AI Creates More Realistic Multi-Person Images

Researchers at Cornell have developed a new AI approach for generating more realistic images involving multiple people interacting with one another. While existing image-generation models can create convincing individual people, they often struggle to represent complex interactions accurately. The Cornell method addresses this through iterative pose-image generation, progressively constructing a scene one person at a time. Each predicted pose helps guide the generation of subsequent people, allowing the system to better capture spatial relationships and interactions without requiring users to manually specify poses. The approach uses the FLUX image-generation model as its foundation and combines pose detection with a multimodal large language model to organise descriptions, poses and spatial regions for each person.

The researchers also introduced DrawWaldoWorlds, a benchmark designed to evaluate whether image-generation systems correctly represent not only multiple individuals but also their roles and relationships, essentially testing whether the model understands who does what to whom. Experiments showed that the new approach produced more faithful multi-person scenes than existing methods. In a user study involving 20 participants, images generated using the Cornell method were preferred roughly two-to-one over images produced by two versions of FLUX. The researchers argue that automatically incorporating pose information could make generative AI considerably better at depicting complex social activities, sports, group scenes and other situations where realistic human interaction is essential.

More information:

https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2026/07/strike-pose-creating-more-realistic-multi-person-images

Zoox Wins U.S. Approval for Driverless Robotaxis

Amazon-owned Zoox has become the first company in the United States to receive federal approval for the commercial deployment of purpose-built robotaxis that have no steering wheel, pedals or other human driving controls. The exemption from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) allows Zoox to deploy up to 2,500 vehicles annually for the next two years and begin charging passengers, initially in Las Vegas before expanding to other markets subject to state and local approvals. The electric, carriage-style vehicles feature inward-facing seats and are designed entirely around autonomous operation rather than modified versions of conventional cars.

The approval represents an important regulatory milestone for autonomous transportation, but it comes with enhanced safety oversight. NHTSA will require Zoox to provide additional reporting on crashes, inappropriate road stops and other operational problems, and the agency can withdraw the exemption if significant safety concerns emerge. Regulators are particularly focused on how autonomous vehicles interact with emergency services, construction zones, school buses and unusual road conditions following several incidents across the industry. The decision also signals a broader shift in U.S. regulation toward developing safety standards specifically designed for fully autonomous vehicles.

More information:

https://www.reuters.com/world/amazons-zoox-wins-first-us-approval-paid-robotaxis-with-no-human-controls-2026-07-30/

Digital Innovation Is Transforming the Museum Experience

Museums around the world are embracing digital technologies to create richer, more engaging experiences for visitors. By using data to better understand how people move through galleries, which exhibits attract the most attention, and how visitors interact with collections, museums can design exhibitions that are more intuitive, accessible, and enjoyable. These insights help institutions improve storytelling, enhance visitor engagement, and create experiences that appeal to audiences of all ages.

Technologies such as artificial intelligence, interactive displays, and digital guides are transforming museums into more immersive cultural spaces. Rather than replacing the traditional museum experience, these innovations complement it by making art, history, and heritage more accessible and interactive. The challenge lies in using technology responsibly, respecting visitors’ privacy while ensuring that digital tools enrich, rather than overshadow, the cultural and educational value of their collections.

More information:

https://arstechnica.com/culture/2026/07/with-help-from-data-art-museums-are-reframing-the-visitor-experience/

Snake Robots Aid Earthquake Rescue Efforts

Following the devastating earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela in June 2026, researchers from Carnegie Mellon University's Robotics Institute deployed advanced snake robots to assist international search-and-rescue teams in the heavily affected city of La Guaira. Designed to slither through narrow gaps in collapsed buildings, the robots are equipped with front-mounted cameras that allow rescuers to inspect areas inaccessible or too dangerous for humans. Working alongside the Venezuelan and Colombian Red Cross, Mexico's Topos rescue team, and volunteers from around the world, the CMU team aimed to improve the speed and safety of survivor searches.

Although the robots did not locate any survivors during the three-day mission, they played an important role by confirming that certain collapsed structures contained no trapped victims, allowing rescue teams to focus their efforts elsewhere and providing closure to waiting families. The deployment also highlighted both the promise and the practical challenges of using robotics in disaster response, including difficult terrain, equipment repairs, logistics, and communication barriers. The experience reinforced the potential of bio-inspired robotic systems as valuable tools that complement, rather than replace, human first responders during large-scale humanitarian emergencies.

More information:

https://www.cmu.edu/news/stories/archives/2026/july/snake-robots-support-earthquake-search-and-rescue-in-venezuela

Brain Implant Helps Paralysed Man Regain Independence

Researchers have developed a groundbreaking double neural bypass brain–computer interface that enabled a patient, who was paralysed from the chest down after a 2020 diving accident, to regain the ability to feed himself, drink from a cup, and perform everyday tasks independently. The system uses implanted brain electrodes to detect his intention to move, transmitting those signals directly to his arm and hand muscles while simultaneously sending sensory information back to the brain, allowing him to feel touch again. After 35 weeks of therapy, his arm strength improved dramatically, and he was able to handle delicate objects such as eggshells with remarkable precision.

Beyond restoring movement, the researchers found evidence that the technology may promote long-term healing of the nervous system rather than simply bypassing the spinal injury. By combining brain stimulation with sensory feedback and a technique called cortical mirroring, the patient regained sensation in areas that had been numb since his accident, with improvements persisting for more than two years after treatment. Although the results currently come from a single patient and larger clinical trials are still needed, the study represents a major advance in neuroprosthetics and offers new hope for millions of people living with paralysis.

More information:

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/16/neural-bypass-brain-implant-paralysed-man-feed-himself-drink-from-cup

Cyprus Leads Europe's Virtual Worlds Skills Academy

Cyprus has taken on a leading role in advancing Europe's digital future through the Virtual Worlds Academy of Skills (ViWAS), a major European initiative coordinated by Prof. Fotis Liarokapis, Research Director at the CYENS CoE. Bringing together universities, research organisations, businesses, vocational education providers, and public-sector partners from across Europe, the academy aims to equip learners with the practical knowledge and skills required for emerging technologies such as extended reality (XR), artificial intelligence, digital twins, immersive design, cybersecurity, and digital creativity.

The initiative seeks to establish common European standards for virtual worlds education, making qualifications more interoperable while promoting flexible learning through practical training, short courses, and micro-credentials. Designed for a broad audience (including educators, healthcare professionals, engineers, artists, entrepreneurs, public servants, and lifelong learners) ViWAS emphasises inclusivity and accessibility, helping Europe address the growing demand for digital talent as immersive technologies become increasingly integrated into everyday life and professional practice.

More information:

https://en.politis.com.cy/life/1020289/cyprus-coordinates-europes-new-virtual-worlds-academy-for-digital-skills

Bird-Inspired Robot Swims and Flies

Researchers from MIT and EPFL have developed a lightweight flapping-wing robot inspired by diving birds such as puffins, petrels, and kingfishers that can both swim underwater and transition directly into flight. By studying the biomechanics of these birds, the team designed a robot with flexible wings, a steerable tail, and a waterproof body that can efficiently move through two vastly different environments. Experiments in water tanks and Lake Geneva showed that the robot could reliably swim, leap out of the water, and continue flying without requiring propellers, folding mechanisms, or paddling feet.

The breakthrough could enable a new generation of aerial-aquatic robots for environmental monitoring and ocean exploration. Unlike conventional drones or underwater vehicles, the robot could rapidly fly to remote locations, dive underwater to collect measurements or samples, and return with the data at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods. The researchers are now working to improve the robot's maneuverability and its ability to operate in rough water and windy conditions, with future applications including marine ecosystem monitoring, coastal surveillance, and climate research.

More information:

https://techxplore.com/news/2026-07-birdlike-robot-underwater-flight.html

Tiny Robot Boats Assemble Floating Structures

MIT researchers have developed FloatForm, a swarm of small autonomous robotic boats that can self-organise into floating structures such as bridges, platforms, or temporary workspaces. Inspired by the way fire ants link together to form rafts, each boat communicates only with its nearby neighbours rather than relying on a central controller. This decentralised approach allows the swarm to dynamically assemble, reconfigure, or repair structures even if individual robots fail or environmental conditions change. In laboratory demonstrations, groups of up to eight boats successfully formed a range of stable geometric configurations with a high success rate.

The researchers envision FloatForm as a flexible infrastructure solution for waterfront cities and disaster-response scenarios, where temporary floating structures can be deployed quickly without permanent construction. Potential applications include emergency bridges, floating markets, event stages, environmental monitoring platforms, and mobile sensor networks. By combining swarm intelligence with modular robotics, the system demonstrates how large-scale, adaptive infrastructure can emerge from the coordinated actions of many simple robots, opening new possibilities for resilient and responsive urban environments.

More information:

https://news.mit.edu/2026/tiny-robot-boats-build-floating-structures-0709