To determine TIME’s annual unranked list, we consider hundreds of inventions from around the world. In the past, we’ve featured everything from the floating lightbulb to the desktop DNA lab. Here, the 25 inventions that made this year’s cut.
Personal robots, such as Amazon Echo and Google Home, have come a long way in recent years. But fundamentally, they’re still stationary speakers whose defining expression is a light that turns on when you speak.
Image: Jibo, Inc.; Photo Illustration by Allison Schaller
