Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Sam Francis

Starship Technologies raises another $25 million in funding and appoints new CEO

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Starship Technologies, the maker of small autonomous vehicles for home deliveries, has raised another $25 million in additional seed funding and has appointed Lex Bayer as chief executive officer.

The round includes follow-on investments from existing investors including Matrix Partners and Morpheus Ventures.

Additional investors include Airbnb co-founder Nathan Blecharczyk, Skype founding engineer Jaan Tallinn, and former chairman and CEO of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Gary Barber.  [Read more…] about Starship Technologies raises another $25 million in funding and appoints new CEO

Daimler Trucks to open automated truck R&D center in Portland, Oregon

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Daimler Trucks says it will establish an automated truck research and development center in the US.

The facility will be located at Daimler Trucks North America headquarters on Swan Island in Portland, Oregon, where DTNA already has a significant research and development presence, including a full-scale heavy-duty truck wind tunnel on Swan Island and the High Desert Proving Grounds nearby in Madras, Oregon.

The center will be dedicated to further developing automated driving technology and understanding its impact on society and benefits for customers. [Read more…] about Daimler Trucks to open automated truck R&D center in Portland, Oregon

Belt and Road: Siemens partners with Chinese companies on giant Eurasian transportation network

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Siemens has entered into more than 10 agreements with Chinese partners relating to opportunities arising from the Belt and Road Initiative, which is a plan to build a giant transport network linking Asia to Europe.

A recent conference called the Belt and Road International Summit, held by Siemens, brought together more than 1,000 leaders and executive representatives from governments, enterprises, investors, financing institutions and think tanks from more than 30 countries and regions.  [Read more…] about Belt and Road: Siemens partners with Chinese companies on giant Eurasian transportation network

IBM partners with artificial intelligence developer H2O.ai on driverless car tech

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IBM and H2O.ai have agreed a strategic global partnership aimed at combining IBM Power Systems and H2O Driverless AI to address the artificial intelligence demands of the enterprise.

This joint solution is ideal for financial services, retail, manufacturing, IoT and healthcare industries.

IBM Power Systems is the US computing giant’s line of server and data centre equipment and architecture solutions. H20.ai is a data analysis company which specialises in AI.  [Read more…] about IBM partners with artificial intelligence developer H2O.ai on driverless car tech

Killer alien robots may have wiped out all extraterrestrial colonies, says scientist

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The reason why we have not yet found life on Mars, or anywhere else in outer space, is because a whole load of psycho alien killer robots wiped them all out.

That is the considered opinion of scientist Alexander Berezin of the National Research University of Electronic Technology.

Particle physicist Berezin suggests psycho alien killer robots from an undetermined origin is the most likely explanation for something called “the Fermi paradox”, named after famous scientist Enrico Fermi.  [Read more…] about Killer alien robots may have wiped out all extraterrestrial colonies, says scientist

Kuka launches new collaborative robot

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Kuka Robot Group has launched a new collaborative robot it calls “LBR iisy”. (See video below.)

The company says the new machine is specifically designed for work in the electronics sector but can be applied in many others.

In a statement, Kuka says: “The LBR iisy is incredibly effective and impressive both in industrial series production and in environments with dynamic, unstructured workplaces previously closed to automation.”

Sharp in talks to buy Toshiba’s computer business

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Sharp is in talks to buy Toshiba’s personal computer business, according to a report on the Reuters website. 

Sharp is owned by Foxconn, which is the main contract manufacturer to, and makes iPhones and iPads for, Apple.

Toshiba, meanwhile, has been looking to sell some of its assets to see itself through a difficult financial situation.  [Read more…] about Sharp in talks to buy Toshiba’s computer business

EcoRobotix raises $11 million funding for its farming robot

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A Swiss company called EcoRobotix has raised $11 million in Series B financing to further develop and market its farming or gardening robot. 

Founded in 2011, EcoRobotix develops autonomous weeding robots, which help farmers to produce healthier food with a more efficient and sustainable use of herbicides.

After having successfully carried out pilot projects in Switzerland and Europe, and achieved key research and development milestones, the company closed a CHF 10.6 million ($11 million) Series B financing round recently.  [Read more…] about EcoRobotix raises $11 million funding for its farming robot

Terrifying cyborgs move one step closer to taking over the world

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If you’re old enough to remember the cyborgs from the early series of science fiction series Doctor Who, you would probably agree that the Cybermen were without question the most terrifying villains to ever show their horrifying faces on our television screens. Ever. 

But what’s happening today in the real world is even more scary than that. It’s just that we seem to have become accustomed to being shocked and traumatised.

The Cybermen were probably made mostly of metal and plastic or some sort of inorganic material – as in, they were not made of flesh and bone as we know them.  [Read more…] about Terrifying cyborgs move one step closer to taking over the world

Alibaba unveils unmanned logistics vehicle featuring lidar

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Alibaba, the world’s largest e-commerce company, has unveiled a new unmanned logistics vehicle.

The “G Plus” was built in co-operation with Alibaba’s logistics business unit, Cainiao, and RoboSense, a developer of robotic technology.

The G Plus is said to be the world’s first autonomous logistics vehicle to use solid-state light detection and ranging (lidar) technology.  [Read more…] about Alibaba unveils unmanned logistics vehicle featuring lidar