SPACE

SpaceX Releases Video of Its Historic Reused Rocket Landing

Andrew Tarantola | Engadget

“This marks the sixth successful landing by the Falcon 9 rocket…SpaceX has since promised to execute launches every two weeks and will reportedly attempt to land the Falcon Heavy’s upper stage later this year.”

A post shared by SpaceX (@spacex) on Apr 4, 2017 at 7:16pm PDT

ROBOT WARS

We Finally Know When the Giant Robot Duel Between the US and Japan Will Take Place

Carl Franzen | MOTHERBOARD

“Now, after two years of Megabots releasing over-the-top robot teaser videos and some delays, the duel between the two companies’ giant, human-piloted mechs will supposedly happen this August, according to a new video posted today by Megabots. No firm date or location has been announced (Megabots says it is “keeping the location secret so we can guarantee there will be no more delays” in its video description).”

MACHINE LEARNING

Treating Depression Is Guesswork. Psychiatrists Are Beginning to Crack the Code.

Brian Resnick | VOX

“Ultimately, the goal isn’t to get every depression patient into a brain scanner, Mayberg explains. ‘Maybe there’s a bedside [evaluation] that tracks with the brain type; we have to look for it,’ she says. Most people with mental health problems see a family physician first. A bedside test—perhaps something involving reacting to an emotional video, or a blood test to find genetic correlates—would allow doctors to better direct their patients to treatments that will work.”

ROBOTICS

A Robot With Its Head in the Cloud Tackles Warehouse Picking

Will Knight | MIT Technology Review

“Picking different types of objects piled into a bin may sound simple, but it remains a huge challenge for robots, especially if the objects are unfamiliar. Humans are able to guess how an occluded object looks and feels, and we apply years of grasping experience to the task. Fulfillment centers typically handle a range of products, making them difficult to automate. Amazon, for example, has only been able to automate parts of its centers so far.”

VIRTUAL REALITY

On the Vive’s First Birthday, the VR Conversation Is Getting Calmer

Adi Robertson | The Verge

“Virtual reality is no longer an exclusive, theoretical technology, but it hasn’t seen mainstream adoption either. In the Gartner Hype Cycle, this might be called the ‘trough of disillusionment’—the moment where people decide a great new technology isn’t delivering on its promises…Unsurprisingly, though, some of the VR community’s most dedicated members don’t think the medium is in long-term trouble.”

Image Credit: Shutterstock