It’s time to recognize the trusty sidekicks to this year’s important stories, without which, technology news would be a whole lot less mesmerizing.
2016 was a big year for technology—virtual reality got more hands-on, robots got a lot smarter, and researchers learned how to study individual human cells with unparalleled precision. How best to visualize some of these wonders? With mesmerizing GIFs. Here are the best ones used in MIT Technology Review articles this year.
1. The Robot You Want Most Is Far from Reality
The good news: work on housecleaning robots is underway. The bad news: it’s slow going.
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GE demonstrates its additive manufacturing process.
4. Oculus Finally Delivers the Missing Piece for VR
New hand controllers make virtual reality much more compelling.
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7. Freeze-Dried Molecules Can Be Used to Whip Up Medicines Anywhere
Just add water. That’s the appeal of a new freeze-dry method that turns DNA and other molecules into small reaction pellets needed to make a wide range of pharmaceuticals.
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9. Japanese Robotics Giant Gives Its Arms Some Brains
Fanuc, a company that produces robot arms for factories, is trying to get them to learn on the job.
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Source: Technology Review