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Drones navigate unseen environments with liquid neural networks

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MIT researchers exhibit a new advancement in autonomous drone navigation, using brain-inspired liquid neural networks that excel in out-of-distribution scenarios

In the vast, expansive skies where birds once ruled supreme, a new crop of aviators is taking flight. These pioneers of the air are not living creatures, but rather a product of deliberate innovation: drones.

But these aren’t your typical flying bots, humming around like mechanical bees. Rather, they’re avian-inspired marvels that soar through the sky, guided by liquid neural networks to navigate ever-changing and unseen environments with precision and ease.

Inspired by the adaptable nature of organic brains, researchers from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory introduced a method for robust flight navigation agents to master vision-based fly-to-target tasks in intricate, unfamiliar environments. [Read more…] about Drones navigate unseen environments with liquid neural networks

Dobot Robotics unveils new high-payload collaborative robot at Hannover Messe

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Dobot Robotics officially released the CR20A high payload collaborative robot based a new generation technology architecture at the Hannover Messe industrial trade fair in Germany.

The robot boasts outstanding performance, a 20 kg payload capacity, a 1700 mm super wide working radius, and ±0.1 mm repeatability, making it suitable for heavy load handling, packaging, and palletizing, as well as large-sized workpiece machining and long-seam welding in complex scenarios.

Based on Dobot’s new generation technology architecture and advanced dynamic algorithms, the CR20A’s residual vibration is reduced by 50 percent during high-speed stops.  [Read more…] about Dobot Robotics unveils new high-payload collaborative robot at Hannover Messe

Baidu launches multi-purpose autonomous minibus

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Baidu, the Chinese internet search giant which also has an autonomous vehicle business unit called Apollo, has launched what it describes as “a new generation of multi-purpose autonomous minibuses”. 

Named “Apolong II”, the new vehicles are being rolled out in Guangzhou Huangpu District.

The Apolong II is equipped with advanced autonomous driving capabilities and the latest in-vehicle smart cabin technologies to enhance passenger experience. [Read more…] about Baidu launches multi-purpose autonomous minibus

Autonomous excavators ready for around the clock real-world application

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Researchers from Baidu Research and the University of Maryland have developed a robotic excavator system that integrates perception, planning, and control capabilities to enable material loading over a long duration with no human intervention

Researchers from Baidu Research Robotics and Auto-Driving Lab (RAL) and the University of Maryland, College Park, have introduced an autonomous excavator system (AES) that can perform material loading tasks for a long duration without any human intervention while offering performance closely equivalent to that of an experienced human operator.

AES is among the world’s first uncrewed excavation systems to have been deployed in real-world scenarios and continuously operating for over 24 hours, bringing about industry-leading benefits in terms of enhanced safety and productivity.

The researchers described their methodology in a research paper published on June 30, 2021, in Science Robotics. [Read more…] about Autonomous excavators ready for around the clock real-world application

China Robot Industry Alliance selects HRG’s disinfection robot

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The China Robot Industry Alliance, an industry association, has selected HRG’s disinfection robot as a “special case” in its 2020 White Paper on the Development of China’s Robotics Industry.

The recently released 2020 White Paper on the Development of China’s Robotics Industry, compiled by CRIA, has selected HRG anti-pandemic disinfection robot as “a typical case in its special topic on pandemic prevention robots”.

HRG anti-pandemic disinfection robot was independently developed by the Emergency Equipment Research Institute of HRG Hefei Institute. [Read more…] about China Robot Industry Alliance selects HRG’s disinfection robot

Nvidia unveils new reinforcement learning research at ICRA 2019

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Nvidia researchers from the newly opened robotics research lab in Seattle, Washington have presented a new proof of concept reinforcement learning approach that aims to enhance how robots trained in simulation will perform in the real world. (See video below.)

The work was presented at the recent International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) in Montreal, Canada.

The research is part of a growing trend in the deep learning and robotics community that relies on simulation for training. [Read more…] about Nvidia unveils new reinforcement learning research at ICRA 2019