Amazon’s invitation-only conference on machine learning, automation, robotics and space exploration, also known as MARS, has become an annual tradition marked by billionaire CEO Jeff Bezos’ high-tech high jinks.
Last year, Bezos kicked off the Palm Springs meet-up by taking the controls of a giant robot. Today, he showed up as “Buff Bezos,” accompanied by Boston Dynamics’ four-legged, anxiety-inducing SpotMini robot.
Our invitation must have gotten lost in the mail, but based on the tweetstream, the highlights so far include an Intel indoor drone formation fly-in, emceed by Intel CEO Brian Krzanich … a ping-pong-playing robot … a show-and-tell by Rocket Lab CEO Peter Beck, featuring his company’s 3-D-printed Rutherford rocket engine and Humanity Star disco-ball satellite … a sound-converting vest … and an inspirational talk by actor Michael J. Fox.
Here’s today’s gallery, and stay tuned for more about #MARS2018.
https://twitter.com/ltelkins/status/975835667262464001
https://twitter.com/cosgretton/status/975809585666654208
https://twitter.com/ltelkins/status/975765093395742720
https://twitter.com/ltelkins/status/975781026218721280
https://twitter.com/ltelkins/status/975805483201191937
https://twitter.com/ltelkins/status/975833468117557249
https://twitter.com/ltelkins/status/975765819433955329
https://twitter.com/lauramajor/status/975731950156525568
https://twitter.com/DennisHongRobot/status/975524416221200384
Special tip o’ the hat to Arizona State University planetary scientist Lindy Elkins-Tanton.