logo
episode-header-image
May 2018
5m 55s

The Shape-Shifting Robot That Evolves by...

WIRED
About this episode
Don't even worry about Dyret the robot. At first glance, the scrawny quadruped looks pathetic, as it struggles to walk without collapsing. But keep watching, and you’ll see it start to improve—walking slowly, yet ever more proficiently. Dyret the robot is teaching itself to walk. Or even, according to a new class of robotics researchers, evolving. Machines like Cassie the biped or SpotMini the robot dog are quickly mastering locomotion, thanks to line after line of meticulous code.

Up next
Sep 2024
Introducing WIRED's Gadget Lab!
Although we paused on publishing narrated versions of WIRED articles in this feed, you will still hear the latest in tech from the WIRED team. On WIRED's Gadget Lab, you'll find hosts Lauren Goode and Michael Calore tackling the biggest questions in the world of tech with knowled ... Show More
43s
Sep 2024
Introducing WIRED Politics Lab!
Although we paused on publishing narrated versions of WIRED articles in this feed, you will still hear the latest in tech and politics from the WIRED team.Join host Leah Feiger and a rotation of guests as they guide you through the exciting, challenging, and sometimes entertainin ... Show More
36s
Jul 2024
The Bird Flu Threat Keeps Growing
Human cases keep ticking up, are very likely to be underreported, and offer the virus the opportunity to learn how to spread from person to person. 
7m 37s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2021
Ruth Aylett and Patricia A. Vargas, "Living with Robots: What Every Anxious Human Needs to Know" (MIT Press, 2021)
There's a lot of hype about robots; some of it is scary and some of it utopian. In this accessible book, two robotics experts reveal the truth about what robots can and can't do, how they work, and what we can reasonably expect their future capabilities to be. It will not only ma ... Show More
1h 5m
Mar 2023
Return of Cyclone Freddy
34 days after it first formed at the far end of the Indian Ocean, record-breaking Cyclone Freddy made a repeat landfall on Mozambique as well as passing over Malawi, causing extensive damage and loss of life. Climate scientists Liz Stephens and Izidine Pinto join Roland to give a ... Show More
1h 1m
Nov 2021
Robot as Body
For years, prosthetic technology focused on form over function, on masking lost limbs, rather than agency and usability. But things are changing. Innovations in robotics are giving more people more options, with lower thresholds of entry—and lower price tags, too.  Tilly Lockey t ... Show More
22m 43s
Oct 2022
The Killer Robot Future Is Already Here
The killer robots are here and they’re not going away.  We’ve all seen footage of the cute robot dogs stumbling around with weapons strapped to their back, and loitering munitions (or so-called “suicide drones”) have become a fixture on the battlefield in Ukraine. There’s a gener ... Show More
42m 2s
Nov 2021
Robot as Threat
When a robot goes bad, who is responsible? It’s not always clear if the user or the manufacturer is liable when a robot leaves the lot. Human behavior can be complex—and often contradictory. Asking machines to interpret that behavior is quite the task. Will it one day be possible ... Show More
23m 11s
Apr 2023
7 new species of robot that jump, dance -- and walk on water | Dennis Hong
More than a decade ago, roboticist Dennis Hong debuted a new generation of cutting-edge robots. Now he's back to reveal how his lab at UCLA has eclipsed its own achievements with a fleet of wildly advanced and delightful humanoid robots. Part demo, part time capsule, part glance ... Show More
17m 32s
Jan 2024
General purpose humanoid robots? Bill Gates is a believer
The robotics industry loves a good, healthy debate. Of late, one of the most intense ones centers around humanoid robots. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices 
3m 54s