Startup EnGoPlanet is testing a hybrid system of solar panels and kinetic energy pads that will power street lights in Las Vegas. Eventually, this could have a big impact on the environment, as streetlights generate 100 million metric tons of CO2 per year.

A leading expert on the development of artificial intelligence spoke about where she thinks the future of AI is heading. The shift toward more autonomy will have a major impact on the job market, low skilled jobs will be more scarce and demand for highly skilled roboticists will skyrocket.

In two new experiments, researchers have effectively trained Google's DeepMind AI system to interact with its environment in order to solve problems. The same teaching method could be used to train AI to navigate a number of real-world situations, such as going through tough terrain on rescue or off-planet missions.

In a trial of 19 blind people, participants were able to read between 63 and 81 words per minute using HandSight, a finger-mounted camera system that reads texts aloud. While the device's reading rate is fairly slow, its design could prove particularly useful in helping the visually impaired navigate text presented in a complicated layout.