research

Honda and CiNet begin joint neuroscientific research in Japan

Honda R&D Co., Ltd., a research and development subsidiary of Honda, has begun a collaboration with the Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), Japan, in neuroscientific research of humans in the areas of mobility and robotics.

CiNet is a flagship research institute that focuses on the brain and artificial intelligence within the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT).

Honda has recently established the Innovative Research Excellence within Honda R&D, a new centre of excellence which will be responsible for the pursuit of revolutionary advancement and the creation of values for mobility and people’s daily lives.

Nvidia opens robotics research lab in Seattle

Nvidia is opening a new robotics research lab in Seattle near the University of Washington campus led by Professor Dieter Fox, senior director of robotics research at Nvidia and professor in the UW Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering. (See video below.)

The charter of the lab is to drive breakthrough robotics research to enable the next generation of robots that perform complex manipulation tasks to safely work alongside humans and transform industries such as manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and more.

Professor Dieter Fox says: “In the past, robotics research has focused on small, independent projects rather than fully integrated systems.

“We’re bringing together a collaborative, interdisciplinary team of experts in robot control and perception, computer vision, human-robot interaction, and deep learning.” [Read more…] about Nvidia opens robotics research lab in Seattle

Capgemini study reveals barriers to electric car adoption in US

Capgemini has released a study showing that battery capacity and availability of charging stations for electric cars are the two biggest concerns of U.S. consumers that might deter purchases.

According to Capgemini’s Cars Online Trends Study, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and retailers must collaborate to address these and other concerns to meet governmental expectations, increase electric car sales and develop new services for consumers.

“OEM investment in electric cars has led to exciting technological breakthroughs and the promise of reduced emissions, yet so far sales figures have been lower than initially predicted,” said Mathew Desmond, Principal Automotive Domain Specialist at Capgemini.

Fraunhofer developing ‘next generation of industrial robots’

The Fraunhofer Institute in Germany is developing what it says will be the “next generation of industrial robots”, which integrate new kinematics for milling, customized, high-precision manufacturing

Manufacturers generally must offer high-quality products at low prices in order to remain competitive.

In a bid to provide the production technologies they will require, three Fraunhofer Institute teams are working together on what they say is “the next generation of industrial robots which will facilitate cost-effective production processes”.

The researchers are focusing on developing a new kinematics for milling lightweight materials, metals, and steels. The aim: achieving a production tolerance of just 0.1 millimeters all over the robot workspace starting with the very first component. [Read more…] about Fraunhofer developing ‘next generation of industrial robots’

Groupe PSA and Inria create an artificial intelligence OpenLab

Groupe PSA and Inria are creating an OpenLab dedicated to artificial intelligence. The studied areas will include autonomous and intelligent vehicles, mobility services, manufacturing, design development tools, design, digital marketing as well as quality and finance.

Carla Gohin, Groupe PSA’s Vice President for Research and Advanced Engineering, said: “Artificial intelligence will quickly become an efficiency factor for the group. The OpenLab will work on artificial intelligence algorithms enabling autonomous vehicles to drive in complex environments for example.

“It will also work on predictive maintenance, powertrain design optimisation and the modelling of complex systems such as cities, to offer mobility services adapted to people’s needs.”

Market research reports: A roundup of the latest surveys about the robotics and automation industry

There seems to be an increasing number of reports about the robotics and automation market, each looking at different segments, often in a different way.

It’s difficult to keep track of them all, let alone look too deeply into them and evaluate the data contained within.

So, it seems best to list all the reports currently making the headlines, and maybe readers can decide which ones are relevant and useful to them. [Read more…] about Market research reports: A roundup of the latest surveys about the robotics and automation industry

Siemens to establish global robotics research and development centre in China

Engineering giant Siemens is establishing a robotics research and development centre in China.

The company says the facility will be a global research centre in autonomous robotics, and is part of its innovation strategy to “master technology fields that are critical for future success”.

Worldwide, Siemens is planning to spend $6 billion this year on R&D, and China is likely to represent a significant portion of that budget.

Siemens says the global research community in its China R&D centre will comprise experienced experts from around the world will focus on:

the research and development of new mechatronics systems,
human-robot collaboration; and
the application of artificial intelligence in robotic controllers.

Defining a robot is more complex now, as market grows and diversifies

The definition of a robot is in flux, says Tractica in its introduction to its report, Robotics Market Forecast.

Traditional robot manufacturers that have been building and supplying robots for decades have seen this industry undergo a dramatic transformation in the past few years.

Robots have either been part of popular culture and science fiction or have been the workhorses of industrial shop floors until now. [Read more…] about Defining a robot is more complex now, as market grows and diversifies

Infographic shows projected growth of industrial robotics

The industrial automation and robotics markets is to grow at around 12 per cent a year to be worth almost $80 billion by 2022, according to a report by Markets and Markets, which produced the infographic below.

infographic Industrial_Robotics — Courtesy Markets and Markets

Toyota showcases its new advanced autonomous car platform to Boston robotics community

Boston has become one of the main centres for robotics technologies in recent years, with many well-known companies emerging from the area.

Perhaps with this in mind, the Toyota Research Institute decided to showcase its latest developments in autonomous vehicle technology, something it’s calling “Platform 2.0” – basically, its new driverless car – to attendees at the Robotics: Science and Systems conference at MIT.

“This is the first time that we are showing the car off to the Boston-area robotics community,” said a spokesman for TRI. “This new advanced safety research vehicle is the first autonomous testing platform developed entirely by TRI, and reflects the rapid progress of our autonomous driving program.” [Read more…] about Toyota showcases its new advanced autonomous car platform to Boston robotics community