Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

David Edwards

Prioritising security in the robotics industry

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By Gabriel Aguiar Noury, robotics product manager at Canonical, publisher of the Ubuntu open-source operating system

The robotics industry is thriving, with more organisations beginning to recognise the commercial and operational impact robots can have on their business.

In the retail sector, for example, Best Buy has introduced Chloe, a robot that operates like a vending machine – only instead of dispensing sweets, she distributes phone chargers and plug adapters.

Customers can place an order via a touchpad in-store and in under half a minute, Chloe scans thousands of products and locates the order for the consumer. [Read more…] about Prioritising security in the robotics industry

How the MIT mini cheetah learns to run

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By Rachel Gordon, MIT CSAIL

CSAIL scientists came up with a learning pipeline for the four-legged robot that learns to run entirely by trial and error in simulation (see video below)

It’s been roughly 23 years since one of the first robotic animals trotted on the scene, defying classical notions of our cuddly four-legged friends.

Since then, a barrage of the walking, dancing, and door-opening machines have commanded their presence, a sleek mixture of batteries, sensors, metal, and motors. [Read more…] about How the MIT mini cheetah learns to run

Absolute Machine Tools agrees to partnership with Scytec Consulting

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In its continual pursuit to transform shop floors across the world, Scytec has agreed a partnership with Absolute Machine Tools.

This exciting partnership between two industry leaders will see Scytec’s revolutionary data collection software, DataXchange being provided with CNC machines being sold by Absolute Machine Tools for maximizing machine uptime and opening the door to hidden revenue streams for end-users.

Partnering with Absolute Machine Tools is another leap forward in Scytec’s mission to modernize the manufacturing industry by utilizing and leveraging data collection and it is paramount to the next big step in digital transformation. [Read more…] about Absolute Machine Tools agrees to partnership with Scytec Consulting

Wikswo and VIIBRE team to build third-generation ‘self-driving lab’ with $1 million from National Science Foundation

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John Wikswo, founder and director of the Vanderbilt Institute for Integrative Biosystems Research and Education and Gordon A. Cain University Professor, is the principal investigator of a $1 million award from the National Science Foundation.

The object is to build a pathbreaking “robot scientist” – a fully automated microfluidic system for parallel, independent, long-duration, machine-guided experiments.

The target organisms are the single-cell eukaryotic yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, commonly known as brewer’s and baker’s yeast, the bacterium Escherichia coli and other microbes used in commercial biotechnologies, and the Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells used to produce antibody-based drugs and vaccines. [Read more…] about Wikswo and VIIBRE team to build third-generation ‘self-driving lab’ with $1 million from National Science Foundation

RG Group agrees integration partnership with Seegrid

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RG Group, headquartered in York, Pennsylvania, has agreed a certified integration partnership with Seegrid, a provider of high payload autonomous mobile robots.

Seegrid robots are used to improve operational workflows by organizations of all sizes – across a broad spectrum of industries.

Founded in 2003, Seegrid is the leading provider of connected autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for material handling with millions of production miles driven and enterprise software solutions that maximize material flow efficiencies. [Read more…] about RG Group agrees integration partnership with Seegrid

Saintonge becomes first hospital in France to install the Dexter surgical robot

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Saintonge says it has become the first hospital in France to install the Dexter surgical robot, which was developed by Distalmotion, a Swiss company.

With its new Dexter system Saintonge Hospital says it is pioneering a new approach to best-in-class minimally invasive care called “on-demand robotics”.

This new concept allows laparoscopic surgeons to choose their preferred tools for every step of a surgical procedure. Sometimes these will be handheld tools, manipulated manually at bedside. [Read more…] about Saintonge becomes first hospital in France to install the Dexter surgical robot

Tech Mahindra launches ‘Ideathon Laps’ globally to develop green digital solutions

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In a bid to focus on responsible business growth that can help shape a better and sustainable future, Tech Mahindra, a provider of digital transformation, consulting and business re-engineering services and solutions, is hosting Tech in Sustainability “Ideathon Laps”, as a part of the ongoing Mahindra Racing partnership.

The Ideathon Laps will crowdsource innovative solutions for a better and sustainable future and will be held across multiple race cities, identifying innovative thinkers in Riyadh, Mexico City, Berlin, Jakarta, Vancouver, New York, and London.

Ideathon laps in Riyadh and Mexico City are already in progress and the registrations for the same are currently open. [Read more…] about Tech Mahindra launches ‘Ideathon Laps’ globally to develop green digital solutions

Nvidia invests $10 million in delivery robot startup Serve Robotics

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Nvidia and Serve Robotics have established a strategic technology collaboration to further the development of autonomous robotic transportation, which includes a $10 million equity investment in the company.

Serve Robotics, which specializes in robotic delivery services and sidewalk delivery systems, says its strategic technology collaboration with Nvidia will further efforts in developing the future of autonomous robotic transportation.

As part of the collaboration, Nvidia will provide its Jetson edge AI computing platform to Serve Robotics, a well as its perception and mapping tools, and many other technologies. [Read more…] about Nvidia invests $10 million in delivery robot startup Serve Robotics

Starship’s robot food delivery service launches Tennessee university

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Starship Technologies has partnered with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville to roll out a robot food delivery service in a local area called Rocky Top.

A fleet of 40 autonomous on-demand robots will deliver from 16 campus eateries including Einstein Bros. Bagels, Steak ’n Shake, Starbucks, and Subway, among others.

Students, faculty, and staff can use the Starship app (iOS and Android) to order food and drinks from select dining partners to be delivered anywhere on campus. [Read more…] about Starship’s robot food delivery service launches Tennessee university

Robotics-as-a-Service market growing in the logistics industry

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Between 6 percent and 8 percent of total revenue in the mobile robotics for logistics market comes from Robotics-as-a-Service, according to research company IDTechEx.

X-as-a-Service business models are now commonplace in the industry, involving the delivery of a specific service rather than a product to perform the service.

The most significant change in models such as this is the replacement of a proportionally very large up-front product price with a billing structure that is based on the services performed as the product itself. [Read more…] about Robotics-as-a-Service market growing in the logistics industry