A robotic “sixth finger”, that can be worn on the hand next to the pinky to move like a real finger, has been created by Japanese researchers studying how brains react to new and independent body parts.

"Robot, stand up" - Oscar Constanza, 16, gives the order and, slowly but surely, a large frame strapped to his body lifts him up and he starts walking. Fastened to his shoulders, chest, waist, knees and feet, the exoskeleton allows Oscar - who has a genetic neurological condition that means his nerves do not send enough signals to his legs - to walk across the room and turn around.

At a serene zen garden in a Tokyo park, abstract lines inspired by the movements of Olympic athletes are carefully traced in the gravel -- not by monks, but by robots. The newly installed artwork, titled "The Constant Gardeners", features four large industrial robotic arms that work together to sculpt a traditional Japanese rock garden.

In Johannesburg, three robots navigate the corridors of the 453-room upmarket Hotel Sky, answering guests' queries and delivering room service orders. Put in place before the pandemic, the hotel has embraced the new technology even more than it had originally inteded, as a way to help reduce the risk of infection by Covid-19 in a country that has recorded nearly 45,000 deaths.

Envirobot - a robotic eel that can swim through contaminated water to find the source of pollution - is being developed at EPFL in Switzerland.