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The big AMR fleet computing debate: Distributed vs centralized

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By Limor Schweitzer, CTO and founder, MOV.AI

A shift in mobile robot computing needs

Over the past year, we have seen the growing adoption of centralized computing in Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) fleets. In this article, we ask if this trend is the best approach, especially in advanced deployments with a large number of AMRs and dynamic, non-sterile environments.

Past generations of AMRs, or more accurately Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), operated in sterile environments, with physically marked fixed routes and simple, predefined tasks. The computing requirements were almost nonexistent. [Read more…] about The big AMR fleet computing debate: Distributed vs centralized

RTI releases ‘first’ software framework for widely distributed autonomous systems

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Real-Time Innovations, a software framework company for autonomous systems, has released the latest version of its software framework, RTI Connext.

RTI says Connext 6.1 is “the first software framework designed to address the development and deployment challenges faced by companies building remotely-operated autonomous systems”.

Autonomous systems must operate in inaccessible, remote, or hazardous environments. [Read more…] about RTI releases ‘first’ software framework for widely distributed autonomous systems

Wikifactory raises $4.5 million to expand its new design collaboration software

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Wikifactory, an online collaboration platform for physical product design and development, has completed a “total upgrade” that it says will enable users the ability to make anything with nothing but a laptop and an internet connection.

Wikifactory says its new Collaborative CAD Tool with in-built chat will “transform the way products are made”, enabling designers, engineers, manufacturers and enterprise to collaborate remotely on virtually any CAD model, from concept through to finished prototype.

The new Collaborative CAD Tool allows product developers of all skill levels in virtually any industry to explore, review and discuss 3D models in over 30 file formats in real-time. [Read more…] about Wikifactory raises $4.5 million to expand its new design collaboration software

NASA takes delivery of first all-electric experimental aircraft

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The first all-electric configuration of NASA’s X-57 Maxwell now is at the space agency’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.

The X-57, NASA’s first all-electric experimental aircraft, or X-plane – and the first crewed X-plane in two decades – was delivered by Empirical Systems Aerospace (ESAero) of San Luis Obispo, California on Wednesday, October 2, in the first of three configurations as an all-electric aircraft, known as Modification II, or Mod II.

The X-57’s Mod II vehicle features the replacement of traditional combustion engines on a baseline Tecnam P2006T aircraft, with electric cruise motors. [Read more…] about NASA takes delivery of first all-electric experimental aircraft

Google gives TensorFlow distributed computing support

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google tensorflow

Google is running TensorFlow across hundreds of machines, and now you can run it on as many machines as you want in your office 

Google has introduced distributed computing support to the latest version of its machine learning software TensorFlow.

TensorFlow 0.8 can now be run on small clusters of machines in your office using Google’s new Inception image classification neural network.  [Read more…] about Google gives TensorFlow distributed computing support