capabilities

Toyota to offer rides in autonomous cars on public roads

Toyota Research Institute plans to make its Platform 4 (P4) automated driving test vehicle available for public demonstration rides next summer in Tokyo.

Offered from July to September 2020, the P4 will demonstrate Toyota’s “Chauffeur” SAE Level-4 capabilities in a specific “mobility as a service” driving environment.

The P4 experience will take place in Tokyo’s Odaiba district, a busy and often congested waterfront subcenter. [Read more…] about Toyota to offer rides in autonomous cars on public roads

Vecna Robotics partners with UniCarriers to launch new line of autonomous material handling solutions

Vecna Robotics is teaming up with UniCarriers Americas, a manufacturer of material handling equipment and part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

The two companies are collaborating on a line of autonomous material handling vehicles for warehouses, distribution centers, and manufacturing environments.

Vecna Robotics is integrating its autonomous navigation technology, learning algorithms, and workflow orchestration software into UCA vehicles turning them into autonomous mobile robots, capable of moving bulk material through dynamic warehouse environments. [Read more…] about Vecna Robotics partners with UniCarriers to launch new line of autonomous material handling solutions

Formant launches cloud platform to manage robot fleets

Formant, a San Francisco-based startup, has launched its new cloud robotics platform, which enables businesses to automatically collect and analyze robotics data.

By centralizing all application data in a single web user interface, Formant allows business teams, operators, and engineers to improve the efficacy of their robotic workforce.

Jeff Linnell, CEO of Formant.io, says: “Robots are leaving the factory and adventuring into our world. They could use some guidance. This release facilitates this journey by enabling robot fleets to thrive through human observability and assistance.” [Read more…] about Formant launches cloud platform to manage robot fleets

Logic Supply launches ‘high-performance’ edge computing device

Industrial and IoT computer hardware manufacturer Logic Supply has unveiled the Karbon 700 “high-performance rugged computer”.

Designed for reliability in challenging environments, Karbon 700 is intended for use as a data logger, NVR or edge device in heavy industrial, in-vehicle or remote installations in the manufacturing, physical security and energy management industries.

Murat Erdogan, Logic Supply VP of products, says: “The Edge continues to expand further out from the data center, placing increasingly challenging environmental demands on hardware. [Read more…] about Logic Supply launches ‘high-performance’ edge computing device

SLAM software paving the way for new generation autonomous mobile robots

Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM), a software-and-hardware technology which enables a mobile device to map its environment while positioning itself within it, is a crucial driver for robotics.

SLAM will enable the transition from automated guided vehicles (AGVs) to autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) in the industrial space.

According to report by global tech market advisory firm, ABI Research, the installed base of SLAM-enabled commercial and industrial robots will exceed 15 million by 2030. [Read more…] about SLAM software paving the way for new generation autonomous mobile robots

Auto industry leaders publish new automated driving safety framework

Intel, in collaboration with 10 industry leaders in automotive and autonomous driving technology, have published ‘Safety First for Automated Driving‘, a framework for the design, development, verification and validation of safe automated passenger vehicles (AVs).

The paper builds on Intel’s model for safer AV decision-making known as Responsibility-Sensitive Safety (RSS).

Developing AVs that are verifiably safe by design is critical to enabling higher levels of autonomy on public roads, says Intel.

JMP Solutions acquires Hi-Def Controls

JMP Solutions has acquired Calgary-based Hi-Def Controls, enhancing their presence in Western Canada while benefitting from additional competencies specifically in the oil and gas, water and wastewater, and power systems industry segments.

The two organizations say they are “a natural fit” not only due to their focused industry alignment, but most notably, their common customer-centric philosophy, which revolves around supporting their clients throughout the lifetime of their systems, not just for the length of the project; a culture which truly sets them apart from the bulk of the System Integrator market.

Scott Shawyer, JMP president and CEO, says: “We are very happy that the Hi-Def team has decided to join us at JMP. Their capabilities are world class and allow us to ensure our customers have effective strategies in place for managing and optimizing their systems, information and technologies. [Read more…] about JMP Solutions acquires Hi-Def Controls

NXP and Microsoft demonstrate edge-to-cloud machine learning solution for predictive maintenance

NXP Semiconductors has agreed a collaboration with Microsoft to bring artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities for anomaly detection to Azure internet of things users.

By combining complementary strengths – NXP’s offline machine learning capability and embedded processing with Microsoft’s cloud expertise – the two companies jointly demonstrates a new Anomaly Detection Solution for Azure IoT at Microsoft Build in Seattle recently.

The solution consists of a small form factor, low power system-on-module powered by NXP’s i.MX RT106C Crossover Processors, a full suite of sensors, and an associated Anomaly Detection Toolbox.

[Read more…]

Sick launches new compact image-based code reader

Sick has launched a new compact image-based code reader, Lector621, for reliable detection of 1D, 2D, stacked codes, and plain text.

The high-performance DPM – direct part marking – decoder can read laser or dot-peened codes perfectly, even in the case of low contrast levels, contamination, or poor code quality.

This fills a gap in Sick’s existing portfolio of code readers, by providing a compact solution with increased reading distance, resolution, field of vision, and scanning frequency. [Read more…] about Sick launches new compact image-based code reader

IBM endows Watson with new powers of humanity

ibm watson — IBM Watson gains new knowledge and some emotional capaibilities

IBM has introduced new and expanded cognitive APIs for developers that the company claims “enhance Watson’s emotional and visual senses, further extending the capabilities of the industry’s largest and most diverse set of cognitive technologies and tools”.

Three APIs, Tone Analyzer, Emotion Analysis and Visual Recognition, are now available in beta. Additionally, Text to Speech (TTS) has been updated with new emotional capabilities and is being re-released as Expressive TTS for general availability.

These APIs are pushing the sensory boundaries of how humans and machines interact, and they are designed to improve how developers embed these technologies to create solutions that can think, perceive and empathize. [Read more…] about IBM endows Watson with new powers of humanity