In a world where futuristic developments roll out on the regular, ROBO researches the need to know robotics news - so you don't have to. Here are the highlights from the week of April 4-10 in the world of robotics and automation:

MUST SEE VIDEO OF THE WEEK: Looks like drones can’t look away from their phones either. Check out this flying phone drone from the GRASP lab at the University of Pennsylvania. The drone uses an Android cell phone for “a brain.” By installing the phone vision system, aka camera mode, to the UAV, the system has the potential to be completely autonomous and fly itself through obstacles.

AUTONOMOUS CARS VS COWS: Mooooo-ve over, Google is at it again. A recent patent for the company’s self-driving cars was filed with a purpose that will make you do a double take: “Cow Avoiding Patent.” The patent is designed to work as a software for the autonomous vehicles to recognize the speeds of surrounding objects; they’ve even developed algorithms to track the speeds. If living animals are detected near by, the cars will go into a very slow and cautious mode and even call for help if needed.

SPIDER BOTS IN SPACE: Tether Unlimited Inc., an innovative tech company is developing spider bots that work in space. The robots will work together in a suite called “SpiderFab” and be responsible for building large, intricate structures for the spacecrafts.

The spider robots will work through a combination of additive manufacturing and robotic assembly. This technique will greatly reduce costs for space agencies because objects once needed to be constructed on Earth and then sent to the ship, adding an entirely new launch just to deliver goods. Now 3D printing in space is enabling a world of solutions.

LIQUID ROBOTS: A team of Purdue researchers has announced the discovery of a revolutionary new robot - one built out of liquid. The engineers designed a way to print soft robotics material using liquid metal of sorts. Get this, it can all be printed from an inkjet printer. Commercial manufacturing techniques still must be developed outside of the lab but this is an incredible new option for the simple printing of soft, flexible tech.

HOW IT WORKS: Ever wonder how a drone works? Well so did the readers of Time Magazine and the magazine released a great in depth analysis and answer to the question. Author John Patrick Pullen covered all the grounds. From the power source to the propellers, you’ll learn how the engineers make some complicated work look easy. The piece also covers the FAA rules for flight.