united

Campaign to Stop Killer Robots sends peace envoy robot to United Nations

October 23, 2019 by David Edwards

The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots – an actual political and social group run mostly by humans – has sent a peace envoy robot to deliver a letter to the United Nations building in New York, in the US.

According to the Guardian newspaper, the campaign group will give UN diplomats a letter in which it is demanding that the world stops the development of autonomous war machines.

These can include, but are not limited to, technologies such as drones, tanks and other other machinery controlled by an autonomous computer which is running artificial intelligence systems that decide whether to kill people or not. [Read more…] about Campaign to Stop Killer Robots sends peace envoy robot to United Nations

Raytheon and United Technologies aerospace businesses to merge

July 17, 2019 by Anna

Raytheon Company and United Technologies have entered into an agreement to combine in an all-stock merger of equals.

The transaction will create a premier systems provider with advanced technologies to address rapidly growing segments within aerospace and defence.

The merger of Raytheon, a leading defence company, and United Technologies, a leading aerospace company, comprised of Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney, will offer a complementary portfolio of platform-agnostic aerospace and defence technologies.

Samsung moves into the vertical farming market

May 2, 2019 by Anna

Agricultural innovations are essential for feeding our ever-growing global population.

Especially these days, as industrialisation and global warming continue to negatively affect soil fertility and reduce the amount of arable land.

According to the United Nations, the world’s population is set to reach 9.8 billion by 2050.

[Read more…]

UTC begins work on hybrid electric aeroplane

May 2, 2019 by Anna

United Technologies (UTC) has recently launched the advanced projects group within the company, which moves at speed to build and pilot ambitious product and service demonstrators.

The group’s first product demonstrator is a hybrid-electric X-plane under the project name, Project 804.

The number “804” represents the straight-line mileage between the Pratt & Whitney facility in Longueuil, Québec, and the Collins Aerospace facility in Rockford, Illinois.

$700 billion spent on mergers and acquisitions in industrial sector

April 18, 2019 by David Edwards

Almost $700 billion was spent on mergers and acquisitions in industrial sector last year, according to a study.

Research from global management consultancy A.T. Kearney has found that the total value of deals in the industrials market has risen to $680 billion in 2018, an increase from $662 billion the year before.

A.T. Kearney’s Industrials M&A Report 2019 analysed over 76,000 global transactions between 2009 and 2018 and found that the trend towards so-called ‘megadeals’ is set to continue.

2018 alone saw more than 100 individual deals worth over $1 billion, and seven of those transactions topping the $10 billion mark – including significant deals such as United Technologies’ $30+ billion takeover of avionics supplier Rockwell Collins and the intra-UK $12.1bn deal between Melrose Industries and GKN. [Read more…] about $700 billion spent on mergers and acquisitions in industrial sector

DoCoMo and Itochu to trial IoT solution for delivery fleet management in the US

April 18, 2019 by David Edwards

NTT DoCoMo and Itochu Logistics are planning to trial an internet-of-things solution for delivery fleet management in the US.

The system uses devices compatible with low-power, wide-area LTE-M technology to enable delivery businesses to visualize the status of outsourced trucks in their fleets.

The trial will begin in the United States on May 1, 2019. [Read more…] about DoCoMo and Itochu to trial IoT solution for delivery fleet management in the US

US gives Midea green light to buy Kuka

January 3, 2017 by David Edwards

Reuters

China’s Midea said it will complete its takeover of German robotics maker Kuka in the first half of January after the United States authorities gave the deal a green light.

Midea, which launched a €4.5 billion offer for Kuka in May, said Germany’s markets regulator had approved the settlement of the transaction, allowing it to control a 94.55 percent voting stake in Kuka from January onwards.

The bid for Kuka, a high-tech robotics manufacturer, sparked controversy in Germany amid fears that key technologies were falling into foreign hands at a time when China protects its own companies against foreign takeovers. [Read more…] about US gives Midea green light to buy Kuka

Kuka sells its ‘North American’ aviation division to Advanced Integration Technology

December 18, 2016 by Mark Allinson

Kuka is selling at least part of its aerospace division to Advanced Integration Technology.

Kuka, which is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of industrial robotics and automation technology, says the aerospace division it is selling to AIT is called “Systems Aerospace North America”.

However, the Kuka website which relates to its aerospace business is called KukaAero.com, and that says “Kuka Systems Aerospace Group is the largest division of Kuka”– no mention of “North America”. [Read more…] about Kuka sells its ‘North American’ aviation division to Advanced Integration Technology

US will regain top spot from China in manufacturing by 2020, says report

November 8, 2016 by Mai Tao

The United States will regain its lead as the world’s most competitive manufacturing nation by the year 2020, according to a report by economic analyst Deloitte.

Deloitte made its forecast after surveying the opinions of manufacturing industry executives for its 2016 Global Manufacturing Competitiveness Index.

Deloitte says “executives expect the US to assume the top position before the end of the decade”. [Read more…] about US will regain top spot from China in manufacturing by 2020, says report

UN technology boss proclaims the end of human innovation

February 20, 2016 by Abdul Montaqim

United Nations CITO Atefeh Riazi. Image: New York City Housing Authority

United Nations Chief Technology Officer Atefeh Riazi says the end is nigh for human innovation.

In an interview with TechRepublic, Riazi says all future innovations will be made by computers.

“The next innovations will come through artificial intelligence,” says Riazi. “It will be the AI innovating.

“We need to think about our role as technologists and we need to think about the ramifications – positive and negative – and we need to transform ourselves as innovators.”

Full story at TechRepublic