Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

Archives for March 13, 2016

BMW celebrates 100 years by entering autonomous car race

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BMW Vision vehicle
BMW Vision vehicle starts symbolic world tour

Describing it as a fast learner, the CEO of BMW announced that the company, which is celebrating its centenary, is looking to build the ultimate self-driving machine.

BMW has long been celebrated for its innovative and technologically advanced vehicles, but until now it had appeared reluctant to pay any attention to the hype about autonomous cars.

But in a statement released by the German automaker, Harald Krueger said: “Soon, our cars will be digital chauffeurs and personal companions. They will anticipate what we want to do and make our lives easier for us.”  [Read more…] about BMW celebrates 100 years by entering autonomous car race

Humanity’s loss at the hands of artificial intelligence is no big deal, says top robotics expert

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The current struggles human player Lee Seedol is facing while playing the ancient Chinese board game Go against an artificially intelligent machine learning program is being watched with interest by the world’s media as well as computer scientists everywhere, probably.

One of those computer scientists, however, says he’s not that bothered. Professor Alois Knoll, co-ordinator of the European Clearing House for Open Robotics Development (Echord), says Google DeepMind AlphaGo is essentially just a software program inside a computer, which is much easier to develop than a mechatronics system.

“A machine or helper that can only help you play Go probably not something on which you’d spend much money,” says Knoll, who is one of the key scientists involved in the $1.5 billion-dollar Human Brain Project.  [Read more…] about Humanity’s loss at the hands of artificial intelligence is no big deal, says top robotics expert

Unknown South Korean man saves face against faceless computer with a win in ancient board game nobody understands

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lee seedol
Lee Seedol, in happier times

A previously unknown man from South Korea has been beaten by Google’s DeepMind AlphaGo artificially intelligent computer at Go, an ancient Chinese board game that looks like a mix of checkers and solitaire. 

Apparently the very idea that a computer can beat a human at Go means artificial intelligence can now be called upon to solve all of the world’s problems, humanity’s eternal wars and other foibles being a mere waystation en route.

The South Korean man at the centre of this humbling of humankind is Lee Seedol, who did manage to get one back for spontaneously occurring biological entities against his inhuman adversary, and regained some of his reputation as a grand master at the game.

But as far as most observers are concerned, the overall result of the contest was conclusive proof that resistance is futile, and so is rage, against the machines.

 

From fewer human workers to no human workers. That’s the way things are going, says Genpact

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Paul Burton, senior vice president, analytics and research
Paul Burton, senior vice president, analytics and research

Not very far into the future, business leaders will no longer be asking, “How can I achieve this objective with fewer human resources?”, instead they will be asking, “How can I achieve this objective with no human resources?” 

That is the view of Paul Burton, senior vice president, analytics and research, Genpact. 

In a very thorough and extended blog on the subject of business process outsourcing and related subjects, Burton claims there will be a “fundamental paradigm shift” in the way enterprises approach the objective of efficiency.

Burton writes: “We believe that disruption in our industry will result from a fundamental shift in the BPO paradigm. No longer will we (or our competitors) ask how we can operate a particular process more efficiently with fewer, and less expensive, human resources.

“Instead, our point of departure will be from a new paradigm, one in which the framing question is: how do we operate this particular process with no human resources? When you start with this proposition, everything about the way you approach the problem changes.”

Full article at Genpact.com.

In robots we trust, says Genfour

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robot woman

Robots are becoming more and more integrated into our everyday lives, but are we willing to trust them over our own intuition?

Should we trust robots?

A team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology recently conducted an experiment to determine whether or not the occupants of a building would trust a guide robot in the event of an emergency evacuation in case of fire.

Thirty volunteers were accompanied by a robot with wheels and LED arms in a room, and were asked to complete a survey form. The researchers then filled the hallways of the building with fake smoke and triggered the fire alarm. The participants left the room and the guide robot led the way towards a path that was unfamiliar to the participants.  [Read more…] about In robots we trust, says Genfour

IBM pilots robot as Hilton hotel concierge

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Hilton Worldwide and IBM have introduced a robot concierge. “Connie” – based on Aldebaran’s Nao robot – is the first Watson-enabled robot concierge in the hospitality industry, claims IBM.

Connie draws on domain knowledge from Watson and WayBlazer to inform guests on local tourist attractions, dining recommendations and hotel features and amenities.

Connie, named for Hilton’s founder Conrad Hilton, marks the first time IBM has developed a Watson-enabled robot for the hospitality market. Connie will work side-by-side with Hilton’s Team Members to assist with visitor requests, personalize the guest experience and empower travelers with more information to help them plan their trips. [Read more…] about IBM pilots robot as Hilton hotel concierge

NXP enters US DoT’s vehicle-to-x Smart City Challenge

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vehicle to x communications

NXP Semiconductors has joined the US Department of Transportation’s Smart City Challenge as a provider of vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2X) technology.

With this partnership, NXP, together with its partner Cohda Wireless, will provide the contest’s winning community with wireless technology that allows cars to securely exchange data, such as hazard warnings, over distances of more than a mile to prevent accidents and improve traffic flow.

The Smart City Challenge is a nationwide competition set to award the winning, medium-sized US city a prize of $50 million through the DoT and its partners, for that city’s ideas to develop the connected city of the future and address the challenges that growing populations present to transportation infrastructure.  [Read more…] about NXP enters US DoT’s vehicle-to-x Smart City Challenge

Fujitsu develops new IoT platform for robotics and automation

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fujitsu iot platform

Fujitsu has developed a new software platform that enables the centralized and stable management of operating status for a variety of sensors, devices, gateways, and robotics and automation systems, as well as the condition of the network that connects them.

This platform will support the operation and management of an anticipated and growing array of IoT services, says the company.

In developing this new platform, Fujitsu Laboratories and Fujitsu Research and Development Center have defined common Application Programming Interface (API) to enable consolidated management of IoT device and network status, as well as the monitoring information required to analyze the cause of faults. [Read more…] about Fujitsu develops new IoT platform for robotics and automation

ABB wins large robot order from Valmet Automotive to produce new Mercedes SUV

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abb robotics

ABB will deliver over 250 robots to Valmet Automotive for use at its Mercedes-Benz GLC SUV body shop in Uusikaupunki, Finland. Production of the GLC sport utility vehicle will begin in early 2017.

This is the largest contract for industrial robots ever signed in Finland. Valmet Automotive’s total number of ABB robots will double to more than 500. The recently announced new production line is a greenfield project, which consists of the main lines and sub-assembly cells.

The additional robots will boost the Finnish automotive supplier’s flexible manufacturing allowing it to enhance its operations by improving productivity and shortening lead-times.

“ABB’s flexible and intelligent manufacturing technologies will help Valmet Automotive reduce investment costs, increase productivity and respond quickly to market demands,” said Pekka Tiitinen, president of ABB’s Discrete Automation and Motion division. “Improving industrial productivity is one of the major growth drivers of ABB’s Next Level strategy.”  [Read more…] about ABB wins large robot order from Valmet Automotive to produce new Mercedes SUV