Robots can drive on the plains and craters of Mars, but what if we could explore cliffs, polar caps and other hard-to-reach places on the Red Planet and beyond? Designed by engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, a four-limbed robot named LEMUR (Limbed Excursion Mechanical Utility Robot) can scale rock walls, gripping with hundreds of tiny fishhooks in each of its 16 fingers and using artificial intelligence (AI) to find its way around obstacles. In its last field test in Death Valley, California, in early 2019, LEMUR chose a route up a cliff while scanning the rock for ancient fossils from the sea that once filled the area. For Climbing Robots, the Sky's the Limit: The climbing robot LEMUR rests after scaling a cliff in Death Valley, California. The robot uses special gripping technology that has helped lead to a series of new, off-roading robots that can explore other worlds.Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech LEMUR was originally conceived as a repair robot for the International Space Station.

Professor Moran Cerf contributed research and insights for this article. I've had a few conversations with Sophia the Robot, an invention of Hanson Robotics making the rounds of tech conferences worldwide. Preparing for a session at Webit 2018 in Sofia, Bulgaria, I had a surprisingly engaging exchange with Sophie. It's unsettlingly easy to see how one day, after the clunkiness resolves, it will feel natural to engage with our technological colleagues. I feel I've gotten to "know" Sophia in a way and look forward to our next conversation.

Written in collaboration with Professor Moran Cerf. I've had a few conversations with Sophia the Robot, an invention of Hanson Robotics making the rounds of tech conferences worldwide. Preparing for a session at Webit 2018 in Sofia, Bulgaria, I had a surprisingly engaging exchange with Sophie. It's unsettlingly easy to see how one day, after the clunkiness resolves, it will feel natural to engage with our technological colleagues. I feel I've gotten to "know" Sophia in a way and look forward to our next conversation.

Among the challenges that come with making self-driving cars road-ready, is making sure they can withstand extreme weather. They won't be much use if they can only operate in pristine conditions. In that regard, Alphabet's self-driving outfit Waymo has been taking its cars on road trips so they can be tested in some actual weather and not just in mild Mountain View. The company tweeted a picture of one of its Chrysler Pacificas driving in some hotter temperatures as it heads down to Death Valley, where temperatures have soared as high as 134 degrees. In March, Waymo tested how its cars handle snowy conditions in South Lake Tahoe.