Robotics & Automation News

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Swarm Theory: Lessons from nature in the advancement of robotics

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By Rhys Davies, product manager at Canonical, publisher of the Ubuntu open source operating system

As part of a recent entry to Science Robotics, experts argued that “Covid-19 could be a catalyst for developing robotic systems that can be rapidly deployed with remote access […] to front lines”.

It is often in times of great strife that innovation truly comes to the fore – the progress made across both public and private sectors in recent weeks is a tribute to just that, encompassing everything from advanced data analytics to the production of ventilators by the likes of McLaren, Mercedes and other F1 teams.

Robotics is no different. Robots are currently handling room service in isolation centres, patrolling the streets to help countries achieve social distancing policies, and helping to entertain the elderly. [Read more…] about Swarm Theory: Lessons from nature in the advancement of robotics

Canonical releases new version of Ubuntu operating system

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Canonical has launched a new version of the Ubuntu computer operating system, which is increasingly popular in industrial devices and networks.

The company says the updated version, Ubuntu 19.04, provides the necessary tools for open infrastructure applications, includes a developer desktop, internet of things functionality, and cloud to edge software distribution.

Mark Shuttleworth, CEO of Canonical, says: “The open-source-first on Ubuntu movement in telco, finance, and media has spread to other sectors.

“From the public cloud to the private data center to the edge appliance or cluster, open source has become the reference for efficiency and innovation.

“Ubuntu 19.04 includes the leading projects to underpin that transition, and the developer tooling to accelerate the applications for those domains.”

Could an IoT security domino effect derail robotics before it ever goes mainstream?

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By Eric Jensen, head of IoT product management at Canonical

2019 will be a big year for robotics, as we begin to see the expansion of automation technologies into new markets.

But with IoT security still a weak spot, one major attack within robotics could have a domino effect on the entire industry.

Add to this the verticals that robots are beginning to infiltrate – healthcare and agriculture for example – and the threat becomes immediate and very real.  [Read more…] about Could an IoT security domino effect derail robotics before it ever goes mainstream?

An ‘App Store’ for robots? It’s coming and it’s a game-changer

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By Kyle Fazzari, software engineer and roboticist at Canonical, the company behind the Ubuntu open-source operating system

We are all familiar with Apple’s app store. It is an easily navigable place to download the latest features available, at the touch of our fingertips. Now imagine this same concept, but for robotics.

A growing industry, robotics isn’t just a buzzword – it’s becoming a transformative technology.

Whether robotics track down deadly species of starfish responsible for coral reefs destruction, or provide agricultural support for sustainable crops, access to an app store could open up an array of alternative revenue streams for robotics startups – functionality exchanged for a fee.  [Read more…] about An ‘App Store’ for robots? It’s coming and it’s a game-changer

Interview with Ubuntu boss: A rich ecosystem for robotics and automation systems

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Exclusive interview with Mike Bell from Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu

There’s a lot of talk about the Robot Operating System. Understandably so. But the most widely used operating system in robotics and automation systems development is actually Ubuntu. 

In fact, ROS is not actually an operating system at all – it’s a set of software frameworks, or a software development kit, to be installed into an operating system like Ubuntu.

As Mike Bell, executive vice president of internet of things and devices at Canonical, explains in an exclusive interview: “It’s a bit confusing because it’s called Robot Operating System, but the reason is because if you’re developing robot applications, you don’t need to worry about the fact that it’s running on Ubuntu.

“You just write your application to interface into a ROS SDK and then deploy on Ubuntu.”  [Read more…] about Interview with Ubuntu boss: A rich ecosystem for robotics and automation systems