Daily Archives: August 14, 2021

DroneDeploy

For anyone who doubts automation is coming to the construction site, another piece of evidence: a leading enterprise drone data company has just acquired a robotics software company in a bid to help customers orchestrate aerial and ground robots in industries like energy, agriculture, and construction.

The announcement fromDroneDeploy, which will acquire New Zealand-basedRocos, is part of a larger pattern of automation, AI, and computer vision technologies converging in construction, a pervasive global industry that hasn't had a major technology reboot in a very long time.

The reason for the rush to make human construction workers stronger, faster, and smarter and to leverage automation toward greater efficiency is related to the disquieting fact thatproductivity in construction has actually fallen in half since the 1960s. The sector has not kept pace with innovation. AsI've written, the diesel-powered hydraulic machines you'll find on most construction sites today remain essentially unchanged from those rolling around 100 years ago.

As a result, there are massive inefficiencies in the industry. According toKPMG's Global Construction Survey, just 25% of projects came within 10% of their original deadlines. When it comes to megaprojects, like large infrastructure projects,McKinsey found that 98% are delayed or over budget. 77% are more than 40% behind schedule.

DroneDeploy, which helps construction managers create digital twins of job sites, is eager to expand its footprint during what feels like a development arms race around the sector.

"Companies are undergoing a digital transformation accelerated by challenges surrounding labor shortages and COVID-driven remote operations. As a result, the market demand for automatic site documentation and digital twins has soared," said Mike Winn, CEO and co-founder of DroneDeploy. "With the Rocos acquisition, we are enabling our customers to automate ground-level data capture, moving several steps closer to a complete automation solution."

DroneDeploy, which powers the world's largest companies to capture an instant understanding of their assets and operations through aerial imagery, is keen to expand its reach to on-the-ground robots. The Rocos acquisition will allow customers to establish automated routines within the platform from both the air and the ground, representing a new technologically enabled reality for the job site.

"A few years ago, drones made the leap from hobbyist toys to enterprise tools. Now, ground robotics is on a similar trajectory," said David Inggs, former CEO and co-founder of Rocos, now DroneDeploy's Head of Ground Robotics. "With the addition of Rocos' ground robotics technology, DroneDeploy can now automate critical data workflows across both air and ground use cases, enabling greater safety and efficiency for the whole worksite."

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Ground and aerial robots heading to construction site - ZDNet

Technological innovation isn't just spreading to smart cities, intelligent buildings, or new hybrid work models; robots are also revolutionizing agriculture with artificial intelligence, autonomous tractors, sensors that monitor crops in real time, drones, or fruit and vegetable-harvesting robots.

In Australia, innovators have just presented the country's first fully automated farm.

It cost $20 million to set up, according to ABC News.

Conducted by researchers at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga, Australia in partnership with the Food Agility Cooperative Research Centre, the project could see farmers sat behind screens while the robots pick the crops.

Hands-free farming, the future of farming is nigh

The automated farm spans 1,900 hectares and could set a precedent for what robotics and AI have to offer for "hands-free" farming.

Among the tech on the farm are drones, robot tractors, harvesters, and smart sensors to measure, for example, carbon emissions released into the atmosphere.

The hope is that artificial intelligence will improve decision-making around planting, conditioning, and harvesting.

"It won't be long before technology takes farmers out of the field and immerses them in the world of robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence," Food Agility CEO Richard Norton said in the press release. "Full automation is not a distant concept; there are already mines in the Pilbara operated entirely in this way."

The researchers will also set up a state-of-the-art cyber secure environment to address emerging cybersecurity risks in food production.

Sensors will measure interactions between plants, soils, and animals and together, robots, AI, and algorithms will be able to establish evidence-based food sustainability practices and models.

The farm is already operating at a commercial level, and early trials will keep it running at night while farmers sleep.

This smart farm isn't the only recent invention to be driving change in food production: vertical farms save space in cities, smart greenhouses can be run with few resources, and artificial meat companies are stopping a lot of greenhouse gas emissions from being released into the atmosphere.

Documents like the recent life cycle assessment report from sustainability firm Quantis show that Impossible Foods' burgers created 89% fewer emissions during the production process compared to traditional animal rearing.

As for concerns about jobs being potentially lost to robots, World Economic Forum short-term estimates show that automation will create 97 million jobs, more than it will displace.

In addition to the fact that automation will complement farm work rather than replacing farmers, some laborers could go from the orchard to sitting at a desk managing farming software.

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One of the first 'hands-free' farms is using AI, smart sensors, and lettuce-picking robots - Business Insider

With support from Tesla and EDAWN, a new and unique University facility for robotics-based education and competition teams will strengthen the path to degrees and careers

RENO, Nev., Aug. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- A vision to create a unique space that encourages young people's interest in robotics, computer science, engineering and automation and create a pathway to degrees and careers is now reality in downtown Reno. Development of the new K-12 Robotics Center | University of Nevada, Reno was supported by Tesla and the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN).

Nevada Lt. Governor Kate Marshall and University of Nevada, Reno President Brian Sandoval visit with members of FYRE Robotics, a Reno-area FIRST Robotics Competition team, at the K-12 Robotics Center opening event. Photo by David Calvert.

K-12 robotics competitions spark students' interest and development in these critical fields of study, and competition teams need specialized equipment and large, open areas as they design, build and test their creations. The K-12 Robotics Center provides the necessary tools and space.

"It is a place where kids and parents, coaches, teachers and University faculty all come together," said Mridul Gautam, the University's vice president for research and innovation and professor of mechanical engineering. "The kids will learn to design and build, and they'll see the opportunities and the support for their future success."

"We need our students at all levels of our educational systems and from all backgrounds to see and understand the opportunities ahead," said University President Brian Sandoval.

The K-12 Robotics Center is in the Southside Studio, an historic school building across the street from the University's Innevation Center.

Gautam sees the Southside Studio, and the K-12 Robotics Center within it, as expanding the Innevation Center's impact and energy, as well as the University's footprint. The Southside Studio building also helps meet the demand for work-space available to early-stage entrepreneurial companies engaged with the Innevation Center.

Recently completed remodeling of the Southside Studio addressed ADA accessibility and added a competition practice area and new Woodshop that complements the Innevation Center's Makerspace.

Story continues

More information about the K-12 Robotics Center is available at unr.edu/innevation/k12-robotics-center.

@unevadareno

Media Contact:Jane TorsResearch Communications DirectorUniversity of Nevada, Reno775-240-8686jtors@unr.edu

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Innovative education and outreach: K-12 Robotics Center | University of Nevada, Reno - Yahoo Finance

Southwest Research Institute received an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract valued at up to $34 million over five years to support the US Army Ground Vehicle Systems Center through research and development of autonomous and robotic vehicles.

SwRI develops autonomous drones and ground vehicles, such as this high mobility multi-purpose wheeled vehicle (HMMWV), for the US Army.

Through the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) Information Analysis Center Multiple Award Contract (IAC MAC), SwRI will support project management, research and development, modeling and simulation, software development, systems integration, testing and data analysis services. The contract offers clients options to procure services under specific task orders focusing on robotics and autonomous systems.

SwRIs work in this space focuses on mobile platforms ranging from compact, purpose-built autonomous vehicles to automated high mobility multi-purpose wheeled vehicles (HMMWVs) and even larger tactical vehicles. SwRI has also developed aerial drones to be integrated with military ground vehicles.

SwRI began developing automated vehicle (AV) technology in 2006 through a multidisciplinary internal research program known as MARTI (Mobile Autonomous Robotics Technology Initiative). The project has evolved to serve military and commercial clients with development of automated systems using sensing, machine learning, and connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technologies.

For more than a decade, SwRI has supported the Army with development of autonomous robotic vehicle systems. SwRIs robotics systems have been integrated onto more than 15 unique military ground vehicle platforms, some of which were deployed overseas as part of the Dismounted Soldier Autonomy Tools (DSAT) program.

SwRI has also played a key role in the development of the Robotics Technology Kernel (RTK), an autonomy software library that provides a set of common robotic capabilities across a variety of vehicle platforms.

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SwRI awarded $34M contract for R&D of autonomous and robotic vehicles for US Army - Green Car Congress

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today Hyphen, formerly known as Ono Food Co. announced its plan to transform the foodservice industry across the country with the launch of its new platform. The platform consists of an Automated Makeline and companion OS that fulfills digital orders (pick-up, delivery, drive-thru, QR code), manages inventory, and eliminates order issues such as missing ingredients and cross-contamination. The Makeline can produce 350 meals per hour and requires just one staff member. Hyphen was built by some of the worlds top talent in robotics, foodservice, and food-tech from companies like Apple, Sweetgreen, SpaceX, Tesla, Uber, Instacart, Postmates, and more. Hyphens Makelines will deploy across the country this winter.

The first incarnation of Hyphen was a company called Ono Food Co., a robotic food truck with a mission to make healthy and delicious food as affordable and as ubiquitous as fast food. Within months of Onos launch, the COVID-19 pandemic forced shelter-in-place, and co-founder and CEO Stephen Klein decided to halt operations, take a step back, and think about what a post-COVID world meant for the restaurant industry. Within months, they decided to pivot the business to focus on an enterprise solution.

When we took a step back, we realized that we had built a very effective way to automate food production and run a very efficient and profitable business, said Klein. We had demonstrated the value, but we had a unique opportunity to accelerate our mission by enabling restaurants to make their kitchen operations more profitable and efficient. Now we really see ourselves like Shopify, 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.

Hyphens Makelines will deploy in New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Phoenix over the coming months with their first set of customersmostly restaurant brands with over 300 locations in total.

About Hyphen

Hyphen uses software and robotics to increase profitability and efficiency in foodservice by putting kitchen operations on autopilot. Hyphens robotic makeline produces over 350 meals an hour with zero order defects or cross-contamination, and can easily be swapped with a restaurants existing makeline without the need for plumbing or drainage. Through its KitchenOS, the platform enables restaurants to create recipes, fulfill multiple orders from third-party delivery services, and help with other kitchen-specific tasks like telling line cooks what food to prep next. Customers include some of the worlds most innovative restaurant chains, food brands, and co-packers.

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Hyphen Launches the World's First Robotic MakelineAllowing Restaurants and Foodservice Operators to Make Meals Within Seconds - Business Wire

The promise of robotics is indeed a lofty one a tireless worker, a loving child for those who cant conceive, a problem solver operating almost limitlessly beyond human biomechanical limitations.

Few of these aspirations have thus far been realised. In fact, based on the following what DIGIT considers to be the worst robots ever dreamt up we should, as a species, never again attempt to make another robot/abomination.

Last year, scientists in Japan developed a highly realistic looking robot child, named Affetto, which can detect changes in pressure via its synthetic skin, enabling it to feel pain.

Affetto is able to feel and distinguish between a light touch or a hard hit and, while this might seem cruel, the team behind the robot said it will help robots to understand and empathise with humans. Or, more likely, help them understand our deep love for hitting things.

Affetto has been equipped with a pain nervous system that is powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and custom skin tech that allows it to react to sensations using a variety of facial expressions.

Judging by the image, the scientists appear to have opted to make Affettos default expression, smug this is likely to make it easier to deploy the hard hits on the robots face.

A cushion with a tail that wags when its touched. The future is now. The idea behind it is stress relief. Ironically, it may achieve this as its so bad youll likely laugh the stress away as your cushion pointlessly wiggles in your lap.

Qoobo is a pillow-shaped companion that heals your heart. Best of all, it only costs roughly 90 more than listening to whale sounds for free on YouTube.

Ever been in the toilet and thought, man, that paper roll is getting dangerously low. I wish a robot could wheel a new one in here, no questions asked. Elegant, discreet, effective not even sure why Charmin is on this list.

For $30,000, you would think Sally would source, plant, cultivate, harvest, clean, mix, dress and serve salads. Alas, nay. Sally does but one of those tasks mix. Thats right, this is basically a Mr Frosty for rocket. Surely one of the worst robots in a list of worst robots.

Flexing its ability to read movement cues at a pace that makes humans look frankly pathetic, Janken will beat you at rock, paper, scissors 100% of the time.

Developed at the Ishikawa Watanabe Laboratory in Tokyo, Janken is able to counter a move one millisecond before a human is able to complete a move.

Theres probably altruistic implications to the technology, but for now, it just feels like it exists to make us feel bad about ourselves.

1976 classic (yes, classic), Logans Run envisions a future where everyone has to die at age 30. The supercomputer that runs society also deems that the existence of Box a robot that keeps runners frozen in ice naked, essential.

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6 of the worst robots ever conceived and built by mankind - DIGIT.FYI

The Yokohama Convention & Visitors Bureau (YCVB) has announced, 12 August, that Yokohama has been chosen to host the 2024 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (IEEE ICRA 2024).

Organised by the IEEE Robotics & Automation Society, the event will be a hybrid conference with 25,000 participants: 5,000 in-person, and 20,000 online. This will also be the first time the event has been held in Japan since 2009.

The YCVB, PACIFICO Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, City of Yokohama, Japan Tourism Agency, and Japan National Tourism Organisation attracted the conference, with the economic spill over expected to be approximately US$9.2m.

The YCVB claims Japans standard of research and Yokohamas safety and convenience were among the deciding factors in this decision to award the conference to the city. Yokohama aims to facilitate exchange between researchers and Yokohama-based businesses and academia at IEEE ICRA 2024.

Makoto Batori, executive director of PACIFICO Yokohama, commented: We are confident we can provide a safe environment and the right technical support.

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'I'll be back' says Yokohoma as city clinches 2024 robotics show - Conference and Meetings World