Each week, we scour the worlds of innovation, tech for good and social impact to bring you seven of our top stories…

1. NASA and Boston Dynamics are building fully autonomous robots to explore caves on Mars to search for signs of life as well as natural shelters for future astronauts exploring Mars and the moon.
2. Researchers in Korea have created a soft-bodied robot that can change its skin to adapt to its surroundings, like a chameleon.
3. ‘Trackcycle’, a new project backed by Innovate UK, uses blockchain technology to improve the traceability of hard-to-recycle plastics, allowing for a more transparent and ethical process.
4. ‘Xiaomi’ is developing the ‘Cyberdog’, an open-source robotic dog which responds to voice commands, equipped with cameras, microphones, touchpads, GPS, and other sensory equipment.
5. In Indonesia, local villagers and scientists created a homemade robot named the ‘Delta robot’, bringing food and deliveries to self-isolated residents.
6. ‘.lumen’ won the ‘Ethical Artificial Intelligence Prize’ for their AI and machine learning technology glasses, which replicate the advantages of a guide dog and can help millions of blind people worldwide.
7. The University of Copenhagen announced a new research project called ‘TOUCHLESS’, which aims to allow people to experience touch through ultrasonic waves sent by a computer or phone without being physically present.