Short

Computers have long been able to beat even the best human opponents at games such as chess, but humans remain dominant when it comes to the crossword puzzle.

Robotic Fabric Could Bring 'active Clothing,' Wearable Robots
From ACM TechNews

Robotic Fabric Could Bring 'active Clothing,' Wearable Robots

Purdue University researchers are developing a robotic fabric that moves and contracts and is embedded with sensors. The researchers say the fabric could be used...

Tiny Robot Learns to Fly a Real Plane
From ACM News

Tiny Robot Learns to Fly a Real Plane

A small, hobby-sized robot could herald the pilot of the future.

Fingertip Sensor Gives Robot ­nprecedented Dexterity
From ACM TechNews

Fingertip Sensor Gives Robot ­nprecedented Dexterity

Researchers have developed a robot equipped with tactile sensors that enable it to grasp a USB cable draped over a hook and insert it into a USB port. 

Victoria Team Defends Title With Speedy Robot
From ACM TechNews

Victoria Team Defends Title With Speedy Robot

Victoria University of Wellington students will travel to Sydney, Australia, to defend their title at the Australasian National Instruments Autonomous Robotics...

New Rfid Technology Helps Robots Find Household Objects
From ACM News

New Rfid Technology Helps Robots Find Household Objects

Mobile robots could be much more useful in homes, if they could locate people, places and objects.

Robots That Learn Through Repetition, Not Programming
From ACM News

Robots That Learn Through Repetition, Not Programming

Eugene Izhikevich thinks you shouldn't have to write code in order to teach robots new tricks.

New Smartphone App Gives Sight to the Blind
From ACM Careers

New Smartphone App Gives Sight to the Blind

Jonathan Mosen, who has been blind since birth, spent his evening snapping photos of packages in the mail, his son's school report and labels on bottles in the...

Virginia Tech Researchers Devise Traffic App to Rival Weather Apps
From ACM TechNews

Virginia Tech Researchers Devise Traffic App to Rival Weather Apps

Researchers are developing a cloud-based application that will use real-time information and historical data to predict when and where traffic is likely to occur...

The History of the Predator, the Drone that Changed the World
From ACM Opinion

The History of the Predator, the Drone that Changed the World

These days, the word drone is used to refer to just about any kind of remote-controlled, unmanned aircraft.

Teaching Computers the Nuances of Human Conversation
From ACM TechNews

Teaching Computers the Nuances of Human Conversation

Natural-language processing has become very good at recognizing human speech, but it still struggles to understand subtle nuances. 

Cutting the Cord on Soft Robots
From ACM TechNews

Cutting the Cord on Soft Robots

A new untethered soft robot has four legs and can stand up and walk away from its designers. 

Ethical Trap: Robot Paralyzed By Choice of Who to Save
From ACM TechNews

Ethical Trap: Robot Paralyzed By Choice of Who to Save

Bristol Robotics Laboratory's Alan Winfield and colleagues recently tested an ethical challenge for a robot.

Herb: A Robot That Can ­nload a Dishwasher and (sometimes) Take Apart an Oreo
From ACM TechNews

Herb: A Robot That Can ­nload a Dishwasher and (sometimes) Take Apart an Oreo

The Home Exploring Robot Butler has advanced manipulation skills that enable it to perform multiple functions. 

Will Tomorrow's Robots Move Like Snakes?
From ACM TechNews

Will Tomorrow's Robots Move Like Snakes?

Researchers have developed a soft robotic arm, inspired by octopus tentacles, that can snake through a pipelike environment without a human operator. 

'j' Marks the Spot For Rosetta's Lander
From ACM News

'j' Marks the Spot For Rosetta's Lander

Rosetta's lander Philae will target Site J, an intriguing region on Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko that offers unique scientific potential, with hints of activity...

Cars that Drive Themselves Starting to Chat with Each Other
From ACM News

Cars that Drive Themselves Starting to Chat with Each Other

An Acura RLX sedan demonstrated an unusual way to tow another car this week: the vehicles were not physically attached.

The Challenges and Threats of Automated Lip Reading
From ACM News

The Challenges and Threats of Automated Lip Reading

Back in the 16th century, a Spanish Benedictine monk called Pietro Ponce pioneered the seemingly magical art of lip reading.

Nasa's Mars Curiosity Rover Arrives at Martian Mountain
From ACM News

Nasa's Mars Curiosity Rover Arrives at Martian Mountain

NASA's Mars Curiosity rover has reached the Red Planet's Mount Sharp, a Mount-Rainier-size mountain at the center of the vast Gale Crater and the rover mission's...
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