Free Republic

“Pretty,” was the word an Alabama senior used to describe the lifelike robotic companion pet she received from a new pilot project administered by the Alabama Department of Senior Services. It was the first word she had said in a long time, according to department Commissioner Jean Brown. The Alabama agency, along with several other state agencies managing programs for seniors in New York, Florida and Pennsylvania, have partnered with robotic pet manufacturer Ageless Innovation to combat loneliness and provide comfort and companionship for isolated seniors. With insight into the growing epidemic of loneliness and need for interactive play amongst...

A French nightclub has caused a stir after it exhibited pole-dancing robots donning high heels. The gyrating robots had CCTV cameras for heads and were interspersed among their human counterparts at the Strip Club Cafe (SC-Club) in Nantes on Friday night. The androids moved their hips in time to the blasting music while on elevated platforms, in front of a male-dominated audience.

When there’s no safe escape, call in the Mules: These unmanned aerial vehicles could save lives on the battlefield—and off U.S. troops are pinned down in a crowded city center. Several are wounded and need immediate evacuation. There are miles of labyrinthine roads and thousands of enemy gunmen between them and the nearest base. The threat from rocket-propelled grenades has grounded the big helicopters. There's one, final hope for these soldiers: the Mule, a compact, fully autonomous medevac aircraft powered by ducted fans—fully enclosed spinning blades that are smaller and more efficient than conventional helicopter rotors. This concept, created by...

<p>I can't say I've seen all of Arnold Schwarzenegger's movies, though I have seen enough to know that I don't think much of them. When I call them up in memory, they mostly seem stupid, though most of them were expensive to make.</p>