Daily Archives: August 14, 2021

Autel Robotics has finally released a statement in response to CEO Randall Warnas announcing his resignation with a LinkedIn update. Further, Maxwell Lee, general manager and owner of Autel Robotics, has also reacted to the news.

To recap, Randall announced on Thursday that he was leaving the drone company after only nine weeks on the job. He pointed to people around him having unjust authority and no accountability and noted that blatant nepotism and favoritism in the organization were undermining his ability to function in the role as needed. You can read Randalls complete resignation note and our detailed coverage of the reaction in the drone industry here.

Without detailing any succession plans, this is the statement Autel put out:

We want to thank Randall Warnas for his tenure here at Autel Robotics. During his short stint with the company, he was able to do some incredible things and help assist Autel in the right direction. With Randalls departure, we want to ensure the community that we are committed to continued development and forward-thinking regardless of what changes we face as a company. Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to what comes next. We wish Randall the best in his future endeavors.

Meanwhile, Maxwell Lee decided to comment directly on Randalls LinkedIn post, saying:

Hey Randall, sorry things did not turn out the way it was supposed to. What was initially a small road bump sent all of us flying off the pavement. Wish you had been a bit more flexible. Best of luck in your new ventures. You have great ability and drive.

Stepping down from a chief executive position is rarely easy, but it can be especially daunting if youve quickly come to be the face of the company too. Randalls decision to walk away voluntarily to protest the unjust termination of an employee doesnt sound like a flexibility issue to us, but we will let you be the judge.

Read more: Randall Warnas, Autels newly appointed CEO, resigns citing nepotism, integrity issues

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Autel Robotics reacts to CEO Randall Warnass resignation - DroneDJ

Thanks in part to the pandemic and the changing restaurant experience, there is more interest in food robots these days. While were not yet at the point where counters, kitchens, and drive-thrus are fully manned by these bots, there is a steadily growing number of choices when it comes to machines that can speed up and/or smooth out operations, save on costs, and provide a truly contactless meal creation and pickup experience.

One such offering is the RoboEatz Ark 03. it is a standalone kiosk that contains an articulating arm, fresh ingredients (including soups and salad dressings), an induction cooker and cubbies to hold pickup orders. When a customer places an order (via phone or tablet), the robot arm grabs ingredients, places them in the rotating induction cooker, and puts the finished meal container in a cubby.

RoboEatz CEO Alex Barseghianwill share more on this exciting new world of restaurant tech at The Spoons upcoming Restaurant Tech Summit on August 17. As a teaser, we recently got some thoughts from him about restaurant robotics, which you can read below. And if you havent already, grab a ticket to the virtual show here.

This Q&A has been lightly edited for clarity.

1. What problem does Roboeatz solve for restaurants/the restaurant industry?

The robot solves multiple things in one system.The ARK 03 can hold 80 ingredients allowing for 1,000 menu items to be made. Anyone from a salad concept to a pasta bar QSR or an Asian restaurant chain can leverage it. It self cleans the entire system and utensils, can dish out meals every 20 seconds and can serve 1,000 meals before it needs replenishment.It reduces waste, makes more consistent and great tasting food and labour shortages are resolved.

2. What is the biggest change in terms of the restaurant industrys approach towards technology as a result of the pandemic?

There are a number.Touchless interaction is becoming more vital.Everything from digital menu boards, touchless payments and curbside pick have increased in demand during the pandemic.Chains are going to look to automate key areas of the kitchen or replace the whole kitchen to reduce mundane tasks.There is global labour shortage for the restaurant industry and technology is going to be a vital way to solve for that problem.

3. Where do robotics and automation make the most sense in the restaurant industry (e.g., back of house, standalone machines, etc.)?

They can be either back of house or full standalone systems.The application will depend on the environment.For example, business canteens, student campuses,mining camps, airports and transit hubs can drop in a standalone machine like the ARK03.But if you have a casual fine dining chain with a massive infrastructure, you will take much more of an iterative approach to technology. Test and learn which pain points need to be fixed and automated. Only after can you scale which takes time and extensive resources.

4. What is the biggest challenge for restaurants right now when it comes to digitization?

The whole continuum of the journey is a challenge because there are so many aspects to digitization.From the ease of consumer ordering and personalization on the mobile phone to the end point of picking something in store, systems interacting with each other is a very large pain point.

5. What are you most excited about when it comes to the impact of restaurant technology?

That we, as a society, can rely on is great quality food that is produced safely and without much food waste.We have a profitable model that is scalable for multiple restaurant verticals, from QSRs to managed food service companies with the aforementioned goal in mind.

6. What do you think the restaurant industry will look like in five years?

The fine dining restaurants will deploy automation that is not visible to customers. Managed food service companies will deploy full systems in multiple verticals they service, especially where grab and go or 24/7 food is needed.QSR chains will have either a full system or have hybrid back of house functions. It is a very exciting time.

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Q&A: RoboEatz on the Importance of Robotics in Restaurants of the Future - The Spoon

LENEXA, Kan., Aug. 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Genuen, a leading provider of end-to-end test solutions for mission-critical applications, today announced that the company has acquired Versatech, an engineering firm that designs and integrates specialized robotic and production automation equipment. This acquisition comes on the heels of Genuen's recent expansion, and extends the company's ability to include production line automation and test.

Genuen serves the market as a leader in custom test solution development. The company provides Fortune 500 companies, Prime contractors, and Tier 1 suppliers with expertise and data needed throughout the product lifecycle. To continue serving clients with leading solutions, Genuen is acquiring expertise through companies like Versatech, bringing the teams together to create stronger solutions for critical applications.

"Versatech's expertise adds the ability to integrate testing with production automation in solutions across all the markets we serve," said Jeff Gray, CEO of Genuen.

Based in Effingham, IL since 2008, Versatech has served as a production line integrator, combining high-end robotic, automation, and controls hardware with customized software. Versatech has relationships with leading robotics technology developers including Fanuc, Yaskawa/Motoman, Epson, Denso, Mitsubishi, and Universal Robots, among others. The company also provides expert vision inspection capabilities for production automation.

Versatech can design and build precision assembly and testing systems that leverage elite technology to help clients reach their production goals quickly and efficiently.

"We're excited to be members of the growing Genuen team," said Joe Forbes, Co-Owner of Versatech. "This acquisition provides our clients with access to Genuen's substantial expertise in test solution development. Together, we will deliver more effective, streamlined solutions to the market."

All Versatech offices and management will remain in place and the company will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Genuen as the company expands its footprint and technical staff to better support clients globally. Genuen plans to continue evaluating acquisitions that bolster and expand product and service offerings.

For more information, visit genuen.com.

About Genuen

Genuenpartners with innovative manufacturing companies to improve time to market while ensuring the highest product quality and safety standards. Genuen offers test and production automation solutions across the entire product lifecycle. With extensive experience in mission-critical applications and regulatory compliance Genuen delivers custom test systems, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation, hydraulic test, dynamometer test, test platform development, and production robotics automation and control development.

Headquartered in Lenexa, KS, Genuen has offices and facilities across the United States and serves clients in multiple industries including aerospace, medical device, automotive, transportation and national security. The company's Quality Management System (QMS) is certified to ISO 9001.

Contact: Morgan Norris morgan@trewmarketing.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/genuen-acquires-versatech-expands-capabilities-with-advanced-robotics-and-automation-integration-solutions-301354087.html

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Genuen Acquires Versatech, Expands Capabilities with Advanced Robotics and Automation Integration Solutions - Clay Center Dispatch

Campaign Catapult the new end-to-end service portfolio set out to deliver solutions for new entrants, start-ups and developed mid to enterprise-size businesses operating in the Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UAS) and robotics markets has teamed up with US-based tech entrepreneur and business networking specialist Trish Ward Utter.

Campaign Catapult, targets current and aspiring disruptive leaders in a range of segments including Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV) manufacturers, sensor and software innovators, counter drones, the wider supply chain and robotics industries. According to Florida-based Trish Ward Utter, the opportunity to help develop and introduce US and international companies operating in these dynamic and fast-growing markets is exciting. Our stated aim is to provide a spectrum of support services to our North American client base especially those drone and robotics businesses targeting UK, Europe, Middle East and other regions.

Trish has helped companies across the globe mark their place in the world through smart marketing and PR tactics and has built a vast following of Drone, EV (electric vehicle) and automotive enthusiasts. Experience includes creating the British Club in the US, working with the British Embassy and trade delegations in Washington DC, in addition to successful ventures in publishing and forensic police support.

The opportunity to provide the UAS and wider robotics industry with seamless business and marketing support focused on whole-life solutions brought together Allan Panthera and Pravo Consulting in a strategic partnership in May 2021.

The two complementary businesses, combining successful track records in the UAS market from Allan Pantheras multi-sector operational and business strategy expertise, with Pravo Consultings marketing, PR and social media outreach and crisis communications for national and global players, will leverage the focus of both businesses on innovative and disruptive markets. The intention is to develop the service from the UK to cover global markets, with the first regional hub in North America, with others to follow, utilizing an international associate network.[1]The global commercial drone market size was valued at USD 13.44 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 57.5% from 2021 to 2028.

The teams combined UAS experience, across commercial and defense sectors, include: research on drone standards, launch of rotary VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) UAVs and global roll out, support for UAV propulsion systems manufacturer and sensor deployment, creation of award winning drone service enterprise, commercial wins and project management of world first offshore operations, strategic insight papers, BVLOS proof of concept projects, ISR maritime security, blue chip service contracts, drone in a box commercialization, global exclusivity agreements, mentorship/board advisory, foreign market entry, funding support, and many more.

Interest in Campaign Catapult has been phenomenal and builds on the extensive contacts and track record of both Allan-Panthera-Pravo Consulting, explained Philip Hicks, Founder and Principal Consultant of Pravo Consulting. North America is an obvious choice for our next major move as a strategic partnership, not only because so many UAS innovators call the US their home base, but our market understanding and experience in the rest of the world provides our clients with a fast track for growth. Either side of the equation we offer support for businesses serious about developing in the US and/or North American businesses, including Canada and Mexico, expanding globally.

The advent of the 5G delivery model and integration of cloud computing technology with the drone development process is anticipated to provide lucrative growth opportunities to the commercial drone market. The global pandemic has accelerated development, testing and adoption of drones across a range of sectors from medical delivery and energy to real estate and agriculture. This, together with development of global regulatory frameworks, proven use cases, and return on investment, underscore the exciting growth we are witnessing in the uncrewed/unmanned sector, said Jamie Allan, Founder and CEO of Allan Panthera

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Campaign Catapult, the drone and robotics business services partnership teams up with US-based tech entrepreneur Trish Ward Utter - sUAS News

When someone mentioned to me that Xiaomi was launching its own robot dog, my mind immediately went to Sonys Aibo. And honestly, it would have been difficult to be more wrong. Now that the news has been out for a few days, the companys heard all of your bad Black Mirror jokes, dont worry.

And, honestly, the Chinese hardware maker didnt do itself any favors with the design here. Boston Dynamics has done a lot to imbue its quadrupedal robots with personality, through design language and viral videos of Spot and company busting a move to the Dirty Dancing soundtrack.

With Cyberdog, however, Xiaomis design team clearly just leaned in and went full-on Robocop (and the Bladerunner pastiche doesnt help) . I receive a deluge of Metalhead gifs every time I post something about Boston Dynamics seriously, Im using Cyberdog as the lead image on this post, just so you can see what I mean. Go check the replies on Twitter. Ill wait.

Image Credits: Xiaomi

Xiaomi is, of course, far from the first company to release a Spot-like quadrupedal robot. There are a number of companies competing in that space, including ANYmal and Ghost Robotics. For its part, Xiaomi is looking to put a developer spin on the category. Per the Mi blog:

CyberDog is Xiaomis first foray into quadruped robotics for the open source community and developers worldwide. Robotics enthusiasts interested in CyberDog can compete or co-create with other like-minded Xiaomi Fans, together propelling the development and potential of quadruped robots.

Image Credits: Xiaomi

The robot is powered by Nvidias Jetson Xavier NX platform, coupled with 11-built in sensors, including cameras, touch, GPS and more. The company will be release 1,000 of the robots, price at roughly $1,540 a fraction of the cost of the advanced Spot system. The robot is also a fraction of the size of Boston Dynamics quadruped. And while there are superficial similarities the project really couldnt be more different.

Xiaomis entry into robotics is more about building hardware for Nvidias platform. Its a (relatively) inexpensive way for people to get a hang of programming and, perhaps, protoyping robotics. The likely limited functionality and availability are pretty clear indications that that the companys not trying to put a Cyberdog in every home just yet.

Bear Flag Robotics

A sizable acquisition this week, John Deere announced plans to buy Bear Flag Robotics for $250 million. Weve been following Bear Flag since it was a member of the YC cohort. The deal seems like a good outcome for both parties. Bear Flag gets a lot of resources from an agricultural giant like John Deere and Deere gets to step another foot into the world of cutting-edge tech with an autonomous tractor startup.

Says co-founder and CEO Igino Cafiero:

One of the biggest challenges farmers face today is the availability of skilled labor to execute time-sensitive operations that impact farming outcomes. Autonomy offers a safe and productive alternative to address that challenge head on. Bear Flags mission to increase global food production and reduce the cost of growing food through machine automation is aligned with Deeres and were excited to join the Deere team to bring autonomy to more farms.

Image Credits: Kiwibot

Another startup weve been following since its early days, Kiwibot is seeing expansion to a significant number of campuses. In spite of campus shutdowns last year, the Berkeley-based company is actually seeing something of a boom due to the pandemic. COO Diego Varela Prada tells TechCrunch:

We have a procedure to disinfect the bots between orders. If youre a student and you dont want to mix into large crowds, I think its much safer to order food through Kiwibot and have it delivered to the library or your dorm.

Weve written about Lidar company Aeva a few times over the years, including last November, when it announced plans to go public via SPAC. This week, the company announced a deal with Nikon that takes it beyond its existing automotive applications. The company says there are a slew of potential applications, though the chip is still about four years away from production. Fields include, consumer electronics, consumer health, industrial robotics, and security.

A whole bunch of robots are making their way to Florida late next year, courtesy of Amazon. The company announced this week that it has chosen Tallahassee (birthplace of T-Pain and objectively the best Mountain Goats album) as the home of its next fulfillment center. The company plans to add to its massive arm of warehouse robots for the 630,000-square-foot space, along with 1,000 human jobs.

Image Credits: Berkshire Grey

FedEx, meanwhile, has implemented Berkshire Grey robotics at a shipping facility in Queens (the best borough). The systems will identity, pick, sort, collected and containerize primarily small packages like polybags, tubes and padded mailers. The systems are set to roll out to additional locations, including Las Vegas and Columbus, Ohio. Says B.G.,

This technology has been developed and installed as a direct response to the exponential growth of e-commerce, which has accelerated the demand for reliable automated solutions throughout all stages of the supply chain. FedEx Ground believes that continued innovation and automation will improve safety, efficiency, and productivity for its team members as they continue to keep the e-commerce supply chain moving.

Image Credits: Hyphen

Heres a new company in the food space worth keeping an eye on. Formerly known as Ono Food Co. (then a food truck company), SF-based Hyphen has come out of stealth with the announcement of its Makeline automated meal platform. The company says the system is able to create up to 350 meals an hour, with the aid of a single staff member.

[W]e really see ourselves like Shopify, CEO Stephen Klein said in a release, but instead of enabling merchants to compete with the likes of Amazon, were enabling restaurants to compete with the likes of DoorDash as well as other services and ghost kitchens that have decided to compete with their own customers by offering their own food brands.

The platform is set to start rolling out this winter with plans for 300 locations in New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle and Phoenix.

Originally posted here:

Peer into the eyes of Cyberdog - TechCrunch

Amazon Center Courtesy: Shutterstock Image by Mike Mareen

Amazon has announced a brand new, 630,000 square-foot robotic fulfillment center that is anticipated to launch in Tallahassee, Florida by late 2022, as well as five new delivery stations, bringing the companys total investment to over $18 billion since 2010.

Were excited to announce five new delivery stations as we continue to invest in the state of Florida, said Holly Sullivan, Vice President of Worldwide Economic Development for Amazon. The new facilities not only allow us to better serve our customers across the state, but it also allows us to create jobs and drive opportunity within the Sunshine State. Were proud to have created more than 52,000 jobs and invested more than $18 billion in the state over the past decade.

The fulfillment center will create more than 1,000 full-time jobs with several opportunities and benefits involved with advanced robotics. Fulfillment center employees will pack and ship several items including electronics, toys, and books to customers.

The five new delivery stations located in Florida will work to power the last portion of Amazons order process with the goal of increasing efficiency for deliveries. These specific delivery stations will also give independent contractors the opportunity to be their own boss and create their own schedule delivering for Amazon Flex.

The announcement comes exactly one week after Amazon announced a fulfillment center in Port St. Lucie, Florida, which is set to make 500 full-time jobs. Currently, Amazon operates more than fifty sites in Florida that support delivery and customer fulfillment operations, including more than ten facilities that launched in 2020.

The new fulfillment center will be located in Tallahassee at 6720 Mahan Drive.

In addition, they stated that the five new delivery stations will be located at:

Several cities are more than excited for Amazon to place these stations within their areas. Business expansion and job creation are essential to the growth and vibrancy of the City of Coral Springs and the reason we are excited to welcome Amazon to our Commerce Park. The creation of 200 full-time, diverse jobs in a post-pandemic climate is the boost we needed to jump-start a stronger economy long term. Amazons move to the newly built facility is a strong signal to other large employers and industry leaders the benefits of our citys location to the Sawgrass Expressway and connectivity to neighboring communities. We greatly appreciate the work of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance, who worked with city staff to see this opportunity become a reality, said Scott Brook, City of Coral Springs Mayor.

Stories that matter are our priority. At Florida Insider, we make sure that the information we provide our readers is accurate, easy-to-read, and informative. Whether you are interested in business, education, government, history, sports, real estate, nature or travel: we have something for everyone. Follow along for the best stories in the Sunshine State.

Born and raised in South Florida, Krystal is a recent graduate from the University of Miami with professional writing experience at the collegiate and national news outlet levels. Shes a foodie who loves all things travel, the beach, & visiting new places throughout Florida.

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Amazon announces new delivery stations and robotics center in Florida - Florida Insider

A KiwiBot food delivery robot on the campus of Gonzaga University.

Madeline Gatewood can't wait for the robot invasion.

They're coming to Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., next month. And these autonomous machines, powered by KiwiBot and food services company Sodexo, will be delivering burgers, burritos and salads to hungry students.

"It's a unique way to connect students with all the dining options," says Gatewood, who is studying political science and philosophy at Gonzaga.

Unique and safer. Gonzaga is one of several universities where fleets of food delivery robots are debuting this fall.

Starship Technologies today announced that it would roll out its robot food delivery service on Embry Riddle Aeronautical Universitys Daytona Beach Campus, making it the first college in Florida to offer automated delivery robot service to its students. Also, Kiwibot today said it would expand its robotic fleet to three campuses in the United States, including New Mexico State University, Loyola Marymount University in California, and Gonzaga. Both of these agreements are partnerships with Sodexo.

There's a reason these bots are taking over college campuses. With a dangerous new COVID-19 variant going around, the touchless delivery option may be more popular with students and nervous college administrators. They may not solve all the world's problems, but they are quickly finding a place in the hospitality industry.

"COVID has moved the restaurant industry at least 15 years into the future," explains Bob Vergidis, chief visionary officer for pointofsale.cloud, a developer of cloud-based applications for restaurants. "This is further accelerated with restaurant guests who are now very comfortable ordering food online, and delivery becoming a hot segment for the whole industry. The customer demand for food delivery is already there and rising, and labor is becoming more expensive and hard to find, so all the preconditions are there for autonomous delivery."

A food delivery robot on campus.

Food delivery robots are small, autonomous machines that carry meals to a delivery point. A typical robot costs between $2,500 and $5,000, depending on the amenities. Consumers pay a delivery charge of about $2 per meal.

How do you hail a food delivery robot? At Embry-Riddle, students will download the Starship Deliveries app, choose from a range of their favorite food and drink items, then drop a pin where they want their meal sent. They can then follow their delivery on an interactive map.

When the food is sent out for delivery they receive an alert and can then meet the robot and unlock it using the app. The delivery usually takes just a few minutes. Each robot can carry up to 20 pounds the equivalent of about three shopping bags of goods. The robots have their own rules that allow them to coexist peacefully with the students.

Food delivery robots are on the verge of a revolution for several reasons. First, there's the immediate safety concern. With several dangerous COVID variants on the horizon, these touchless delivery systems promise to add a layer of safety to food handling.

The pandemic advanced the use of robotics technology by three to five years," notes David Chen, director of engineering at Orbbec, a company that provides cameras for robots. "Robots used to be a novelty in this sector, but we are seeing them being steadily adopted into mainstream use as a health and safety measure."

But the robots represent the beginning of a new era of delivery beyond food, and beyond college campuses, according to Diego Varela Prada, chief operating officer of KiwiBot.

Delivering food via a robot cuts the cost by 50 percent or more, compared to human delivery, he says. "And campuses are the beginning of food delivery for most people. Students having exposure to robot delivery on a campus setup means they will be much more open to this technology, not just for food delivery but also for other nonfood items anything that fits inside a robot."

Tammy Estes, chief product officer at hotel technology company Nomadix says robots are gaining traction quickly.

"We are seeing a significant shift to adopt robotics technology, as its a great way to continue fulfilling the time-consuming and repetitive task of delivering meal and bar services safely and conveniently," she told me.

Robots aren't a one-size-fits-all solution. I talked to Tommy Leung, who owns a frozen meal delivery business in Hong Kong. He says we're still "far away" from having an automated delivery system that works for everyone.

"At the moment, our delivery costs are around 10 to 12% of sales, which actually turns out to be even higher than what a traditional restaurant business would be paying for rent," he says. His company's solution is to build a network of offline shop locations that work as retail stores and pick-up locations for online orders.

Leah Lizarondo, an entrepreneur in residence at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College, is the founder and CEO of Food Rescue Hero, a technology platform and mobile app. She says food delivery robots show a lot of promise.

"The load capacity of these are limited and suitable for some things," she says. "But if we are thinking of a typical weekly grocery delivery or anything as substantial, robots are not yet there."

Alastair Westgarth, CEO of Starship Technologies, acknowledges there are some limits to robots but says they have broad applications, particularly in the hospitality industry.

"There will still be a need for other forms of delivery," he says. "But we believe that robot delivery will play a major role, particularly in shorter deliveries of a few miles. Most importantly, customers love the quick and convenient service from autonomous robots. Some people have used the Starship service more than 500 times in the last few years."

There's no directory of campus robots that you can consult to find out if you can order a sandwich from R2D2. But many colleges have them, and many more are getting them.

For example, Starship is already providing services to 16 universities across the country, including Bowling Green State University, George Mason University and Bridgewater State University.

KiwiBots are at many universities, including UC Berkeley, Harvard, UC Davis, MIT, and Stanford, as well as other universities in New York and Texas.

They're there, but you might not notice them. These are not flashy sci-fi robots. On a recent visit to UC Berkeley, I saw a KiwiBot zipping around near the library, but it didn't draw attention to itself. From the corner of your eye, it looks more like a skateboard without a rider.

The food delivery robots are slow, reaching a maximum speed of just four miles per hour. But they're ubiquitous. Starships bots have made more than 1.6 million deliveries, traveled millions of miles and made more than 80,000 road crossings daily. The robots use a combination of machine learning, artificial intelligence and sensors to navigate their way to hungry students and faculty. They can cross streets, climb curbs, travel at night and operate in rain and snow.

Bottom line: These robots are multiplying.

"Consumers should expect to see more robots on the street, and at their front-doors delivering goods they have ordered online," says Eric McGee, a senior network engineer at TRGDatacenters, a company that provides data center services.

But there's one reason the bots will stick around, says Kevin Kreide, associate vice president for facilities at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

"Food just tastes better when a robot delivers it to your door," he says.

Read more from the original source:

Food Delivery Robots Are Going Back To School This Fall - Forbes

How did Michael Crichton, Sean Connery, and Wesley Snipes factor into the creation of a preeminent robotics firm?

The story begins on the movie set of the 1993 action thriller "Rising Sun," starring Connery and Snipes and based off the Crichton novel of the same name.

It was during a week of filming under the hot California sun that Marc Raibert, then a professor at MIT, realized there was more work to do.

"We were providing robots for the background of a scene in the movie," said Raibert. "And we were there for a week. And it was a week of hell."

On set, Raibert said the heat, among other things, was a variable not present in the controlled MIT lab and for a time "nothing worked right." It was around this time that Raibert decided create Boston Dynamics.

The reclusive company is known for their occasional viral videos, most notably one where its robots danced the Mashed Potato to the song "Do You Love Me?" last year. Earlier this year, they agreed to let 60 Minutes correspondent Anderson Cooper into their New England headquarters for a rare look at their nearly three-decade effort to advance robotic capabilities.

"I think there are three really key pieces in robotics," said Kevin Blankespoor, one of the lead engineers at Boston Dynamics. "There is vision, there is mobility, and there is manipulation."

Unlike many Hollywood films where robots are portrayed with advanced, human-like artificial intelligence, Boston Dynamics places a focus on what it calls "athletic intelligence," which is the ability of machines to control things like balance, posture, and the way they move.

The company's "build it, break it, fix it" approach means their machines are pushed, sometimes literally, in order to gather data and advance their capabilities.

"This generation of robots is going to be different," said Robert Playter, the CEO of Boston Dynamics. "They're going to work amongst us. They're going to work next to us in ways where we help them, but they also take some of the burden from us."

Boston Dynamics hopes humans may soon work alongside robots in more ways. In March, on 60 Minutes, the company debuted one of its newest creations a robot they call "Stretch." The company said it can move 800 boxes an hour in a warehouse and operate for up to 16 consecutive hours without changing its battery.

Some have raised concerns about whether advancements in robotics could lead to more automation and job losses for humans. Robert Playter, Boston Dynamics' CEO, thinks these concerns are overblown.

"At the same time, you're creating a new industry," Playter told 60 Minutes. "We envision a job we like to call the 'robot wrangler.' He'll launch and manage five to 10 robots at a time and sort of keep them all working."

"Stretch" is due to go on sale next year. Currently, Boston Dynamic's four-legged, dog-like robot "Spot" is on the market, starting at around $75,000 apiece.

"Spot" can be found working in a variety of settings from construction sites to police investigations. The potential for its future use remains as grand as the imagination of those willing to buy one.

As for the future of Boston Dynamics, Marc Raibert's brainchild has come a long way from those struggles on the Rising Sun set his company is now building robots that would seem right at home in a high-budget sci-fi film.

The video above was originally published on March 28, 2021 and was produced by Keith Zubrow and Sarah Shafer Prediger. It was edited by Sarah Shafer Prediger.

Footage of "Spot" in Chernobyl courtesy of the University of Bristol, United Kingdom

Go here to see the original:

The next generation of robots - 60 Minutes - CBS News

Smart tech is becoming more prevalent on farms, which innovators hope will spur new interest in farming.

Agriculture faces an uncertain future in Oregon and the country at large. Low wages, climate change hazards like smoke and extreme heat, and the relatively high toll farmwork takes on the human body, have led younger people away from farm work.

According to a 2018 report by farm lending group AgAmerica Lending, the average age of farmers in the United States is 59 years old, and farmers under the age of 35 account for just 9% of the labor force.

A 2020 report by supply chain software company GEP Worldwide found stricter immigration policies have made owning a farm less profitable.

The GEP report recommended farms adopt agrotechnology including robotics, artificial intelligence and predictive software to cut costs and increase profits. Recent advances in robotics, along with Oregon universities agricultural programs and sustainability incentives have poised Oregon to become an epicenter of robotic farming.

These advancements will not only make farming more efficient, but could also cause farming to be seen as a more appealing career path to students coming out of college.

It is important we make farm work exciting again. Some people look at farm work and see it as drudgery, says Praveen Penmetsa, CEO of Monarch Tractors, a California-based company that makes fully electric driver-optional tractors. Its a lot more exciting to become a fleet operator and get to work with the latest technology.

After a successful deployment to Wente Vineyards in California, Monarch deployed its first driverless farming tractor in Oregon at Hopville Farms in Clatskanie in July. This was the first driverless tractor deployed funded by the USDA Conservation Innovation Grant.

Penmetsa says his goal with Monarch Tractors is to eventually deploy them globally, both to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make sure everyone has access to safe, effective farming tools. But before that, the technology needs to be tested and perfected in real-world conditions. For that, the company will partner with Oregon State University to use the institutions data gathering software to improve the tractors ability to collect and react to field data to improve agronomy.

Monarch Tractors are not the only way OSU is advancing agrotechnology.

This year, 13 researchers from OSUs College of Engineering in partnership with the University of Washington are participating in AgAID, a $20 million federal effort to develop artificial intelligence to address farmings biggest problems: diminishing water, labor shortages, and extreme weather variations caused by climate change.

The plan is to incorporate predictive technology into farming tools to be able to deliver outcomes specifically-tailored to individual fields. A feature that will become more necessary as climate change makes weather patterns more destructive and unpredictable.

These AI in the systems still needs a lot of improvement. It's very much an art to get ripe grapes, for example, thirsty enough and feed them just enough to water the outcomes you need. Every field is different, says Alan Fern, professor of computer science and lead investigator representing Oregon State. One of the things working on is giving growers an interface to forecast the right line of irrigation based on their growing goals based on their field that becomes highly customized. A lot of it is setting up good data pipelines for what is there and what should be there.

While seeding and tilling are able to be accomplished by AI units, things like pruning trees and picking apples are more difficult to program, since fine motor skills are required.

For now, agrotech needs to learn from human experts in order to teach machines best practices. With aging experts retiring from the profession, passing on knowledge to artificial intelligence systems, rather than a new generation of farmhands, ensures the machines begin their deployments at a high level of functionality.

Part of our team focuses on human computer interaction. if youre not designing with end users in mind its not going to get used. it has to be a user-first design process, says Fern. AI is not this magic thing that can solve all problems. its not going to replace all workers, its hopefully going to make workers lives better and more efficient.

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