Skip to main content

Our 6 favorite robots from IFA 2016 will mow, vacuum, and even sketch for you

IFA 2024
This story is part of our coverage of IFA Berlin 2024

Robots have been a staple of tech trade shows for decades at this point, and IFA 2016 was no different. As we made our way through the show floor this year, we encountered a wide variety of both old and new bots — some that mesmerized with their dance moves, others that tantalized with their industrial potential, and a few that left us wondering why they even existed. There were even some that weren’t being displayed as consumer products; they were just there doing crazy robotic things to attract people to a company’s booth. So to give you a taste of what this year’s robot roster looked like at IFA, here’s a quick roundup of the most amazing androids we saw in Berlin.

Dyllan Furness
Dyllan Furness is a freelance writer from Florida. He covers strange science and emerging tech for Digital Trends, focusing…
Many hybrids rank as most reliable of all vehicles, Consumer Reports finds
many hybrids rank as most reliable of all vehicles evs progress consumer reports cr tout cars 0224

For the U.S. auto industry, if not the global one, 2024 kicked off with media headlines celebrating the "renaissance" of hybrid vehicles. This came as many drivers embraced a practical, midway approach rather than completely abandoning gas-powered vehicles in favor of fully electric ones.

Now that the year is about to end, and the future of tax incentives supporting electric vehicle (EV) purchases is highly uncertain, it seems the hybrid renaissance still has many bright days ahead. Automakers have heard consumer demands and worked on improving the quality and reliability of hybrid vehicles, according to the Consumer Reports (CR) year-end survey.

Read more
U.S. EVs will get universal plug and charge access in 2025
u s evs will get universal plug charge access in 2025 ev car to charging station power cable plugged shutterstock 1650839656

And then, it all came together.

Finding an adequate, accessible, and available charging station; charging up; and paying for the service before hitting the road have all been far from a seamless experience for many drivers of electric vehicles (EVs) in the U.S.

Read more
Rivian tops owner satisfaction survey, ahead of BMW and Tesla
The front three-quarter view of a 2022 Rivian against a rocky backdrop.

Can the same vehicle brand sit both at the bottom of owner ratings in terms of reliability and at the top in terms of overall owner satisfaction? When that brand is Rivian, the answer is a resonant yes.

Rivian ranked number one in satisfaction for the second year in a row, with owners especially giving their R1S and R1T electric vehicle (EV) high marks in terms of comfort, speed, drivability, and ease of use, according to the latest Consumer Reports (CR) owner satisfaction survey.

Read more