The world's first walking manikin that generates heat, shivers, walks and breathes like a human could help scientists understand our body's resilience to punishing heat waves. Scientists at Arizona State University (ASU) redesigned a robot used by clothing companies for sports gear to mimic the thermal functions of the human body. The test droid, ANDI, was fitted with synthetic pores for artificial sweating, temperature, and heat flux sensors across the 35 different surface areas covering its manikin body. With a novel internal cooling channel, this improved ASU ANDI is the first thermal manikin fit for outdoor use -- meaning that scientists can now subject this climate change'test dummy' to the extreme temperatures of the Arizona desert. Thousands of people die from heat-related ailments each year, a figure that has risen due to climate change.

Robots are becoming more human-like every day: now they can sweat. Thomas Wallin at Cornell University in New York and his colleagues have created soft robotic grippers that are capable of sweating to cool down. The grippers are capable of a cooling capacity of 107 watts per kilogram, making them more efficient sweaters than mammals. By comparison, humans and horses have a maximum cooling capacity around 35 watts per kilogram. Each gripper consists of three finger-like parts that bend simultaneously to grasp small objects.

As is their tradition, robotic engineering company Boston Dynamics freaked all humans out by unveiling the new abilities of their latest model. In October, it was revealed that their robot Atlas can now hop stairs without losing any speed, adding to its long list of impressive functions like running on uneven surfaces, getting up after being knocked over, jumping and backflipping. CIMON, the'Crew Interactive MObile companioN', is a new $6 million addition to the International Space Station. The 3D-printed basketball-sized plastic orb is designed to improve crew efficiency and morale during long space missions – but if its debut interaction with German astronaut Alexander Gerst is anything to go by, it could do with an attitude readjustment. The robo-dog Spot that haunted humanity's dreams earlier this year with its ability to open doors decided to taunt us further in 2018 by proving it can also twerk.