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autonomy

Burro raises $10.9 million Series A to accelerate commercialization of its collaborative robot platform for agriculture sector

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Burro, formerly known as Augean Robotics, an autonomy company providing solutions for the agriculture industry, has raised a $10.9 million in its Series A investment round.

The round was led by S2G Ventures and Toyota Ventures, with F-Prime Capital and the Cibus Enterprise Fund joining, along with existing investors including Radicle Growth and ffVC.

Burro robots are the first step towards an autonomous future where robots do work outdoors that people no longer want to do. Burros enable growers to boost profitability and mitigate labor shortages today by working collaboratively to force multiply workers, while also laying the foundation for more comprehensive automation tomorrow. [Read more…] about Burro raises $10.9 million Series A to accelerate commercialization of its collaborative robot platform for agriculture sector

Pittsburgh set to become ‘major player globally’ in autonomous vehicles sector

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The Pittsburgh autonomy sector has reached critical mass and has the potential to become a major player in the global market, according to a new study. It adds, however, that “urgent action is needed” to compete more effectively against other regions and to encourage autonomy companies to locate and remain in Southwestern Pennsylvania as they mature and grow.

The report – Forefront: Securing Pittsburgh’s Break-out Position in Autonomous Mobile Systems – was issued by Regional Industrial Development Corporation (RIDC) and the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce with research conducted by TEConomy Partners.

The culmination of a nine-month long study, the report finds that the Pittsburgh region is one of the top centers for autonomous mobile systems – a sector predicted to grow to a $1 trillion+ global market by 2026, with an estimated 5,000 jobs and a $10 billion impact for a region that captures 1 percent of that global market growth. [Read more…] about Pittsburgh set to become ‘major player globally’ in autonomous vehicles sector

Sea Machines embarks on ‘world’s first’ autonomous, remotely commanded voyage by an ocean tugboat

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In a milestone moment slated to prove that the world’s waterways are primed and ready for autonomous technology, Sea Machines will circumnavigate Denmark on a multi-week 1,000 nautical mile remotely commanded commercial voyage.

Sea Machines Robotics, a developer of autonomous command and control systems for the maritime industry, says it will embark on a 1,000 nautical mile autonomous and remotely commanded journey around Denmark later this month.

Aptly named “The Machine Odyssey”, the voyage marks a landmark moment for autonomous transportation and is slated to prove that the world’s waterways are primed and ready for long-range autonomy.

The Machine Odyssey will depart from Hamburg, Germany, on September 30, with full onboard vessel control managed by autonomous technology, while operating under the authority of commanding officers located in the United States. [Read more…] about Sea Machines embarks on ‘world’s first’ autonomous, remotely commanded voyage by an ocean tugboat

SafeAI releases ‘first operating system purpose-built for autonomous heavy equipment’

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SafeAI, a developer of software for autonomous heavy equipment, has released its SafeAI Autonomous Framework, which the company claims is “the first operating system built specifically for autonomous heavy equipment”.

The company says that, with the SAF, companies can use both SafeAI’s infrastructure and industry expertise to accelerate their autonomous application development and create safer, more productive job sites faster than ever.

Off-road heavy industries know they need to deploy autonomous solutions to remain competitive. However, many do not have the time, resources or in-house expertise to build the solutions they need from the ground up. [Read more…] about SafeAI releases ‘first operating system purpose-built for autonomous heavy equipment’

Landscaping robot company Electric Sheep Robotics officially launches

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Robotic lawnmower startup Electric Sheep Robotics has now officially launched as “an autonomy partner to the landscaping industry”.

The company is tackling the industry’s single most pressing challenge, a decades-long shortage of reliable labor. This has often resulted in businesses that are unable to grow beyond a certain size even if the demand is present.

Over 50 percent of landscape maintenance involves lawn mowing, a tedious and repetitive process made physically grueling by exposure to harsh weather. This exacerbates the industry’s labor shortages, low growth and shrinking margins. [Read more…] about Landscaping robot company Electric Sheep Robotics officially launches

Velodyne to provide its lidar sensors to Renu Robotics

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Velodyne Lidar has reached a multi-year agreement to provide its Puck lidar sensors to Renu Robotics, an industry leader in autonomous vegetation management systems.

Renu Robotics’ Renubot, a fully autonomous, all-electric mower, helps solar and energy facilities cut costs, time and carbon emissions, while maintaining the grounds for maximum performance of the facility.

Renu Robotics selected the Puck after a competitive product review. The company found that Velodyne’s Puck offered superior quality, reliability and performance, including significantly less system interference for optimal positional accuracy. [Read more…] about Velodyne to provide its lidar sensors to Renu Robotics

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

Arrival partners with Ambarella to develop advanced driver assistance systems

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Arrival, a develop of electric vehicles, has selected the Ambarella CV2FS CVflow AI vision processor for the environmental perception module available for all types of Arrival vehicles.

The module will be used to enable autonomous driving (AD) and ADAS features in the Arrival Bus and Van.

Arrival believes it will accelerate the mass adoption of EVs globally by producing affordable commercial vehicles across the whole transportation ecosystem, and working closely with cities and governments to transform mobility. [Read more…] about Arrival partners with Ambarella to develop advanced driver assistance systems

Perrone Robotics completes series of public road tests of its autonomous vehicles

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Perrone Robotics, a provider of autonomous vehicle technology, says it has successfully completed a series of public road demonstrations in the city of Westminster, Maryland, as part of an event hosted by the Mid-Atlantic Gigabit Innovation Collaboratory (MAGIC) Autonomous Corridor Project.

Following the success achieved in Maryland a week before, the company conducted back-to-back public road tests for customers with a GreenPower AV Star zero-emission transit shuttle, and a Low Speed Vehicle neighborhood electric vehicle, both integrated with Perrone Autonomy.

These vehicles are slated for customer deployment later this summer for use in municipal and university transit applications. [Read more…] about Perrone Robotics completes series of public road tests of its autonomous vehicles

Motional and Lyft agree ‘world’s largest’ robotaxi partnership

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Motional and Lyft have signed what they describe as “the world’s largest robotaxi deployment partnership” in a deal that has the potential to make driverless vehicles a reality for millions of Americans.

Starting in 2023, consumers in select markets will be able to book a Motional robotaxi through the Lyft app. For many, this will be their first experience with driverless technology.

In a statement, Motional said: “Today, we unveil a key part of that experience. We’re excited to announce that the celebrated Hyundai Ioniq 5 will be the vehicle platform for Motional’s next-generation robotaxi.” [Read more…] about Motional and Lyft agree ‘world’s largest’ robotaxi partnership