Nautilus would use massive robotic machines, which are being built in Wallsend, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne, by a firm with long experience of marine engineering, Soil Machine Dynamics.

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Hong says RoboCup teaches students about machine design and fabrication, as well as mechanics, dynamics and controls.

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Epstein predicted that this machine would take the industry by storm and change the dynamics of back-list sales and distribution, among other things (needless to say, the Kindle was the device that would eventually do those things and not the Espresso Machine).

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