Why household robot servants are a lot harder to build than robotic vacuums and automated warehouse workers – The Conversation

With recent advances in artificial intelligence and robotics technology, there is growing interest in developing and marketing household robots capable of handling a variety of domestic chores.

Tesla is building a humanoid robot, which, according to CEO Elon Musk, could be used for cooking meals and helping elderly people. Amazon recently acquired iRobot, a prominent robotic vacuum manufacturer, and has been investing heavily in the technology through the Amazon Robotics program to expand robotics technology to the consumer market. In May 2022, Dyson, a company renowned for its power vacuum cleaners, announced that it plans to build the U.K.s largest robotics center devoted to developing household robots that carry out daily domestic tasks in residential spaces.

Despite the growing interest, would-be customers may have to wait awhile for those robots to come on the market. While devices such as smart thermostats and security systems are widely used in homes today, the commercial use of household robots is still in its infancy.

As a robotics researcher, I know firsthand how household robots are considerably more difficult to build than smart digital devices or industrial robots.

One major difference between digital and robotic devices is that household robots need to manipulate objects through physical contact to carry out their tasks. They have to carry the plates, move the chairs and pick up dirty laundry and place it in the washer. These operations require the robot to be able to handle fragile, soft and sometimes heavy objects with irregular shapes.

The state-of-the-art AI and machine learning algorithms perform well in simulated environments. But contact with objects in the real world often trips them up. This happens because physical contact is often difficult to model and even harder to control. While a human can easily perform these tasks, there exist significant technical hurdles for household robots to reach human-level ability to handle objects.

Robots have difficulty in two aspects of manipulating objects: control and sensing. Many pick-and-place robot manipulators like those on assembly lines are equipped with a simple gripper or specialized tools dedicated only to certain tasks like grasping and carrying a particular part. They often struggle to manipulate objects with irregular shapes or elastic materials, especially because they lack the efficient force, or haptic, feedback humans are naturally endowed with. Building a general-purpose robot hand with flexible fingers is still technically challenging and expensive.

It is also worth mentioning that traditional robot manipulators require a stable platform to operate accurately, but the accuracy drops considerably when using them with platforms that move around, particularly on a variety of surfaces. Coordinating locomotion and manipulation in a mobile robot is an open problem in the robotics community that needs to be addressed before broadly capable household robots can make it onto the market.

In an assembly line or a warehouse, the environment and sequence of tasks are strictly organized. This allows engineers to preprogram the robots movements or use simple methods like QR codes to locate objects or target locations. However, household items are often disorganized and placed randomly.

Home robots must deal with many uncertainties in their workspaces. The robot must first locate and identify the target item among many others. Quite often it also requires clearing or avoiding other obstacles in the workspace to be able to reach the item and perform given tasks. This requires the robot to have an excellent perception system, efficient navigation skills, and powerful and accurate manipulation capability.

For example, users of robot vacuums know they must remove all small furniture and other obstacles such as cables from the floor, because even the best robot vacuum cannot clear them by itself. Even more challenging, the robot has to operate in the presence of moving obstacles when people and pets walk within close range.

While they appear straightforward for humans, many household tasks are too complex for robots. Industrial robots are excellent for repetitive operations in which the robot motion can be preprogrammed. But household tasks are often unique to the situation and could be full of surprises that require the robot to constantly make decisions and change its route in order to perform the tasks.

Think about cooking or cleaning dishes. In the course of a few minutes of cooking, you might grasp a saut pan, a spatula, a stove knob, a refrigerator door handle, an egg and a bottle of cooking oil. To wash a pan, you typically hold and move it with one hand while scrubbing with the other, and ensure that all cooked-on food residue is removed and then all soap is rinsed off.

There has been significant development in recent years using machine learning to train robots to make intelligent decisions when picking and placing different objects, meaning grasping and moving objects from one spot to another. However, to be able to train robots to master all different types of kitchen tools and household appliances would be another level of difficulty even for the best learning algorithms.

Not to mention that peoples homes often have stairs, narrow passageways and high shelves. Those hard-to-reach spaces limit the use of todays mobile robots, which tend to use wheels or four legs. Humanoid robots, which would more closely match the environments humans build and organize for themselves, have yet to be reliably used outside of lab settings.

A solution to task complexity is to build special-purpose robots, such as robot vacuum cleaners or kitchen robots. Many different types of such devices are likely to be developed in the near future. However, I believe that general-purpose home robots are still a long way off.

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Why household robot servants are a lot harder to build than robotic vacuums and automated warehouse workers - The Conversation

Robots Go to Work in Japanese C-Stores – NACS Online

TOKYOIn Japan, robots are restocking the shelves of some of the countrys conbini, which are small stores that sell snacks, drinks and miscellaneous items, reports the Associated Press. The robot is called TX SCARA, and the units are in 300 out of the 16,000 FamilyMart stores in Japan. There are about 56,000 conbini in Japan.

The TX SCARA has a hand on one end of its mechanical arm, and it grabs beverages from stacks on the sides of the shelves and then restocks the shelves correctly, using AI and cameras to figure out what beverages on the shelf need to be replaced. The robot can restock up to 1,000 beverages a day.

We want to automate all the repetitive jobs and boring jobs done by humans. That is the direction we are going. And the best way to do that is to use the robots, said Jin Tomioka, CEO of Tokyo-based Telexistence, which created TX SCARA told AP.

Many of the Japanese conbini are open 24-7 and have thousands of products but few workers. The robots by Telexistence are meant for established retailers, and theres no need to change current store layouts. The robots are reportedly more affordable than industrial robots and are designed to coexist and collaborate with people, completing routine tasks.

The robots allow for remote control, and Telexistence employees can remotely see problems with the robots as they happen, such as a dropped beverage in the case of the TX SCARA robot.

Japans population is aging, leaving the country with a labor shortage that is expected to worsen. FamilyMart CEO Tomohiro Kano referred to the Japanese expression seeking even a cats paw for help to describe how the labor situation might escalate.

At FamilyMart, we are seeking a robots arm for help, he told the AP.

In the U.S., robot labor is growing amid the countrys own labor shortage. Robot orders for workplaces increased 40% during the first quarter of 2022 compared with the first quarter of 2021, which is a record amount. The U.S. has been slower to embrace robotics than other industrialized countries. The number of robots deployed in the U.S. per 10,000 workers has traditionally trailed countries such as South Korea, Japan and Germany. But Americas attitude is shifting.

With many industry observers stating the pandemic has triggered a fundamental reset of retail, new technologies including robotics, machine learning and AI also are being more rapidly deployed to enable operators to respond to the new norm. Read more in the NACS Magazine feature, Robots Deliver.

Mark your calendars for February 28 to March 2, 2023, when NACS Convenience Summit Asia heads to Bangkok, Thailand, where youll be transported into the epicenter of retail disruption and innovationAsiafor an immersive look into the future of convenience retailing. Sign up to be notified when registration opens.

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Robots Go to Work in Japanese C-Stores - NACS Online

Robotics hiring levels in the offshore industry rose in August 2022 – Offshore Technology

The proportion of offshore oil and gas industry operations and technologies companies hiring for robotics related positions rose in August 2022 compared with the equivalent month last year, with 24.7% of the companies included in our analysis recruiting for at least one such position.

This latest figure was higher than the 19% of companies who were hiring for robotics related jobs a year ago and an increase compared to the figure of 18.5% in July 2022.

When it came to the rate of all job openings that were linked to robotics, related job postings dropped in August 2022 from July 2022, with 0.9% of newly posted job advertisements being linked to the topic.

This latest figure was an increase compared to the 0.6% of newly advertised jobs that were linked to robotics in the equivalent month a year ago.

Robotics is one of the topics that GlobalData, from whom our data for this article is taken, have identified as being a key disruptive force facing companies in the coming years. Companies that excel and invest in these areas now are thought to be better prepared for the future business landscape and better equipped to survive unforeseen challenges.

Our analysis of the data shows that offshore oil and gas industry operations and technologies companies are currently hiring for robotics jobs at a rate higher than the average for all companies within GlobalData's job analytics database. The average among all companies stood at 0.6% in August 2022.

GlobalData's job analytics database tracks the daily hiring patterns of thousands of companies across the world, drawing in jobs as they're posted and tagging them with additional layers of data on everything from the seniority of each position to whether a job is linked to wider industry trends.

You can keep track of the latest data from this database as it emerges by visiting our live dashboard here.

CCTV Products and Surveillance Systems

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Robotics hiring levels in the offshore industry rose in August 2022 - Offshore Technology

Magna to manufacture thousands of Cartkens fully autonomous delivery robots in the US – Electrek.co

Global contract manufacturer Magna International has agreed to produce and scale a fleet of autonomous delivery robots for silicon valley-based robotics company Cartken. The robots are being built at a Magna facility in Michigan and will soon offer autonomous last-mile deliveries to businesses around the world.

Magna International ($MGA) sits as one of the top contract manufacturers in the world, particularly in the world of automotive mobility. The company has produced over 3.7 million vehicles across thirty different models for 10 different OEM customers, including the likes of Ford, Rivian, and GM. This fall, Magna will begin production of Fisker Inc.s flagship EV, the Ocean.

As the entire automotive industry quickly pivots toward all-electric models, Magna has followed suit, developing everything from electrified power trains to battery enclosures and ADAS systems. That being said, there are plenty of advanced technologies Magna develops and implements on its own that not only apply to the automotive world but advanced mobility as a whole.

Magna International describes itself as a 65-year-old start-up and didnt become the largest contract manufacturer in North America by simply building cars for OEMs. Magna looks to help further new mobility by helping solve todays challenges sustainably.

This is a huge reason why an agreement to build autonomous delivery robots for Cartken makes a lot of sense.

Magna International announced its latest manufacturing collaboration in a press release today, sharing insight into the decision to help scale Cartkens autonomous delivery robot technology to help support a growing segment of sustainable last-mile delivery vehicles. Magnas executive vice president and global lead for new mobility, Matteo Del Sorbo, elaborated:

We continue to identify opportunities in the new mobility ecosystem where we use our capabilities to unlock new growth areas and new business models. This collaboration withCartken is great example of that approach. Our ability to design, engineer and manufacture complete vehicles makes Magna an ideal partner for companies looking to solve last mile delivery challenges with sustainable, autonomous and cost-effective solutions.

Cartkens Model C is a fully autonomous delivery robot, equipped with a remote monitoring and teleoperation system that allows for instant human override if needed. These robots can smoothly traverse indoor and outdoor situations and are equipped with multiple cameras, advanced machine learning, and simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM)-based navigation algorithms.

Under the current terms of the agreement, Cartken expects thousands of autonomous delivery robots to be manufactured once Magnas production capacity ramps up in the coming months.

Cartkens current fleet of Model C autonomous delivery robots is already in commercial operation, serving various use cases in malls, hotels, universities, retail, and warehouses around the globe.With Magnas help, Cartken looks to expand its autonomous footprint much further. Company cofounder and CEO, Christian Bersch, shared his thoughts:

We seek strategic partners that can accelerate the trajectory of Cartkens growth. This partnership is a significant step toward scaling our business and getting more Model Cs into the world. Were honored that Magna, as a global leader with deep systems knowledge and manufacturing excellence, recognized the potential of our robots and the quality of our technology. Were inspired by Magnas push into new spaces and are excited to move forward together in our effort to scale distribution.

Looking ahead, both parties are discussing additional autonomous delivery robot models joining the assembly line, based on the same platform as the Model C. Future models could serve additional business models like robot-as-a-service. For now, Model C production is underway at Magnas manufacturing facility in Michigan and will continue to expand through 2022.

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Magna to manufacture thousands of Cartkens fully autonomous delivery robots in the US - Electrek.co

Legged Robots to Aid with Planetary Research – USC Viterbi | School of Engineering – USC Viterbi School of Engineering

(Photo/Courtesy of Feifei Qian)

Every night across the globe, people look up and see the moon. Some nights, it appears as a small sliver; other nights, it is full and lights up the dark sky. What is this satellite made of? Does it have water? Has it ever sustained animal or plant life?

Robots have long assisted scientists in answering these and other questions about the moon and the planets that grace our solar system. However, todays rovers have generally had wheels that could get stuck in planets terrain, sometimes causing them to abort important exploration missions.

Feifei Qian, a WiSE Gabilan Assistant Professor at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, is leading a three-year $3-million research project funded by NASA to create legged robots that could more easily glide through icy surfaces, crusted sand and other difficult-to-navigate environments, significantly enhancing scientists abilities to gather information from planetary bodies.

The overarching goal of this endeavor is to understand how to integrate robotics technology with both planetary science and cognitive science, to improve robot-aided exploration of planetary environments. Essentially, this project aims to create next-generation high-mobility robots and rovers that can easily move through planetary surfaces and flexibly support human scientists exploration goals.

This project employs bio-inspired robots with legs, meaning their form is modeled after animals unique abilities to move well on challenging surfaces like soft sand. Utilizing the latest direct-drive actuator technology, these robots can feel the terrain (e.g., sand softness, rock shapes) from their legs. This ability allows the legged robots to interact with the environment in the same manner as animals, adjusting their movement as needed.

As lead investigator Qian puts it, these robots are modeled in a manner that allows them to not just mimic how the animals look, but really understand what makes these animals successful on different terrains.

The ability to feel the terrain using legs also allows these legged robots to easily gather information about the environment as they move around, and adjust exploration strategies based on this information. Integrated with additional scientific instrumentation, these robots can collect a large amount of useful information as they walk around planetary surfaces.

For the many planetary environments that we would like to explore, we would like to send rovers and robots to gather information before sending humans, said Qian, Even for environments where its safe to send astronauts, mobile robots can integrate scientific instrumentation and help take precise measurements while moving around.

While the Mars Exploration Rovers and other robots have been successfully sent into space, they typically operate based on pre-programmed agenda, which means human scientists and engineers need to input detailed instructions on where to go, and what to do, prior to the robots arrival at the planet. As a result, when the robot encounters any unexpected scenarios or discovers any interesting measurements, it has limited capabilities to adapt its plan. This could hinder the robots or rovers ability to effectively navigate the new environments, or even miss out on opportunities to make important scientific discoveries.

Qians research project, LASSIE, meaning Legged Autonomous Surface Science In Analogue Environments, seeks to make it possible for robots to simultaneously move more effectively in various environments while gathering information about them. This information has the potential to allow researchers to understand more about what these planets look like and how they react to disturbances. By understanding how human scientists interpret this information and adapt their exploration plans, roboticists and cognitive scientists on the LASSIE team will together create intelligent robots that can begin to make exploration decisions like a scientist. One of the questions guiding this research, said University of Pennsylvania Professor Doug Jerolmack, a co-investigator, is how do we exploit a robot most efficiently, so it takes on some of the burdens of decision making?

The NASA project will fund Qian and her team to test these legged robots at locations such as Mount Hood, Oregon, and White Sands, New Mexico, which mimic the terrains of planets such as Mars and the moon. Analyzing how Qians bio-inspired robots perform on earth will allow researchers to make tweaks before the legged robots. USC Viterbis Prof. Feifei Qian is the lead researcher for a $3-million project that could significantly improve robots ability to aid with planetary explorations deployed on other planets and the moon.

One of the legged robots measuring regolith strength in White Sands, NM. Photo/Courtesy Feifei Qian

The research group consists of Qian, eight co-investigators from various research universities, including Texas A&M University, University of Pennsylvania, Oregon State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, as well as the NASA Johnson Space Center. Much of the NASA funding supports the students who work on this project.

This is the dream team and a very rare chance to bring a team with all the components into one project, Qian said.

Qian joined USC Viterbi as an assistant professor in 2020. She holds a masters degree in physics and a Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

The technology and understandingthat this project will develop will also be beneficial for scientific explorations on earth [because] our project will provide understandings of how human scientists make sampling decisions and adapt exploration strategies in response to incoming measurements, said Qian. With a team of roboticists, earth and planetary scientists, and cognitive scientists working together, the LASSIE team led by Prof. Qian will create the next-generation robots and rovers that can significantly expand our knowledge about the moon and other planets.

Published on September 7th, 2022

Last updated on September 7th, 2022

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Legged Robots to Aid with Planetary Research - USC Viterbi | School of Engineering - USC Viterbi School of Engineering

HAI ROBOTICS Japan and Gaussy to Cooperate in Robot Subscription Services and Exhibit HAIPICK A42N at Logis-Tech Tokyo 2022 | RoboticsTomorrow -…

HAI ROBOTICS Japan and Gaussy Inc. signed a distribution agreement and will exhibit the comprehensive "Roboware" solution at Logis-Tech Tokyo 2022.

HAI ROBOTICS Japan and Gaussy Inc. signed a distribution agreement in August 2022 to promote the HAIPICK ACR series in Japan. The collaboration will adopt HAIPICK A42N as a robot subscription service "Roboware" provided by Gaussy, including warehouse solutions provided by both companies. The two companies are planning to conduct various joint demonstration activities. This time the two companies will exhibit the comprehensive "Roboware" solution at "Logis-Tech Tokyo 2022" and demonstrate the benefits of "HAIPICK A42N."

Joint exhibition solutionsHAIPICK ACR system "HAIPICK A42N" Demo: The ACR robot was independently developed by HAI ROBOTICS. It supports mixing picking of cartons/totes, such as cases of 160cm in size, larger than the standard, and increases the efficiency of picking. It also realizes high-density storage. The HAIPICK ACR system is one of HAI ROBOTICS' main products and has been implemented across a large number of projects. Currently, the company has implemented more than 500 projects worldwide.

Gaussy exhibition booth: The company will exhibit its Warehouse robot subscription service "Roboware." In addition to that, visitors will have the chance to see the Three-dimensional Sorting Robot "Omni Sorter," the Shelf Transfer Robot "Ranger GTP," the Pallet Transport Robot "Ranger IL," the Autonomous Robot "FlexComet/FlexSwift," and two Sharing-type Warehouse Service "WareX.."

About the exhibitionEvent name: Logis-Tech Tokyo 2022

Date: Tuesday, September 13 - Friday, September 16, 2022, 10:00 - 17:00

Venue: Tokyo Big Sight (Tokyo International Exhibition Center) East Halls 1-8

Booth No.: East Hall 5 Booth 5-502 Display Name "Gaussy Co., Ltd."

Click here for pre-registration

About HAI ROBOTICS JAPAN, Inc.Founded in 2016 in Shenzhen, China, HAI ROBOTICS is the pioneer and leader in Autonomous Case-handling Robot (ACR) systems. The company provides efficient, intelligent, flexible and customized warehouse automation solutions through robotics technology and AI algorithms. Since its establishment, it has grown rapidly by incorporating global needs and providing a comprehensive ACR system developed in-house. The company was ranked in the "Unicorn Ranking List" of Hu Run Research Institute in December 2021. HAI ROBOTICS now has more than 500 projects globally and offices in the U.S., Europe, Japan, Southeast Asia, Australia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, serving customers from more than 30 countries and regions.

HAI ROBOTICS JAPAN Co., Ltd., was established in 2021 in Japan as a subsidiary of HAI ROBOTICS Co., Ltd., and promotes automation and DX in the logistics and manufacturing industry through one-stop services from the introduction of ACR systems to operational support. Aiming to do business activities specialized in the Japanese market. HAI ROBOTICS Japan Technical Center was opened in March 2022 to demonstrate and simulate ACR products and solutions.

About Gaussy Inc.With the vision of "Logistics gets you there," Gaussy will provide new options for businesses by building a system that can flexibly respond to changes in warehouse needs and cargo volume. Gaussy offers two services: "Roboware," a subscription-type monthly warehouse robot service that allows anyone to easily operate a warehouse using robots, and "WareX," a sharing warehouse service that allows anyone to easily use vacant warehouse space.

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HAI ROBOTICS Japan and Gaussy to Cooperate in Robot Subscription Services and Exhibit HAIPICK A42N at Logis-Tech Tokyo 2022 | RoboticsTomorrow -...

Hyderabad student bags gold at int’l robotics competition for her physiotherapy robot – EdexLive

Next time, when you are in need of a physiotherapist, you might just find a solution at home without having to go to a hospital. How come, you ask? Here's the invention of 13-year-old Riddhima L Chukkapalli, ARMsio, the physiotherapy robot.

Riddhima, a Class IX student from Oakridge International School, Hyderabad has possibly made the future of the medical industry easier by inventing ARMiso. What's more? It even helped her bag the gold medal in the 2022 International Youth Robotics Competition (IYRC) in the senior robot design category (solo). Thailand, Russia, Malaysia and many other countries participated in it.

Nursing an ambition to become an orthopaedic surgeon, the first thing that came to mind for this young star was to come up with an instrument that can help people.

The young robotics engineers robot ARMsio aids in physiotherapy and rehabilitation services.

After surgeries, patients require physiotherapy sessions by a physiotherapist. The robot that has been developed can aid the physiotherapist. Here's how. The robotic arm must be strapped to the arm of the patient using the velcro straps. The robot moves the elbow and the wrist of the patient at angles ranging from 0 to 90 degrees, at set intervals. The main benefit of ARMsio is that it can be accessed anywhere, anytime and as per the comfort of the patient, says Riddhima.

Being a dancer myself, I know how difficult it is to depend on someone when you get hurt and with ARMsio, one can access their own personal physiotherapist anytime, anywhere, said Riddhima.

I faced a number of issues when I had to take this idea from paper and make it work. I had to do a lot of research and only then was I able to successfully execute this idea, added Riddhima about the challenges she faced during the making of this robot. In addition to being an expert in robotics, this youngster is also interested in Kuchipudi and playing the piano.

The teenage champion Riddhima, who has participated in two IYRCs previously, said, It was really challenging to participate in this competition online. Looking at your competitors and the reaction of the judges while explaining about the robot is what motivated me, but now explaining everything to the camera felt a bit awkward.

Riddhima, showed interest in robotics at a young age, when she was in Class V. Pursuing her interest was made possible due to the exposure provided at her school and the help of her cousins. She then decided to take her interest forward by enrolling at Leap Robots, Research and product development in Hyderabad. My mentors at Leap Robots guided me a lot. They helped me with the structure of this design and I came up with the program," she said. I really wish that this competition was held offline which would be another great exposure for me to meet students and dignitaries from different countries across the world, added Riddhima.

The IYRC is an internationally-scaled robotics competition that has been held for the past few years that encourages youngsters to come up with innovative creations and also provides a variety of programmes.

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Hyderabad student bags gold at int'l robotics competition for her physiotherapy robot - EdexLive

Robotics hiring levels in the mining industry rose in August 2022 – Mining Technology

The proportion of mining industry operations and technologies companies hiring for robotics related positions rose in August 2022 compared with the equivalent month last year, with 26.9% of the companies included in our analysis recruiting for at least one such position.

This latest figure was higher than the 25.3% of companies who were hiring for robotics related jobs a year ago but a decrease compared to the figure of 29.5% in July 2022.

When it came to the rate of all job openings that were linked to robotics, related job postings dropped in August 2022 from July 2022, with 1.3% of newly posted job advertisements being linked to the topic.

This latest figure was an increase compared to the 1% of newly advertised jobs that were linked to robotics in the equivalent month a year ago.

Robotics is one of the topics that GlobalData, from whom our data for this article is taken, have identified as being a key disruptive force facing companies in the coming years. Companies that excel and invest in these areas now are thought to be better prepared for the future business landscape and better equipped to survive unforeseen challenges.

Our analysis of the data shows that mining industry operations and technologies companies are currently hiring for robotics jobs at a rate higher than the average for all companies within GlobalData's job analytics database. The average among all companies stood at 0.6% in August 2022.

GlobalData's job analytics database tracks the daily hiring patterns of thousands of companies across the world, drawing in jobs as they're posted and tagging them with additional layers of data on everything from the seniority of each position to whether a job is linked to wider industry trends.

You can keep track of the latest data from this database as it emerges by visiting our live dashboard here.

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Robotics hiring levels in the mining industry rose in August 2022 - Mining Technology

Big Iron Farm Show demonstration will show the potential of artificial intelligence and robotics in ag – Agweek

WEST FARGO, N.D. If a farmer didn't have to spray his entire field but could instead target weeds at their earliest stage and stop infestations before they start, the cost savings could be immense. Plus, consumers increasingly want less herbicides and other chemical applications applied to food crops, and agriculture continues to strive to be more environmentally friendly.

Dr. Rex Sun, an assistant professor in the department of Agriculture and Biosystems Engineering at North Dakota State University, and his team will have a new technology on display at the 2022 Big Iron Farm Show, Sept. 13-15 in West Fargo, that they think will accomplish those goals a remote control "weedbot" that uses artificial intelligence and robotics to perform site specific weed management.

The daily demonstrations at 1 p.m. will involve bringing real weeds from an NDSU greenhouse and showing how the robot identifies and eliminates them.

"Right now, the farmers are spraying weeds on the whole field, but we don't want to do that," Sun said. "So hopefully by using our precision agriculture technologies like robotics and AI, they can use this robot and identify the early stage and make that solution right on the spot so we don't have to spray the whole field."

The robot is in proof-of-concept stage, and there are improvements left to be made, Sun said, noting that a robot that uses mechanical means to eliminate weeds or systems that look for pests and disease are possible, too.

"This kind of platform, it can customize depending on what kind of applications the farming industry needs," he said.

While the robot is not autonomous, that is another possibility down the road, he said.

John Nowatzki, a retired agricultural machine systems specialist at NDSU who serves on the Big Iron Committee, said another demonstration will be a repeat from last year, with Titan Machinery and Raven Industries showing off their autonomous grain cart technologies . The demonstration will be west of the food court this year, because the space south of the racetrack used in the past is now a corn maze.

Hundreds of vendors also will be on hand at Big Iron, and many are preparing to show off new products or explain popular existing ones.

Nick Chiodo, marketing manager at Crary Industries, said Crary will have their Wind System on display for those who haven't seen it and experts to explain it. The system is an attachment for a soybean header that reduces shatter loss and feeds the combine more evenly through the blowing of high velocity air. Chiodo said the system can increase bushels per acres by as much as 5, with configurations that fit on most brand-name headers.

"Anywhere that grows soybeans, we're probably out there," he said.

They'll also have information and experts on their Revolution Ditcher, for use in cleaning out water ways, ditches or terraces. Chiodo said they'll have the "latest and greatest" on that in their booth.

Crary is planning a Dec. 15 event called Full Pod, which will feature famous farm YouTubers. For the cost of their ticket, attendees at that event will get dinner, a hooded sweatshirt, a grab bag and a chance to win door prizes, as well as opportunities to interact with the YouTubers and other farmers. Chiodo said anyone who has registered for the event can show their ticket at the booth and be entered to win a Grizzly cooler with the Full Pod log.

Big Iron is a must for Crary, Chiodo said. Crary is located close at hand to the fairgrounds.

"It's right across the street from us," he said. "It's our backyard."

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Big Iron Farm Show demonstration will show the potential of artificial intelligence and robotics in ag - Agweek

Researchers are creating underwater robots to study microplastics and map the ocean – WVTF

Researchers at Virginia Tech are developing underwater robots, to be able to map the ocean and study the impacts of microplastics, which are broken down bits of plastic pollution that are filling most of our waters, and could be posing health risks to humans and animals across the world.

Right now the systems that are currently exploring the deep ocean are really large, really expensive, and require an entire ocean ship to support it, said Dan Stilwell, a professor of electrical and computer engineering. Stilwell is director of VTs Center for Marine Autonomy and Robotics program, and is part of the interdisciplinary team working on the project to improve technologies that can study the ocean.

He and two PhD engineering students recently tested out one of their robots as it dove beneath the surface of Claytor Lake in Pulaski County. The robot is bright-yellow and shaped like a missile. It can go more than 1600 feet deep, but on this day, they tested it at a depth of about 9 feet. It was built using 3-D printers at Virginia Tech.

The robot glided, then dipped underneath the water, then practiced doing figure eights along the edge of the lake. Its learning how to orient itselfand the team is testing whether robots can work collaboratively, together, to map huge areas of the ocean.

Were trying to figure out how to reduce the logistics footprint to something really small, Stilwell said. Deploy a lot of vehicles, with very little surface support, and have them work for months at a time.

Several sponsors are interested in the technology, including two alumni who made a $2 million donation to the project. This fall an interdisciplinary group of researchers led by geoscientist Robert Weiss will begin a four-year project to use the robots to collect data on microplastics in Virginia Beach and the Chesapeake Bay.

This report, provided byVirginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from theVirginia Education Association.

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Researchers are creating underwater robots to study microplastics and map the ocean - WVTF

FTC expands Amazon investigation to include healthcare and robotics buyouts – Input

The Federal Trade Commission has been investigating Amazons Prime business for a while now, but the scope of that investigation is being broadened to include the companys recent acquisitions in healthcare and robotics. Reports from The Wall Street Journal and Politico reveal that both of Amazons recent buyout propositions of Roomba parent company iRobot and of medical provider One Medical are now part of the FTCs ongoing investigation.

While the FTC has kept quite tight-lipped about this investigation in general, its obvious at this point that its a sprawling one. The FTC could potentially sue to block either or both of these acquisitions, slowing or halting them. The watchdog agency has been increasingly proactive in its scrutiny of Big Tech acquisitions under the leadership of Lina Khan.

Leaving no crumbs Amazons summer acquisitions have raised eyebrows from plenty of tech watchdogs, but the FTC has said nothing about the propositions just yet. In July, Amazon announced its plan to buy the entirety of One Medical for $3.9 billion. One Medical is a large-scale healthcare operation that operates 125 clinics across the United States and offers virtual appointments for members. That acquisition which would give Amazon a significant footprint in the healthcare industry writ large was confirmed as under investigation by a securities filing made last week.

Just a few weeks later, Amazon announced that it would be buying iRobot, maker of the popular Roomba smart vacuum system, for $1.7 billion. A formal probe has not yet been opened by the FTC on this front, but sources familiar with the situation told Politico theyd expect that step to be taken sooner rather than later.

Both buyouts would significantly expand Amazons already-massive trove of user data. Both acquisitions could easily be seen as anticompetitive in nature, too, given Amazons penchant for buying competitors rather than actually competing with them.

Amazon wont be happy FTC chairwoman Lina Khan has always been open about her intentions to regulate Amazons sprawling business. As of late, that cause has taken the shape of a deep investigation of Amazons Prime business practices. The FTC seeks to understand whether or not Amazon uses deceptive practices in coercing consumers to sign up for Prime, as well as information on how difficult Amazon makes it for Prime customers to cancel their memberships.

Amazon has made plenty of fuss about this investigation, up to and including filing an official complaint accusing the FTC of harassing executives like former CEO Jeff Bezos. You can bet Amazon will continue to fight the FTC every step of the way as its investigation continues. You dont become a trillion-dollar behemoth without being willing to fight dirty.

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FTC expands Amazon investigation to include healthcare and robotics buyouts - Input

From farm to fork, thanks to … AI and robots? – Marketplace

Much of the western United States dealt with scorching temperatures over the past week, with some parts of California reaching more than 110 degrees Fahrenheit. That state is suffering a multiyear drought, and some residents are allowed to water their gardens and lawns only one day per week.

Texas, Nevada and New Mexico are also experiencing severe droughts, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. So, farmers have to be especially careful about how they use precious resources like water.

Marketplaces Kimberly Adams spoke with Jill McCluskey, a professor of sustainability at Washington State Universitys School of Economic Sciences, about how smart tech in agriculture can help. The following is an edited transcript of their conversation.

Jill McCluskey: It seems like farmers and producers are almost turning into artificial intelligence engineers. They are using smart crop monitoring and drones, satellites and GPS to become more efficient and reduce costs.

Kimberly Adams: What are some of the issues, or industry concerns, that are really pushing innovation in agriculture technology right now?

McCluskey: I would say the two biggest concerns for agriculture are the availability of labor and the availability of water. Artificial intelligence, robotics and machine learning can help with both of those issues. And so as we have more robotic harvesting, for example, and autonomous farm machinery, we can use less labor. And this also is probably good for the workers, that it reduces the need for them to engage in some of the menial and dangerous work.

Adams: What does a farm robot look like?

McCluskey: It depends on the crop. So for lettuce, for example, it might have wheels on both sides that go over the row of lettuce and can harvest. But for apples, it might have a raising platform that can help harvest the apples. Its just different for each crop, they would be different.

Adams: How much of farm work can be automated at this point?

McCluskey: A lot of it can be automated. If you think about [it], we have self-operated machinery thats connected to sensor data and GPS data. And so you can imagine a combine without a driver harvesting. The more challenging part in terms of harvesting is for the delicate crops that are very labor-intensive. So an example is the raspberry. So if you think about it, a raspberry is very delicate. Its really hard for a robot to pick it without damaging the fruit.

Adams: Is there any technology in development to solve that problem?

McCluskey: Theyre currently working on it. I know for some products, theyre using vacuums to pick the fruit instead of pinching it like a finger would do. They actually vacuum the fruit off the bush.

Adams: There is, of course, this bad drought happening out West this year. And water issues are just an ongoing problem for many parts of this country. How is technology working to address the water shortages many farmers are experiencing?

McCluskey: Sensors that are smart connected and satellites and drones can provide in-ground data of the moisture level. And so the water can be more efficiently applied. In the past, in the West weve often had just irrigation of fields. And so water is not used in an efficient way. And agriculture does use a large proportion of water. And as water gets more scarce, we need to use it optimally.

Adams: How affordable are some of these new technologies for farmers?

McCluskey: Affordability is still an issue. But as we continue to develop cheaper versions of it, I think itll be adopted in a more widespread way. And often, berry farmers and those types of farmers tend to be smaller than, say, a huge wheat farm or a huge soybean farm in the Midwest. So those farmers with huge fields have been able to invest in really expensive farm machinery, but the smaller operators cant. So that is an issue; it needs to get cheaper over time.

Adams: Already, large agricultural companies have a big advantage over the smaller farms. How will the fact that they can invest in these technologies and the smaller farms cant affect that dynamic moving forward?

McCluskey: It definitely puts the large farms at an advantage. And the small farms they probably would be more likely to produce organic crops and other crops that have more value added. And they could specialize in those types of crops in order to survive. But I think it is an issue that as labor gets more expensive, and the robotic technology is also expensive, itll be harder for the small farms to compete.

Adams: Labor shortages in the agricultural sector have been an issue for some time now. And I wonder how that is affecting the urgency of this push to automation.

McCluskey: I think it definitely has affected the urgency. So as labor gets more expensive, we come closer to robotics that are essentially a backstop technology, so then its more expensive. But as the price of labor hits that backstop technology, it might actually be cheaper to invest in robotics for harvest. And at the same time, I think that it becomes a priority for research and development as labor becomes more expensive.

Adams: So with all this new technology, what happens to the workers who remain?

McCluskey: I think in the future, there will be less need for agricultural workers the traditional work that they did of harvesting crops, picking crops. So we would hope that some of those people would be trained to run some of the machinery. They would be trained to do work that is more satisfying and socially sustainable.

Adams: How important is sustainability in the development of all this technology in agriculture?

McCluskey: I think sustainability really drives the use of technology in agriculture. So the use of technology will help producers be more sustainable in their use of water, which is such a difficult problem that were facing as a society, and also be sustainable in terms of workers so that they will need fewer workers to do the really hard and dangerous tasks.

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Robots perceived as threats in countries with higher inequality – TRT World

A study finds that workers in countries with greater income and societal inequality are more likely to see disruptive technologies like AI in negative terms.

As we step rapidly towards a machine-powered cognitive revolution, the future of work has increasingly been dominated by headlines like robots are taking your job.

According to a World Economic Forum report, 85 million jobs globally will be displaced by robotics and automation. Conversely, advanced technologies will create 97 million new jobs that require more skills and training.

That disruption is creating a lot of anxiety. For some, greater automation indicates the end of drudgery and mind-numbing tasks. But for others, this rapid development spells a jobless future.

A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Central Florida has found that workers in countries with greater amounts of income and societal inequality were more likely to perceive robots and artificial intelligence (AI) as threats.

The study examined countries in Europe and was published in the journal Technology, Mind and Behavior.

It found that in countries like the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Finland, robots are more likely to be viewed in positive terms than in countries like Greece and Spain, where income inequality is greater.

Data from over 13,000 respondents from 28 EU member states were used, gathered from a 2017 Eurobarometer public opinion survey that examined if there was an association between workers viewing AI and robots as threats and a countrys inequality.

The researchers found a positive association between income inequality through an economic measure called the Gini index, and perceptions that AI and robots pose threats to general job loss.

Building on psychological research on inequality, the studys authors anticipate that people living in more unequal societies will, on average, perceive robots and AI as greater workforce threats.

They highlight that while the objective potential impacts of AI/robots are one thing, the primary focus is what people believe these new technologies are capable of.

None of this is happening in the next year or two, writes tech journalist Sean Captain.

The 5,10, or more years it takes for robots to catch up in both capability and numbers offer time for the current and next generation of workers to learn more advanced skills beyond what machines can do. And those skills could earn them more money, in more interesting jobs. Rather than people losing their employment to machines, the machines may simply fill in for occupations that people no longer want to do anyway.

While the studys focus was on European countries, co-author Mindy Shoss, a professor in UCFs Department of Psychology, says the findings could help better understand the issue in the US as well.

The US always ranks pretty high on inequality and societal inequality, Shoss said. Given that, I would suspect that there probably are, on average, similar negative views of AI and robot technology in the US.

Shoss said that in highly unequal societies there are greater inequalities in income, health and education, as well as more attention given to the social mobility of people, which leads to anxiety and uncertainty about income, status and job security.

Countries that have more people in unequal standing, on average, tend to see these technologies more as a threat, she said.

Shoss added that based on the studys findings, the issue of inequality should be taken more seriously into account when designing and implementing technology, as well as addressing the ways advanced technology could improve jobs or incomes to increase public acceptance.

Source: TRT World

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Robotics research shortlisted for education Oscar! – Heriot-Watt University

Published:2 Sep 2022

Research led by Heriot-Watt University has been shortlisted in the prestigiousTimes Higher Education THE Awards 2022, in recognition of its ground-breaking robotics research to support the energy transition.

Offshore wind is a critical component in the drive to net zero. However, inspecting and maintaining these infrastructures is dangerous, expensive and requires support vessels with a high carbon footprint.

Launched in October 2017, with expertise from 13 universities and 30+ industry partners, the Offshore Robotics for Certification of Assets (ORCA) Hub has been leading a revolution in offshore energy inspection, collaborating on an unprecedented scale to match research directly to industry needs.

The work, which is now being progressed as part of the National Robotarium, a partnership between Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh, has demonstrated how Robotics and Autonomous Systems can safely inspect, maintain, and repair offshore infrastructure, guided by people on ships or onshore. Examples include what is believed to be the first autonomous foundation inspection at an offshore wind farm, developing 3D maps to show repair needs.

Widely known as the Oscars of higher education' the Times Higher Education (THE) Awards attracted more than 550 entries this year. The ORCA Hub is shortlisted for STEM: Research Project of the Year.

Professor Yvan Petillot, director of the ORCA Hub and joint academic lead of the National Robotarium, said: We are enormously proud to be shortlisted for this prestigious award and it is a testament to the incredible work of all our researchers, our multiple collaborators and industry partners who have supported our work over the last five years. The ORCA Hub's work has prompted a revolution in offshore energy inspection, raising the profile of Robotics and Autonomous Systems while accelerating government and industry net zero ambitions.

Together with our collaborators, we have equipped drones with contact capabilities to monitor turbine surfaces, reducing risky human-led operations. We've showcased our work to more than 15,000 people in person through events and we've highlighted our research to more than 200 million people globally through media coverage. We're continuing our work as part of the National Robotarium to address some of industry's biggest challenges. Our far-reaching work has international impact and the ability to meet major societal needs as the race to net zero gathers pace. We'd urge those with an interest in collaborating to get in touch with us.

THEeditor John Gill said:This is the 18thyear that the THE Awards will celebrate the best that UK higher education has to offer, across 20 categories covering all aspects of university activity. Once again, the shortlists reflect universities doing extraordinary things in extraordinary times, during the 2020-21 academic year, when the pandemic continued to force higher education and all who work in it to respond to an unprecedented challenge.

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Southwestern Pa. to put $62.7M toward areas distinctive strength in robotics | Today in Pa. – PennLive

You can listen to the latest episode of Today in Pa at this link, or on any of your favorite apps including Alexa, Apple, Spotify, and Stitcher. Episodes are available every weekday on PennLive. Feel free to subscribe, follow or rate Today in Pa. as you see fit!

A burglars three-year crime spree may have come to an end. The southwestern part of the state will use $62.7 million in funds to expand the regions distinctive strength in robotics. Splendid news, teachersyou can get free coffee for the whole of September courtesy of Wawa. And a chipmunk named George goes viral.

Those are the stories we cover in the latest episode of Today in Pa., a daily weekday podcast from PennLive.com and hosted by Claudia Dimuro. Today in Pa. is dedicated to sharing the most important and interesting stories pertaining to Pennsylvania that lets you know, indeed, whats happening today in Pa.

Todays episode refers to the following articles:

If you enjoy Today in Pa., consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts or on Amazon. Reviews help others find the show and, besides, wed like to know what you think about the program, too.

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Career Wise: Success is Automated as a Robotics Professional, Here’s How to Land the High Tech Jobs – News18

As the board exam results are being announced, students are ready to transition from schools to colleges.The firststep in this transition is to make a career choice. To help you in selecting the right professional path for you, every week we explore new professional avenues for you. Bring a unique career and a roadmap that can help you take up a job in that profession. If you have any other queries or have a course or career you want us to explore, write to us on Twitter at @News18dotcom.

During the first two industrial revolutions, mechanical engineering got consolidated as a profession for designing, building, managing machinery, etc. Its central body of knowledge evolved to include knowledge areas of materials, mechanics, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, machine design, and manufacturing. Thus, it is the predecessor of all other forms of engineering and will continue to be enriched by them to conceive, design, build, and manage more sophisticated machinery with enhanced complexity, flexibility, connectivity, automation, and intelligence.

Various technologies of the fourth industrial revolution are now making the body of knowledge and professional practice of mechanical engineering much more interdisciplinary as compared to the earlier industrial revolutions. Some of these key technologies are AI and ML, IoT, Robots and Cobots, Big Data, 5G, Augmented and Virtual Reality, and 3D and 4D printing.

Machines with automation mechanisms have existed since pre-historical times. Traps for hunting animals were probably the first man-made machines that operated automatically as the animal passed through. Today, automation engineers apply diverse technologies to streamline, improve, and automate manufacturing, electricity generation, warehouse distribution, mining, and many other processes to reduce the need for human intervention and maximise efficiency.

As per the 2020 report on the Future of jobs by the World Economic Forum, robotics and industrial automation are likely to be adopted by more than 60per cent of companies. A McKinsey Global Survey of October 2021, showed that 70per cent of global respondents say that their companies are at least piloting automation in one or more business units or functions.

Students who want to pursue a career in automation and robotic engineering in India can choose from a variety of study options, including either broad UG studies like mechanical engineering, electronics engineering, or computer science and engineering, or specialised UG studies like mechatronics engineering, automation and robotics engineering, etc.

Many universities are also offering PG programmes like MTech. in robotics, MTech in automation and robotics, MTech in intelligent systems and robotics, MTech in mechatronics, PhD in robotics, etc. The choice between a broad or a specialised programmemust be made by carefully examining the curriculum, courses, lab facilities, and faculty quality. In many cases, a broad programme with many courses relevant to automation and robotics can be better than some specialised programs.

Engineering students interested in this field should acquire adequate skills while they are in college to build a bright career for themselves. In order to serve in the area, students should basically develop the ability to conceive, design, implement, and manage automation systems by using principles of machine design, process control, mechatronics, cyber-physical systems, robotics, artificial intelligence, and state of the art components and tools.

It will be crucial to learn and have an interest in machine design, programming, embedded systems, IoT, mathematics, etc. Furthermore, every automation and robotics engineer must possess some fundamental competencies systems thinking, computational thinking, complex problem solving using an inter-disciplinary approach, lifelong learning, communication, and the ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team.

Candidates with a relevant educational background and project experience can work in the fields of system integration, application development, quality control, manufacturing, and research and development for robots and other mechatronics systems. They can work as a robotics programmer, robotics design engineer, robotics systems engineer, robot test engineer, or automated product design engineer.

Globally, robotics engineering is regarded as a high-end job. Those with professional expertise in robotics engineering are in for a world of several work options. A robotic engineer can find work in manufacturing facilities, the automation industry, machinery/automobile manufacturers, research facilities, etc.

A large number of well-paying automation and robotics jobs are set to be in demand in India as well as overseas in the coming years. For example, as per Indeed, the current average annual salary for a robotics engineer is around 90,000 USD, comparable to the average annual salary of a software engineer in the United States.

According to several estimates, a fresher robotics engineers average salary in India is around Rs 5 lakhs.

Written by Dr Sanjay Goel, Director of Institute of Engineering and Technology, JK Lakshmipat University

Explore other career options with us:Career in Sound Designing, Sound Engineering|Sustainability Professional|Yoga & Naturopathy|Software Testing|Medical Coding|Cloud Developer & Cloud Architect|3D Technology| Garment Technologist |AI & Robotics |

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Career Wise: Success is Automated as a Robotics Professional, Here's How to Land the High Tech Jobs - News18

Robot Takes Loan! Robotics Company Brings ‘Sayabot’ Dressed in Saree To Receive Loan Sanction Letter From – LatestLY

Kochi's Federal Bank recently gave a tail wind to robotics innovation company,ASIMOV Robotics Pvt Ltd. The firm brought its 'Sayabot' to receive the sanction letter from bank officials. In a video, the robot dressed in saree and other traditional adornments was seen taking the letter on behalf of its company. Innovative occurrence left the internet in awe of the personalisedtech gesture as the clip went viral on Twitter. Check out robot taking loan in the video below.Do Snakes Have Legs? Viral Video Shows Snake Walking With Robotic Legs Thanks to an Engineer Who Decided To Play God!

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(SocialLY brings you all the latest breaking news, viral trends and information from social media world, including Twitter, Instagram and Youtube. The above post is embeded directly from the user's social media account and LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body. The views and facts appearing in the social media post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY, also LatestLY does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)

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Robot Takes Loan! Robotics Company Brings 'Sayabot' Dressed in Saree To Receive Loan Sanction Letter From - LatestLY

Ambi Robotics returns to Berkeley and expands headquarters – Robotics and Automation News

Ambi Robotics, a provider of AI-powered robotic parcel sorting systems for supply chain operations, has unveiled its new headquarters in Berkeley, California to support company growth and new product development.

Ambi Robotics is ramping up installations of AmbiSort systems ahead of peak season as more shipping and logistics brands grapple with surging ecommerce demand.

The new headquarters boasts 33,000 square feet of space for the company to continue its mission to solve the supply chains most complex problems while helping people handle more than ever before.

Jim Liefer, CEO of Ambi Robotics, says: Relocating our headquarters back to Berkeley was a logical step in our business growth strategy.

This decision was fueled by the need to accommodate the growth of our company as we remain focused on deployments and supporting the implementation of hundreds of AmbiSort AI-powered robotic sorting systems in production across the US.

The new office location will accommodate the capacity for growing teams in customer support, engineering, AI research, operations, and software development.

The new Berkeley headquarters footprint increased over 500 percent as the team more than quadrupled its size in one year. Ambi Robotics was previously located in a 6,000 square foot office space in Emeryville, California.

Stephen McKinley, co-founder and VP of operations at Ambi Robotics, says: We are thrilled to be closer to where it all began, just a few miles from the heart of the UC Berkeley campus where our founding team met while pursuing our PhDs.

Ambi Robotics is built on the power of people people working together to build extraordinary systems that empower our workforce to handle more. We are building a one-of-a-kind headquarters to foster the growth of our dedicated team and an environment that empowers our team at Ambi Robotics to handle more too.

The newly remodeled headquarters, now re-architected and designed to support the development of advanced supply chain technologies, boasts features that build the human experience for all employees.

Sandra Kazee, VP of finance at Ambi Robotics, says: At Ambi Robotics, we believe that when people are respected and valued, they become more engaged.

We are committed to building an inclusive working environment for our team where all employees can be their best, authentic selves.

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‘First-of-its-kind’ $50 million fund launches for early-stage robotics, automation, and AI companies – Robotics and Automation News

Cybernetix Ventures, an independent venture capital firm investing in early-stage robotics, automation and AI technology companies, today announced the launch of its first global fund headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.

Cybernetix Fund I will focus on pre-seed, seed and Series A investments into companies in the US and around the world developing robotics solutions for manufacturing, logistics, construction, and healthcare verticals.

The fund will also invest in key robotics-enabling software companies in AI/machine learning, cloud robotics, cybersecurity, autonomy and sensors/edge computing.

The funds general partner Fady Saad is an MIT alumnus and co-founder of MassRobotics, the largest robotics startup escalator in the United States, supporting more than 60 resident startups at its Boston shared office and laboratory facility.

He architected MassRobotics corporate partnership and scaling program, building formal partnerships with more than 40 corporates.

A Boston Business Journal 40 Under 40 honoree, he has been heavily involved in the robotics innovation and investment community made up of entrepreneurs, researchers and technologists from around the world.

Saad also brings international business management and development experience from multinational technology firms Siemens and Nokia.

General partner Mark Martin, a Cornell and Tufts University alumnus, has been an investor, board observer and advisor for over 20 startups in SaaS, IoT and sensor technologies.

As a VP of industrial automation, sensors and IoT at Analog Devices, he led an organization with over 600 employees and $1 billion annual revenue.

Martin has extensive mergers and acquisition experience, overseeing the sale of two business units valued at over $450 million combined and the acquisition of four businesses valued at over $100 million combined during his tenure at Analog Devices.

Martin scaled the companys presence in Asia while based in Hong Kong for three years. He has also been on MassRobotics advisory board.

Cybernetix portfolio companies will benefit from the funds unprecedented access to the robotics ecosystem, corporate relationships, deep industry knowledge and insights, and other critical finance, business and manufacturing resources.

Saad says: With the launch of Cybernetix Ventures, robotics startups will have access to a one-of-a-kind fund which is from the robotics community, led by robotics leaders, for robotics innovators.

Its clear to us that robotics is a distinct investment class, separate from established categories like software and biotech, with its own investment models, metrics and portfolio engagement.

The majority of investors are just starting to figure out the true value of innovative, early-stage robotics opportunities. With the establishment of this fund, were here to influence what will have the greatest long-term impacts, and share the full extent of our expertise and networks with the companies we believe in.

Martin says: Its only in the last few years that weve seen the arrival of robotics unicorns and funding rounds with multi-billion dollar valuations as part of an accelerating robotics ecosystem.

So this marks an exciting time to be supporting and guiding the next crop of companies in the industry with outsize potential.

Couple that with the intensifying labor shortage in our key verticals, and you have a strong rationale why the time is perfect for us to launch this new fund.

Cybernetix Ventures has an advisory board consisting of seven distinguished leaders in their respective fields:

Steve Ricci: former partner at Flagship Ventures, and former president of the New England Venture Capital Association, bringing more than 30 years of early stage venture capital investment experience.

Helen Greiner: co-founder, former chairman and president of pioneering robotics company iRobot and CEO of Tertill, a recognized leader in the robotics field for more than 35 years.

Peter Wurman: co-founder and former CTO of Kiva Systems, a manufacturer of mobile robotic fulfillment systems acquired by Amazon and rebranded to Amazon Robotics. He is currently Sonys AI America director and was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2020.

Rick Faulk: CEO of Locus Robotics and former CEO of Quiet Logistics, has more than 30 years of experience in the logistics industry.

Elaine Chen: a well-known roboticist, currently director of the Derby Entrepreneurship Center at Tufts University and former entrepreneur-in-residence at the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship.

Amar Sawhney: prolific serial entrepreneur in the medical devices industry, currently CEO of Pramand, CEO and Chairman of Instylla. Some of his previous companies were acquired by Boston Scientific, Covidian and Genzyme.

Dennis Clarke: Chairman and CEO of Boston-based commercial real estate development company, Cummings Properties, and brings a wealth of experience in the construction industry.

Ricci says: Theres never been a venture capital team like this before, purpose-built and ready from day one to identify and target the most compelling opportunities at the intersection of robotics, automation, and AI.

We already have seen the team putting their wealth of knowledge, experience, and network into their current investments.

Cybernetix Ventures has already built an investment portfolio of leading early stage robotics and AI companies covering their target technology and market sectors.

Derrick Morse, CEO of portfolio company, Rugged Robotics, says: After meeting Fady and Mark, I quickly realized the power of their network and experience, and I knew I had to get them onto our cap table.

We were massively oversubscribed, but its important to have investors who really know the market and technology, understand the challenges of driving early-stage robotics companies, and can really engage on the important challenges we face as we grow the business. Were thrilled to have their support.

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'First-of-its-kind' $50 million fund launches for early-stage robotics, automation, and AI companies - Robotics and Automation News

Startup uWare Robotics develops ‘first’ complete system to map and monitor coastal ecosystems – Robotics and Automation News

A Belgian-Spanish startup called uWare Robotics says it has developed the first end-to-end technology to map and monitor coastal ecosystems.

uWare says its system consists of a number of proprietary hardware and software technologies, including an autonomous underwater vehicle, called the uOne.

Designed for maximum mobility, stability, cost-effectiveness, and autonomy, the uOne allows for data collection at five times the speed of a diver and with the precision of a robot, claims uWare.

Being autonomous and untethered, the uOne can cover vast areas by itself, eliminating the risk to human life. It is electric and quiet and can be launched from shore, reducing the environmental impact of a monitoring operation.

The uOne communicates with the uBuoy another of uWares inventions using the companys proprietary acoustic communication modem, the uCom to provide live mission updates and accept new mission commands.

The uOne seamlessly integrates with uWares software system that employs machine learning and computer vision to provide automated 2D and 3D map generation, intelligent visual inspection (for example, pollution spotting), and environmental and biodiversity data analysis.

In its press kit, uWare says: We have combined the latest technology in Robotics and AI, with open source software and proprietary electronics, to offer a solution that is safe, efficient, reliable, and cost-effective.

Our technology allows users to monitor and generate real intelligence out of the data they gather in the form of map generation, visual inspection and environmental data analysis.

By making our solution affordable and accessible to marine protected areas, conservation societies, and other relevant organizations we can ensure they have the necessary temporal data to keep ecosystems healthy, offer more advanced restoration efforts, and advise policymakers on their protection.

uWare says its target markets include:

The business model uWare has adopted involves hiring out its hardware on a mission basis and its software is available through subscription. There are three versions of the uOne Standard, Medium and Pro. The company claims its early adopter program offers pretty much everything almost free.

uWare says it expects to have fully autonomous, underwater worker bots using cost-effective internet of underwater things departing from our autonomous mothership in the future.

It adds: We can already envision a swarm of uOnes autonomously restoring a coral reef or managing a mariculture farm.

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Startup uWare Robotics develops 'first' complete system to map and monitor coastal ecosystems - Robotics and Automation News