Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

David Edwards

John Deere acquires Bear Flag Robotics for $250 million

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Deere & Company has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Bear Flag Robotics for $250 million.

Founded in 2017, the Silicon Valley-based startup develops autonomous driving technology compatible with existing machines – essentially, it retrofits existing tractors with patented artificial intelligence technology.

Deere says the deal “accelerates the development and delivery of automation and autonomy on the farm” and supports the company’s long-term strategy to create smarter machines with advanced technology to support individual customer needs. [Read more…] about John Deere acquires Bear Flag Robotics for $250 million

Third Wave Automation raises $40 million in new investment

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Third Wave Automation has closed its Series B financing, a $40 million round led by Norwest Venture Partners with participation from prior investors Innovation Endeavors and Eclipse, along with Toyota Ventures.

Third Wave is a startup company which says it has achieved a “breakthrough in machine learning, computer vision and robotic material manipulation”.

The additional funds will accelerate growth and commercialization efforts. As a part of the changes, Matt Howard, general partner at Norwest Venture Partners, will join Third Wave’s board of directors.

Howard says: “I’ve been tracking Arshan and the team at Third Wave for some time and have been consistently impressed. [Read more…] about Third Wave Automation raises $40 million in new investment

Pratt & Whitney selects Webcon to accelerate digital transformation

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Pratt & Whitney, a world leader in the design, manufacturing and service of aircraft and helicopter engines and auxiliary power units, has chosen Webcon BPS as its enterprise-grade, low-code process management and automation platform to digitalize business processes and accelerate its digital transformation to align with the new remote work reality.

Jocelyn Brulé, Pratt & Whitney digital technology manager, says: “As an industry leader, we must not only ensure operational efficiency, but also focus on innovation. Therefore, for many years we have been using low-code platforms to digitize business processes.

“Webcon BPS, used in our Polish division, was one of them. Due to the efficiency, transparency and speed by which we’ve been able to use it to deliver business applications, and how easily the platform enables change management, we decided to roll it out globally. [Read more…] about Pratt & Whitney selects Webcon to accelerate digital transformation

Einride partners with Bridgestone to develop electric and autonomous trucks

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Einride and Bridgestone have agreed a partnership aimed at co-creating innovative and sustainable mobility solutions for electrified and autonomous Class 8 vehicles – trucks.

The collaboration will allow Einride to collect new layers of safety and efficiency-related data from Bridgestone’s smart-sensing tires, while enabling Bridgestone to integrate its advanced mobility technologies into Einride’s onboard vehicle platforms.

Together, the companies will work to create safer and more efficient mobility solutions to drive a more sustainable future for large commercial truck fleets. [Read more…] about Einride partners with Bridgestone to develop electric and autonomous trucks

Vecna Robotics and Alta Material Handling to bring ‘high-capacity autonomous mobile robots to expanded markets’

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Vecna Robotics, the autonomous mobile robot and workflow orchestration company, is partnering with Alta Material Handling.

The partnership enables Alta MH to bring the capabilities of Vecna Robotics’ high-capacity AMRs to its customers looking for highly versatile, safe and integrated pallet-handling solutions.

Over 1.8 billion pallets are in circulation in the US each day – with billions more across the globe – but less than 1 percent of the millions of material handling vehicles moving them are automated today. [Read more…] about Vecna Robotics and Alta Material Handling to bring ‘high-capacity autonomous mobile robots to expanded markets’

Getting dressed with help from robots

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MIT has demonstrated a “human-aware motion planning algorithm” that addresses the safety gap in collaboration between robots and humans – and could be used to make robots help people get dressed. (See video below.)

Basic safety needs in the paleolithic era have largely evolved with the onset of the industrial and cognitive revolutions. We interact a little less with raw materials, and interface a little more with machines.

Robots don’t have the same hardwired behavioral awareness and control, so secure collaboration with humans requires methodical planning and coordination. You can likely assume your friend can fill up your morning coffee cup without spilling on you, but for a robot, this seemingly simple task requires careful observation and comprehension of human behavior.

Scientists from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have recently created a new algorithm to help a robot find efficient motion plans to ensure physical safety of its human counterpart. In this case, the bot helped put a jacket on a human, which could potentially prove to be a powerful tool in expanding assistance for those with disabilities or limited mobility. [Read more…] about Getting dressed with help from robots

Robots who goof: Can we trust them again?

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When robots make mistakes – and they do from time to time – re-establishing trust with human co-workers depends on how the machines own up to the errors and how human-like they appear, according to University of Michigan research.

In a study that examined multiple trust repair strategies – apologies, denials, explanations or promises – the researchers found that certain approaches directed at human co-workers are better than others and often are impacted by how the robots look.

Lionel Robert (main picture), associate professor at the U-M School of Information, says: “Robots are definitely a technology but their interactions with humans are social and we must account for these social interactions if we hope to have humans comfortably trust and rely on their robot co-workers. [Read more…] about Robots who goof: Can we trust them again?

DroneDeploy acquires Rocos to ‘accelerate job site automation’

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DroneDeploy, a mapping and drone data specialist, has acquired Rocos, a New Zealand-based robotics software company.

The acquisition will enable DroneDeploy customers in construction, energy, agriculture, and more to deploy and orchestrate both aerial and ground robots on their job sites.

This acquisition will make physical workflow automation possible, creating more efficient and safer workplaces. [Read more…] about DroneDeploy acquires Rocos to ‘accelerate job site automation’

Kiwibot and Sodexo launch robotic food delivery services to three university campuses

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Kiwibot, a robotic last-mile delivery company, is partnering with Sodexo, a food services and facilities management company, to expand its robotic fleet to “drive the future of smart university campuses”.

This August, the two companies will make robot deliveries available at three campuses in the US:

  • New Mexico State University;
  • Loyola Marymount University, California; and
  • Gonzaga University, Washington.

Kiwibot says it offers full remote and in-field customer support to businesses and integrates with any business’s point-of-sale to distribute their food products via “powerful, cute-looking robots”. [Read more…] about Kiwibot and Sodexo launch robotic food delivery services to three university campuses

Colorado launches ‘America’s largest fleet of autonomous, electric shuttles’

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Autonomous Vehicles Colorado (AvCo), a program designed to improve public transportation using advanced technologies, says it has launched “America’s largest fleet of low-speed, autonomous electric shuttles in multiple cities across Colorado”.

Service in the first of three locations officially launched a couple of days ago at Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado.

For at least the next year, the autonomous shuttle buses will connect Mines students, faculty, staff, and the general public with key destinations in the city and around campus that currently lack convenient mobility options. [Read more…] about Colorado launches ‘America’s largest fleet of autonomous, electric shuttles’