03/29/2025

The Tech You Need to Level Up Your Humanity

Advancements in computing and robotics are changing how people live

Sure, everyone wants to be Iron Man. Who wouldn't love to always have all the best gear for every kind of challenge? Problem is, not everyone is Tony Stark—enabled by brains and money to make anything they might ever dream up. Still, recent advancements in robotics and technology are allowing real-world companies to get pretty close the wares of Stark Industries. Here are some of the best superhuman gadgets you can get right now.

Mr. Roboto

Standing 5', 8" tall and weighing 160 pounds, the Apollo is the first commercial humanoid robot from the Texas company App­tronik. The team behind it previously developed NASA’s space-ranging Valkyrie robot, but with Apollo the aim is to produce a more personable and practical helper for Earthbound humans. Designed to operate safely alongside workers in warehouses and manufacturing plants, it can lift boxes, pick and place items, and assemble components. In the future, it may even be capable of home delivery and elder care. It has 30 mechanical muscle groups and can carry 55 pounds—but unlike its flesh-and-bone colleagues, it has a battery that can be swapped out for continuous operation. Find out more about Apollo's availability at Apptronik.com.

Sound Design

Swiss audio pioneer Goldmund has been shunning traditional acoustic thinking in favor of advanced engineering and unique technologies since the 1970s. The company’s flagship is Gaia, a 6', 10", 926-pound, aluminum-cased active wireless speaker. Goldmund has used its own advanced modeling software to design every aspect of the eight-driver, eight-channel beast. Combined with a proprietary phase distortion correction algorithm known as “Leonardo,” the speakers’ digital signal processing can be tweaked to perfectly suit each towers’ surroundings. The result is 2,500 watts per channel of flawless power and clarity, not to mention bass that’ll make your pants flap, all wrapped in an exterior that brings “techno-sentinel” vibes to even the most prosaic interior. Find out more about Gaia's availability at Goldmund.com.

Please select this link to read the complete article from WIRED.