Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

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PickNik Robotics secures two new NASA contracts

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PickNik Robotics, a leading provider of advanced robotic solutions, is pleased to announce its success in securing two Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts with NASA.

These prestigious contracts highlight PickNik Robotics’ continued expertise in developing cutting-edge technologies for autonomous robotic manipulation, utilization, and maintenance, as well as integrated mission planning and execution for space operations.

The first SBIR award focuses on a groundbreaking project titled “A Framework for Failure Management and Recovery for Remote Autonomous Task Planning and Execution”. [Read more…] about PickNik Robotics secures two new NASA contracts

Ready Robotics ‘making robotics system design easier’ for non-programmers

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Robotics hardware traditionally requires programmers to deploy it. Ready Robotics wants to change that with its “no code” software aimed at people working in manufacturing who haven’t got programming skills.

The Columbus, Ohio, startup is a spinout of robotics research from Johns Hopkins University. Kel Guerin was a PhD candidate there leading this research when he partnered with Benjamin Gibbs, who was at Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures, to land funding and pursue the company, now led by Gibbs as CEO.

Guerin, who’s now chief innovation officer at the startup, says: “There was this a-ha moment where we figured out that we could take these types of visual languages that are very easy to understand and use them for robotics.” [Read more…] about Ready Robotics ‘making robotics system design easier’ for non-programmers

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

Tormach robots help ‘triple’ welding efficiency of concrete company

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The opportunity to automate a simple pair of tack welds on mild steel components was all it took to lead Advance Concrete Form of Madison, Wisconsin, on the path to robotic automation.

But given the unqualified success of this application, the company is keen to find new ways to automate at its busy headquarters.

In fact, Plant Manager Adam Wepfer is on the lookout daily for new ways to add efficiency to Advance Concrete’s daily operations at its primary facility. And the company’s Tormach ZA6 industrial robot has been a star performer in freeing the company’s skilled welders to perform more complex tasks. [Read more…] about Tormach robots help ‘triple’ welding efficiency of concrete company

How to Best Manage Your Work with Time Tracking Software

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The global Covid-19 pandemic has given a massive boost to remote work, with a large number of companies choosing a fully-remote or hybrid mode of work.

While this system is beneficial for employees, it is also quite easy for people working from home to get distracted and lose track of time during work hours.

But, there is an effective solution to this problem – using efficient time-tracking software. Here are a few ways in which you can use time-tracking software to boost productivity and manage your work better. [Read more…] about How to Best Manage Your Work with Time Tracking Software

Brain Corp partners with Google Cloud to introduce analytics solution for retailers

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Brain Corp, an artificial intelligence company creating technologies in robotics, is partnering with Google Cloud to launch “BrainOS Inventory Insights”, a new and proprietary solution able to deliver next generation in-store inventory analytics to retailers. 

Brain Corp, which already powers the largest global fleet of autonomous robots in public spaces and the world’s largest fleet of robotic inventory scanners, will now offer retail customers “a true end-to-end solution” for analyzing the inventory data collected by its BrainOS powered inventory scanning robots.

Using BrainOS Inventory Insights, retailers will be able to quickly identify out-of-stock and low stock events, assess product details such as where an item is (product location), if it’s in the correct location (planogram compliance) and ensure it’s priced correctly (​​price tag compliance). [Read more…] about Brain Corp partners with Google Cloud to introduce analytics solution for retailers

Reinforcing the value of simulation: Teaching dexterity to a real robot hand

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Nvidia researchers show how training in simulation enables the transfer of complex manipulation skills to a robot hand with project DeXtreme

The human hand is one of the most remarkable outcomes of millions of years of evolution. The ability to pick up all sorts of objects and use them as tools is a crucial differentiator allowing us to shape the world around us.

For robots to work in the everyday human world, the ability to deftly interact with our tools and the environment around them is critical. Without that capability, they will continue to be useful only in specialized domains such as factories or warehouses.

While it has been possible to teach robots with legs how to walk for some time, robots with hands have generally proven to be much trickier to control. A hand with fingers has more joints, and they must move in specific coordinated ways to accomplish a given task. [Read more…] about Reinforcing the value of simulation: Teaching dexterity to a real robot hand

Micropsi Industries’ AI software now compatible with Fanuc robots

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Micropsi Industries says its artificial intelligence-based software MirAI is now compatible with numerous robots produced by Fanuc, the world’s largest supplier of robotics and factory automation.

With MirAI, Fanuc customers can now add valuable hand-eye coordination to multiple Fanuc industrial and collaborative robots (cobots) to handle difficult-to-automate functions such as cable plugging and assembly.

Using AI, the MirAI controller generates robot movements directly and in real-time. Robot skills are trained, not programmed, in a few days through human demonstration, without requiring knowledge of programming or AI. [Read more…] about Micropsi Industries’ AI software now compatible with Fanuc robots

ASTM forms new robotics group to develop standards for grasping and manipulation technologies

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ASTM International’s committee on robotics, automation, and autonomous systems (F45) has formed a new subcommittee on grasping and manipulation.

This new subcommittee (F45.05) of ASTM (formerly known as American Society for Testing and Materials) will develop standards that evaluate performance in several major areas of robotic manipulation.

The first three task groups of the committee will develop standards for performance of grasping type end-effectors, mobile manipulators, and robotic assembly systems, covering their use in both fixed and mobile base systems. [Read more…] about ASTM forms new robotics group to develop standards for grasping and manipulation technologies

How Data Annotation Speeds Up the Development of AI Robots in the Agriculture Industry

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AI has made the lives of companies across industries a lot easier since it allows them to automate a lot of time-consuming and mundane processes.

However, these robots need to be trained with data that allows them to recognize and function in the physical world. This is where data annotation services come in.

Today we will take a look at how data annotation speeds up the development of AI robots and the types of data annotation that are necessary. [Read more…] about How Data Annotation Speeds Up the Development of AI Robots in the Agriculture Industry