Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

Archives for August 17, 2020

Automated Automotive Lighting is a Component That We Shouldn’t Overlook. Here’s Why.

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Automation is one of the things that tech companies tout proudly, and with good reason. It stands to revolutionize the way technology influences our lives.

While some people may view this as something akin to an encouragement for complacence, at its very core, automation is meant to function as an assistive tool rather than a replacement for human functions.

This is especially applicable to the realm of automotive automation, where the safety and lives of people are at stake. [Read more…] about Automated Automotive Lighting is a Component That We Shouldn’t Overlook. Here’s Why.

BP’s sale of its petrochemicals business suggests big oil is trying to become big electric

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BP recently sold its petrochemicals business for $5 billion to Ineos, a move which suggests that “big oil” companies are trying to become “big electric” suppliers.

The Wall Street Journal says the sale was the “largest deal by an oil major since the coronavirus outbreak gripped the global economy”.

WSJ says the transaction would enable BP to different itself from its rivals, many of which are forecasting significant growth for the segment and don’t look like they want to sell or leave the petrochemicals sector. [Read more…] about BP’s sale of its petrochemicals business suggests big oil is trying to become big electric

What robots want: Using machine-learning to teach effectively

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By Hyunsoo (Hyun) Kim, co-founder and CEO of Superb AI

AI is having a moment. One need only casually scan the news each week to see that the topics of artificial intelligence and machine learning have grown like ivy, extending their tendrils into stories as varied as racial bias, hiring, and of course, identifying spiders.

But for all the diverse applications of AI across our inboxes, magazines and evening news, few outside of the engineering community have a robust understanding of what the terms actually mean, or how the robots and algorithms we increasingly rely upon come to know how to do the complex jobs humans assign to them.

For starters, the machines involved in machine learning are increasingly more likely to take the form of a disembodied hivemind than a humanoid assistant. [Read more…] about What robots want: Using machine-learning to teach effectively

China overtakes US as world’s leading patent generator

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China has overtaken the US as the world’s leading researcher, generating 58,990 patents in 2019 compared with America’s 57,840. 

This is the first time since 1978 that the US has lost its position as the world’s leading producer of patent-winning inventions or innovations. (See animation below.)

The figures were published by the World Intellectual Property Organization, a specialized agency of the United Nations. [Read more…] about China overtakes US as world’s leading patent generator

Toyota and Mazda to invest extra $830 million into US factory

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Japanese automakers Toyota and Mazda are planning to invest an additional $830 million into a manufacturing facility in the US, according to a report on Nikkei Asian Review. 

The Mazda Toyota Manufacturing site in Huntsville, Alabama will build sports utility vehicles and the total investment in the facility is estimated to be more than $2.3 billion.

The original plan, announced a couple of years ago, forecast investment to be $1.6 billion, and production was scheduled to start in 2021. Now, says Nikkei, production is expected to start in 2022. [Read more…] about Toyota and Mazda to invest extra $830 million into US factory

Developing a Platform to Book Car Rental Online

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We live in a fast−paced world where everything is available to us at our fingertips. With a few finger taps on your phone, you can buy groceries, movies, books, and even a boat without ever leaving your home.

With this level of convenience that many people have grown accustomed to having, it can be difficult appeasing to customers using the old−fashioned route of booking a car by phone.

Car rental websites were one of the biggest ways of drawing in customers since it makes finding rental prices and information on what vehicle models are available with ease. [Read more…] about Developing a Platform to Book Car Rental Online

Remote Access a Valuable Tool for Business

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Have you ever had a situation arise where you need access to your laptop but don’t have it on you?

For example, you need to finish working on an important project from work or perhaps you just want to share photos with a friend.

We use our laptops on a daily basis, our laptops slowly become an extension of us. [Read more…] about Remote Access a Valuable Tool for Business

Trump looking to ban Alibaba

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Alibaba, which at one time was the world’s largest e-commerce company, is in the sights of US President Donald Trump, according to Reuters.

Asked directly at a White House briefing if he was considering a ban on Alibaba, Trump replied: “We’re looking at other things, yes we are.”

Alibaba is a Chinese company most famous for its business-to-business website Alibaba.com, where qualified buyers can contact and do businesses directly with manufacturers and other industrial companies in China. [Read more…] about Trump looking to ban Alibaba

Sales of US cotton-harvesting machinery to China increase by 4,000 percent

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Sales of US-manufactured cotton-harvesting machinery to China have increased by 4,000 percent, according to a report on the South China Morning Post website.

The news outlet says its own analysis shows that the increase in April of this year was “more than 4,000 percent” when compared with the same month last year.

The main reason for the dramatic increases, says the SCMP, is the possible threat of US sanctions against China which might make it impossible to import hi-tech goods. [Read more…] about Sales of US cotton-harvesting machinery to China increase by 4,000 percent