On December 14, 2007, a crane's nylon sling, carrying seven tons of steel beams, broke and fell 25 stories onto a construction trailer at the site of the new Goldman Sachs headquarters. Inside the trailer was Robert Woo, a Canadian architect, and he was nearly killed by the crash and doctors said he might not walk again. But recently Woo has been walking, thanks to the Ekso bionic exoskeleton: CityRoom visited Woo at Mount Sinai Medical Center and took video. more ›

The scientists at Ithaca College have been working hard on what is sure to be mankind's greatest invention: a Wii Balance Board-powered baby scooter. The "Tots on Bots" project mobilizes infants with disabilities by letting them control the scooters with their weight. The tots steer the bots by leaning in the direction they want to go, but the robots will stop if they sense obstacles with their sonar. Parents can also control the robots with a remote. Our question is, when are they going to make one of these for adults? [Via Engadget] more ›

Once a year PETA really turns up the crazy to 11. Last January they wanted us to call fish sea kittens, and now they want us to replace Puxsutawney Phil and Staten Island Chuck—and presumably the rest of the nation's groundhogs—with robots. One PETA activist would like for the animals to be brought to a sanctuary and replaced with electronic groundhogs, noting that the "large, screaming crowds, flashing lights of cameras, and human handling" are no way for an animal to live. Hmm... actually, maybe Chuck was trying to make this very point when he bit Bloomberg last year. more ›

The MTA is once again seeking to save money by expanding the practice of running trains without a conductor. The One Person Train Operation program, or by its robot name, "OPTO," has been previously stopped in the courts after objections were raised by the Transit Workers Union. The only instance an arbitrator has allowed the OPTO plan is late nights and weekends on the G line. Now the MTA would like to expand it to 7, L, J and M lines as well. A TWU spokesman told the Daily News, "Of course, this is one of management's demands. This is something the MTA has been pursuing the last two or three bargaining rounds and we continue to completely disagree with them." The last fight between the two was in 2006; it's unclear if the same arbiters will rule in the union's favor again or if robojudges have since ascended within the court system. more ›

By now you've heard of the Nerd Herd, the team of four 12 to 14-year old St. Edmund's students who, this week, are headed from Brooklyn to the World Robotics Festival in Atlanta. With their motorized robot named Thingamajig, they won the championships here, and a spot alongside the Nation's best in Atlanta—but first they needed to raise the necessary funds to get there. After getting some press, vacuum inventor James Dyson stepped in to give them the monetary push they needed, but so did New York, and they ended up with an excess of $11,000! more ›

The pressure's on now, Nerd Herd! Following all the press the talented troupe of teens got regarding the monetary deficiency keeping them from taking their rightful place at the Robotic World Festival in Atlanta next month, the donations have been piling up. Most notably, the giant $5K check presented to the little robotic engineers on Good Day New York this morning. The signature on it was that of British vacuum cleaner exec James Dyson, who told the Daily News, "These kids represent the future of engineering. They've demonstrated the essential traits: an inventive spirit and a healthy dose of perseverance." On top of that big chunk of change, reportedly over 40 people made donations by calling the school yesterday. The principal of their Sheepshead Bay school said, "Kids actually think being a nerd is cool now." more ›

Yes, everyone is pinching pennies right now, but if you have any change to spare send it over to Brooklyn's self-dubbed "Nerd Herd," after all, the four lil' geniuses could just be our future. The Daily News reports on the team of 12 to 14-year olds, who are currently on a mission to get to the Robotics World Festival in Atlanta next month. Their one hurdle: money. The paper reports, "Raising the necessary $7,000 might be the most daunting feat yet for four brainy kids" who "took the New York City FIRST Lego League Robotics Championship" with their motorized robot called Thingamajig. Yesterday the Sheepshead Bay kids held a bakesale to help fund their trip, but only raised $800—combine that with the $2,700 the school raised and you don't need a genius to tell you they are half way there. If you would like to make a donation, you can call the school. more ›

It's not just paranoid Luddites who fear the sinister agenda of the new robotic L trains; train conductors, whom the MTA tried unsuccessfully to replace with robots, are still worried their jobs are in jeopardy. One "wild-eyed, grey-haired" conductor recently told Infrastructurist what he thinks of his new robot co-worker: "The last thing the public wants is to be stuck underground, getting mugged, with a robot conductor. People need people. I can call the cops, I can intervene. Last month I had to break up a knife fight. Well, I didn’t so much break it up but I called it in. A robot can’t do that." Another conductor struck a more fearful tone, "They could easily replace humans but don’t put my name next to it because I’ll be the first to lose my job to the robots. I’m definitely scared that could happen." Better hope the robots weren't reading your lips when you said that, foolish human! Sounds like someone better invest in some robot insurance. more ›