Category Archives: Robotics

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Marketing and Communications

Beverlys Birthdays seeks a Development and Marketing Assistant to manage donor relationships, maintain donor records, contribute to social media content, assist with event planning and coordinate volunteers.

Human Services

Milestone Centers is hiring an Executive Director to provide organizational leadership and management for the center and ensure the delivery of health care, services and support systems.

Business and Finance

The Pittsburgh Foundation is looking for a Staff Accountant to manage day-to-day accounting functions for the finance and investment team that supports financial reporting.

Bank of America seeks a Business Bank Senior Relationship Manager to oversee a portfolio of commercial relationships, manage relationship selectivity and acquisition, deepen relationships through cross-selling, drive profitability and dialogue with a variety of clients.

IT and Engineering

RE2 Robotics is looking for a Mechanical Engineer to create lightweight, dexterous and powerful mobile manipulation systems for Department of Defense and commercial applications.

Deloitte has an opening for an AI Engineer to support the development of transformational AI capabilities for large clients.

Postal Service

USPS is hiring a City Carrier Assistant to deliver and collect mail on foot or by vehicle under varying road and weather conditions in a prescribed area and maintain public relations with customers.

Administrative

The Community College of Allegheny County seeks a Senior Secretary to perform administrative secretarial duties for a major campus department, including complex correspondence, reports, advertisements and news releases, filing systems and analytical assignments.

Advanced Manufacturing

Kurt J. Lesker Company is hiring a Detail Technician to clean, detail and package high technology products before they are shipped to customers.

The Allegheny County Airport Authority seeks an Auto Mechanic to determine repairs required by road testing and use of diagnostic equipment, replace defective parts, perform engine tune-ups and develop job safety analysis procedures.

Construction

EQT Corporation is hiring a Construction Specialist I/II to document the progress of construction projects, prepare scopes of work, supervise daily operations and more.

Job Fair

Every Child Inc. is hosting a Virtual Job Fair on July 22 from 1 to 2 p.m. for its Family Support services and from 5 to 6 pm for its Clinical services. Register here.

Sponsored

Operations Coordinator at Friends of the Riverfront: Friends of the Riverfront is hiring a Part-Time Operations Coordinator to support the organization and its trail programs. Friends of the Riverfront is a nonprofit organization that works to develop and steward the Three Rivers Heritage Trail and Water Trail in Allegheny County.Posted July 07, 2021

Data Coordinator at Partner4Work: Identify data and data process needs, collect, clean and maintain data from the Commonwealth Workforce Development System, a statewide workforce database, conduct research encompassing workforce issues and trends. Provide data evaluation services to program staff and the organization.Posted July 02, 2021

Operations Coordinator at P3R: P3R is the engine behind Pittsburghs greatest races. We strive to inspire any and all to run with us. Best known for organizing the acclaimed annual DICKS Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon, P3R also organizes a variety of other high-quality races, training runs and health and fitness programs throughout the Pittsburgh region.Posted July 01, 2021

HR Assistant at Sarah Heinz House: Exciting opportunity to manage the outreach program and middle school age VEX IQ robotics teams for Sarah Heinz House. This includes managing participation in competitions, recruiting and retaining volunteers, and coaching and mentoring the team. Previous experience with robotics preferred.Posted July 01, 2021

STEM Instructor at Sarah Heinz House: The primary responsibility is to teach STEM and robotics classes to preschool and elementary school age youth while establishing, maintaining and nurturing positive professional relationships with the members, volunteers and staff. Associate or Technical Degree with 1 yr experience required.Posted July 01, 2021

PSL Player Experience Manager at PUMP: This full-time position with the award winning Pittsburgh Sports League (a program of PUMP) ensures a high-quality player and social experience before, during and after games; coordinates and supports leagues and officials behind the scenes and serves as the face of the organization at the games.Posted June 30, 2021

Junior Accountant at Fred Rogers Productions: Fred Rogers Productions is looking for an entry-level, FT Junior Accountant based in Pittsburgh. This position is a good fit for an enthusiastic self-starter with a sense of humor. This individual must be trustworthy, flexible and display a willingness to ask questions.Posted June 30, 2021

Marketing Assistant at Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras: TRYPO seeks a Marketing Assistant to be the primary storyteller for the organization. This role uses social media channels to help build strong and diverse online communities and elevate the organizational message. Join us if you have a sincere belief in the importance of music education!Posted June 24, 2021

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Whos hiring in Pittsburgh? RE2 Robotics, CCAC, Bank of America and more 7/5/21 - NEXTpittsburgh

Across Europe, consistently low birth rates and rising life expectancy are transforming the continents age demographic.

The coming years will see older people make up a much larger demographic in Europe, a phenomenon that is already being felt in countries like Italy, Greece and Germany.

The prospect presents enormous challenges to policymakers tasked with meeting the healthcare needs of an ageing population, particularly in a situation where there may be fewer working-age people to support them.

As a result, policymakers in Europe are turning their attention to tech solutions and robotics in the hope that they can help make up some of this shortfall.

French start-up Kompa Robotics presented their latest innovation at the VivaTech conference in Paris - a robot that has been specifically designed for healthcare providers.

Its a multifunctional robot designed for vulnerable people. So that could be in retirement homes and also in hospitals, Marie Fromanger, a business developer at Kompa Robotics, told Euronews Next.

The idea is to help carers and the whole body of healthcare workers in the daily tasks that a robot can carry out.

Their new model has been designed for use in the home and is equipped with auto-navigation, meaning the robot is able to carry out surveillance sweeps and alert a support person by sending a photo if anything is amiss.

It can also do all kinds of art therapy, activities, and some meditation. It can transport people thanks to the fact that it can move on its own, said Fromanger.

The company is keen to stress that its robots are not intended to replace carers or health workers entirely. Rather the Kompa robot is an additional tool to relieve carers of the menial tasks that a robot can carry out autonomously.

Kompa is one of the many European technology companies working with the SHAPES programme, a large scale EU funded health care project which aims to assist people to remain independent as they age.

The programme is seeking to create an open platform for integrating digital solutions and technological infrastructure that will ultimately support healthy ageing across the continent.

According to Europes statistics agency Eurostat, it is projected that there will be close to half a million centenarians in the EU-27 by 2050.

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This French robotics start-up may have the solution for the ageing population crisis - Euronews

TURIN, Italy--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Reply announced today that it has developed an end-to-end solution architecture for autonomous mobile robots (AMR) on Microsoft Azure that enables new business applications across industries, reduces upfront costs and allows for the rapid implementation of customer-specific robotics use cases.

The solution combines Microsoft Azure services, the agility of Boston Dynamics' SPOT and Replys knowledge of intelligent cloud computing services, edge computing and artificial intelligence. To demonstrate the capabilities of a scalable and versatile robotics platform, Reply implemented an automated vehicle-damage-detection solution for rental or leasing companies that leverages this architecture. In fact, rental or leasing companies must inspect vehicles for any damage after they are returned in order to ensure the safety and quality of their fleet for their customers. This is usually done in the time- and cost-consuming manual process of walking around the car, visually inspecting it, assessing the severity of the damage and conducting a damage report.

Reply integrates Azure Cognitive Services, Machine Learning and DevOps as well as Power Apps and Power BI. Thanks to Azure's intelligent service foundation, agile workflows and machine learning, this process can be fully automated. Using computer vision, SPOT moves freely through the parking area and scans the license plates to find the right vehicle. Once detected, it walks around the vehicle to record its condition by continuously collecting visual data with its camera and sensors. This information is processed on the edge or transmitted to the cloud, where advanced image recognition and machine leaning algorithms perform the damage detection. All detected damages are saved in the return protocol, and they can be presented to the customer and the fleet manager for approval.

This platform sets the power of Microsoft Azure on the move by bringing it from the Cloud to the Edge and into highly advanced mobile robotic devices, giving them the autonomy to unlock novel business use cases. Thanks to the agile reference architecture, we are able to implement customer-specific use cases in various industries that include all types of mobile robots or drones, comments Filippo Rizzante, CTO Reply.

Reply is a long-term, trusted partner in delivering Azure IoT solutions, and were delighted to continue our collaboration on this new scalable robotics offering. By leveraging Microsoft Azure, we can help accelerate this transformation by making it easier for businesses to bring AI and analytics capabilities to these autonomous systems in a consistent and secure way, adds Lakecia Gunter, Vice President and GM, Global IOT Channel at Microsoft.

With their agility, autonomous mobile robots (AMR) are able to move independently from a central infrastructure on terrain that is not traditionally designed for robots. They can be used in hazardous environments and environments, that are harmful to people. According to ResearchAndMarkets.com, the global market for automated guided vehicle (AGV) and AMR is expected to reach $13.2 Billion by 2026 with a growth rate of around 35%. Both AGVs and AMRs collectively are going to cross the installed base of 1.5 Million in the next 5 years to make mobile robots a new normal in our day-to-day operational activities.

Reply

Reply [MTA, STAR: REY, ISIN: IT0005282865] specialises in the design and implementation of solutions based on new communication channels and digital media. As a network of highly specialised companies, Reply defines and develops business models enabled by the new models of AI, big data, cloud computing, digital media and the internet of things. Reply delivers consulting, system integration and digital services to organisations across the telecom and media; industry and services; banking and insurance; and public sectors. http://www.reply.com

Source Global Mobile Robots (AGV & AMR) Market:

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210115005190/en/Global-Mobile-Robots-AGV-AMR-Market-Expected-to-Reach-14B-by-2026---The-New-Normal-in-Our-Day-to-Day-Operational-Activities---ResearchAndMarkets.com

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Reply Shapes the Future of Autonomous Mobile Robots with the Power of Microsoft Azure - Business Wire

Thanks in large part to pandemic pressures,total revenuefor U.S. quick-service restaurants dropped down to $239 billion last year. Unfortunately, as quick-service restaurantoperators try to ramp up staff and sales now that health concerns are stabilizing, they are facing a massive staffing crisis. While posters promoting open positions and staff incentives crowd almost every restaurant and drive-thru window across the country, foodservice workers are not lining up in droves.Thousands of entry-level foodservice workers moved on to other positions in the delivery arena like DoorDash or Amazon during the pandemic, and unstaffed quick-service restaurantpositions are slowing down the economic recovery for food operators.Yet, many technology naysayers still cling to the robots replace humans argument in an effort to keep quick-service restaurantoperators from investing in food robotics to keep pace with the next era of food service.

Robotsdo not put human jobs at risk in the foodservice industry. The foodservice industry (like every industry) will continue to be led and managed by human staffin fact, human staff plays an absolutely integral role in the food robotics evolution for quick-service restaurants. Working closely with key partners likeWalmartandJambafor initial Blendid kiosk locations in California, weve seen firsthand how robots are helping expand accessibility and availability at all hours of a day to healthy food options, especially where hiring and staffing limitations would typically make it incredibly cost prohibitive. So heres how real people fit into the food robot mix:

The quick-service restaurantdynamic is rapidly changing.Consumers now want access to healthier food optionsanytime, anywhere and, thanks to COVID, with as little human intervention as possible. It might sound like prepacked, shelf-stable food choices would be a way to meet those demands, but todays consumers also want those healthier and freshly prepared fast-food options to be totally customizable and dont forget, they still want it at near dollar-menu prices. However, quick-service restaurantoperators arein a constant battle to recruit, train, and retain staff, especially for tedious foodservice and food-prep roles. Robots add a layer of consistency that can help reduce the costs and headaches of trying to fill (and continuously refill) these roles.

Robots expand the potential quick-service restaurantfootprint.Robotic platforms create more favorable economicsfor operators and a much wider potential footprint by eliminating high-traffic return on investment restrictions, making it easier to justify staffing, stocking and servicing fresh, customized food options at low- and medium-traffic locations.

Robots make stellar coworkers.Many entry-level food service workers have absolutely no real interest in preparing food, sanitizing food surfaces, doing endless piles of dishes, or interacting with others. Robots can take on those tedioustasks, from contactless ordering and counter service, to precise measurements, food prep and even much of the cleaning so human workers canfocus on a range of new and rewarding positions. Better yet?There are no forced or awkward conversations to manage when a robot is the one by your side.

Technology is cool.Even better than picking up the mundane tasks and roles most workers dont want to take on, robots also add an element of futuristic fun to the work environment. (I know that I love getting to say that I work with robots.) As millennials and zoomers (GenZ) take over the food service workforce, tech natives will readily embrace new automation platforms not just for the cool factor, but because they are comfortable relying on, and often even expect, technology to make their day-to-day tasks easier.

For quick-service restaurantnavigating ever-tightening operating margins and unable to fully staff their current operations, meeting changing consumer demands for rapid, contact-free access to affordable, fresh, healthy food on the go is a daunting, and often futile, effort.However, food automation platforms powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced visual and robotics technologies are changing the fast-food dynamic.Forward-thinking leaders investing in new robotic food automation platforms now will be able to give consumers (and employees) what they want both today and in the years ahead.In the not-so-distant future, these robotic food stations will line the checkout areas of major retailers and the hallways of airport terminals, hospitals, universities and shopping malls around the globe. AI-powered robots will bring the future of highly personalized, healthy, fresh, and delicious food options to life.

Vipin Jain is CEO and co-founder ofBlendid. Blendid offers a proprietary food automation platform (foodOS) to efficiently and safely prepare and serve a range of healthy, fresh and delicious options.

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How AI-Powered Robots are Helping the Food Industry - QSR magazine

According to a report, Top Robotics Market with COVID-19 Impact Analysis, the market size of Robotics is expected to reach US$176.8 billion in 2025 with a CAGR of 18.2%. Robotics has opened a plethora of job opportunities as well as set to transform Industry 4.0 with its efficient and effective assistant to the existing employees. Latest innovations in Robotics have attracted huge interest from children, adults as well as reputed organizations for entertainment as well as professional purposes. The dreams of having different types of robots as highly flexible companions are finally coming true. The Robotics future is here in the 21st century! Educational institutes have started offering mechatronics to drive students towards Robotics to innovate new models or robots in the nearby future. Lets take a glance at some of the latest innovations in Robotics set to transform Industry 4.0 efficiently.

Energy-efficient Robots

The world is experiencing global warming in these recent years due to the large carbon footprint present in the atmosphere. New energy-efficient robots are thriving in Industry 4.0 to reduce energy consumption for a smaller carbon footprint. These smart and energy-efficient robots assist in the cost-efficient production of renewable energy equipment.

AROUND-B Robot

The AROUND-B robot is designed by Kim Seungwoo and Kyumin Ha that helps to enhance the customer experience in bookstores. The robot is known for following a user and offering a comfortable place to keep books instead of carrying those around the store. Then AROUND-B will carry the books to the cashier for seamless transaction efficiency.

Bossa Nova Robot

The Bossa Nova robot is created to help retail stores in tracking inventory as well as maintaining product displays on shelves. It has the ability to scan the shelves with its hi-tech sensor through 2D as well as 3D depth-detecting cameras. It also uses RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags and barcodes for efficient inventory management and supply chain management in manual restocking duties.

Zenbo Robot

Zenbo robot is innovated to help people remember to complete daily tasks each day, especially for elderly people. It can also monitor the surroundings to detect any emergency case by connecting to smart devices such as CCTVs, door locks, and many more. Asus created this Zenbo robot to understand verbal commands from its user.

Delivery Droid Robot

The outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic has instigated Cristina Borras to create a home-delivery robot for contactless deliveries of parcels in Australia. This robot is known as a delivery droid and has been successfully tested by the Australia Post with over 100 packages after sunset. The implementation of modern technology can help to avoid obstacles on its way on pavements.

Amazon Scout Robot

The pandemic has also motivated Amazon to produce delivery robots for efficient delivery services within a promised date. Scout robot is an electric cooler-sized rover to help in promoting contactless delivery during the pandemic. Amazon has successfully trialed the Scout robot in different US localities for a year. Six smart robots are operating in daylight working hours from Monday to Friday, only for Amazon Prime Members.

Digit Robot

Ford and the Agility Robotics team is set to launch Digit Robot as a delivery robot that can come in to get the package from autonomous self-driving cars to the doorstep of recipients. It consists of a humanoid aesthetic along with a bipedal design to carry parcels up to 40 pounds.

RoBeetle Robot

RoBeetle is a tiny robot, created by Nestor Perez-Arancibia, Xiufeng Yang, and Longlong Chang, that can be powered by methanol. This efficient beetle-like robot weighs just 88 milligrams with four legs two fixed rear ones and two flexible front legs. Those two front legs are attached to the transmission to receive commands for movements. It can walk efficiently for a long time with an unexpected fuel source.

Care Robots

The demand for care robots is booming in Japan to take care of elderly or disabled patients with their daily routine alarm for medication, emotional support, interactive sessions, and many more. These care robots also assist nurses and doctors in medical duties on an hourly basis.

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Robotics Latest Innovations in Robotics Set to Transform Industry 4.0 - Analytics Insight

In this session, Steve Crowe and Mike Oitzman are joined by Dan Kara, VP of the Robotics Group at WTWH Media, to discuss how the RBR50 has evolved over the years, how the 50 winners were selected, and teh many forms of innovation.

By RBR Staff | July 6, 2021

Welcome to Episode 45 of The Robot Report Podcast, where each week Robot Report editor Steve Crowe and Mobile Robot Guide editor Mike Oitzman review the latest robotics, automation and intelligent systems news and announcements, and interview leading roboticists, leaders of innovative robotics companies, and other key members of the robotics community.

You can subscribe to The Robot Report Podcast on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, SoundCloud, Spotify and more. Please subscribe to the podcast and leave us a review!

Sponsorship OpportunitiesFor The Robot Report Podcast sponsorship opportunities, please contact Courtney Nagle.

Episode 45 of The Robot Report Podcast recaps the RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards, which were announced earlier by publication Robotics Business Review. The RBR50 awards honor technology, business, and market innovations, as well as the robotics and automation organizations worldwide that were responsible for them.

In this session, Steve Crowe and Mike Oitzman are joined by Dan Kara, VP of the Robotics Group at WTWH Media, to discuss how the RBR50 has evolved over the years, how the 50 winners were selected, and the many forms of innovation. They each also share three of our their favorite winners, breaking down the innovations and what they mean for each respective company and the market(s) they operate in. To view the complete list of RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award winners, click HERE. A digital edition of the RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards Digital Edition can be found HERE.

Additional Robot Report Podcasts

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A Review of the 2021 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards - Robotics Business Review

Yesterday, enterprise computing corporation Zebra Technologies announced its plan to acquire Fetch Robotics. The San Jose-based startup has been a mainstay in warehouse and fulfillment robotics for a number of years, offering a modular system designed to automate companies behind the scenes.

The full deal is valued at $305 million, with Zebra acquiring the remaining 95% of the company for $290 million. It comes as interest in the category is at an all-time high, following widespread labor shortages during the pandemic.

After the news broke, we sat down with Fetch co-founder and CEO Melonee Wise to discuss the deal and the future of warehouse robotics.

Why was this acquisition the right move for Fetch?

When you look at it, over the last seven years, weve been building a pretty compelling cloud robotics platform. About two years ago, Zebra invested in Fetch, and we started working together through our partnership. One of the first things we did was integrating their mobile computing devices, for an out-of-the-box experience on our cloud robotics platform. When our customers got robots, they could take the hand scanner they already had today, scan a barcode and call a robot to them.

As we were fundraising for our Series D, this opportunity came out of that. I think when you look at it, over the last couple of years, weve had a good relationship with them. With the pandemic, theres been a huge draw for more and more automation technology. Before the pandemic, there were already labor shortages for warehouse and logistics, and the pandemic only exacerbated it. One of the other great things about us joining Zebra is they have a strong go-to-market engine, and they can amplify our sales capability. Theyre already in all of the customers we want to be working with. It helps us reach a much broader, wider and deeper audience.

Id assumed Fetch was a good potential candidate for an acquisition, but Id always imagined it would be something like a Walmart looking to compete with Amazon robotics. I suspect that youve been approached by companies over the years. Why does this kind of acquisition make more sense, ultimately?

I think the acquisition made sense because it aligns with more of our long-term vision. When we built our platform, we built it to be unifying. Not just our robots. Over the years weve been slowly bringing in other partners on the platform. We have a partnership with SICK, we have partnerships with other MWS providers like VARGO. That isnt going to change. Were still going to be partner friendly and were still going to bring other devices into the ecosystem. When you look at the options and the opportunities, this was a good opportunity and was well aligned with the team we wanted to build.

I know Zebra has developed their own robot and invested in other robotics companies. Are you the cornerstone of an ecosystem play? Is this Zebra building a a robotic retail and fulfillment ecosystem around Fetch?

Yes, that so far has been the discussion. Its still evolving. I dont have all the details for you, obviously. And of course, we still have 30 days or 35 days till closing, so were still operating as independent businesses. In terms of vision of how were thinking about it, Zebra is very excited to kind of make Fetch the centerpiece of this whole new offering that theyre building out. Its a high strategic priority for them.

Will the Fetch brand remain? Will the company stay in San Jose? Are you staying on board?

Fetch is not moving. Were kind of becoming the centerpiece, so they want to keep the team together, in San Jose. My plan is to stay. Were still working out the details [ ] Fetch has a very strong brand, and so how do we get the best of both worlds.

Is acquisition something that a company like Fetch works toward? Do you consider it to be kind of an inevitability?

I think its complicated. When I started the company, I never really planned on anything. I just wanted to go build something. I mean that in the most sincere way. I wanted to go build something and not fail. And the question is, what does not failing look like? I think the facts are that in the last 20-something years, almost no robotics company has IPOed. Now were starting to see SPACS, but there hasnt been a robotics company thats IPOed through the traditional route.

I would say that if you were to ask me on any given day, what I thought the probability of IPO versus acquisition, I probably would have said acquisition, because theres just not a history of robotics companies IPOing. Thats for lots of reasons. Its a hardware intensive business. It takes a lot of technology and investment. Typically, theyre held privately. Its hard for large corporate entities to have the P&L to invest in this deep technology. I think thats starting to change. And I think now that theres SPACs, youll see a lot changing in that regard. But I would say youre still going to see more acquisitions than youre going to see IPOs for the next 10 years.

Had you been approached about acquisition in the past?

Yeah. In the past we had been, but many times before it was just too early.

What does it mean to be too early?

It just didnt feel like the right time for lots of reasons. Some of it has to do with what I want. Some of it has to do with what the team wants. And some of it has to do with what our investors want. There are a lot of people at the table. This is always a hard question. Previously when those things had come up, the market was so undefined and so new, we just wanted to see where it went. Now were starting to see more structure to the environment, and were starting to see an inflection point.

Is additional international expansion part of the plan?

Yeah. Were in several companies in Europe. Were in APAC and expanding in that region. Right now, we arent placing any large bets in any of those countries. Were waiting to see how the market develops, but were looking to expand.

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Fetch Robotics CEO on the companys acquisition and the future of warehouse robots - TechCrunch

Lafayette Parish high school studentsbuilt a modified bike pedal, made sensorsand programmed a microprocessor to help a little boy with a prosthetic leg ride a bike like his peers, and now their idea has garnered global recognition.

Team 3616 Phenomena ranked as one of 20 robotics teams out of 870 worldwide with its Innovation Project, placing them in the top 2% in the world in the 2021FIRST Innovation Challenge.

"It's a bicycle add-on kit that allows children with an impaired leg or compromised leg to bike-ride like other kids," saidHailey Menard, recent graduate of Ovey Comeaux High School on the team.

The idea for the bike add-on started with teacher Lisa Ranney, who leads the team. She knew someone whose grandson who would benefit from such an invention. Her students jumped on the idea, brainstorming ways to make it happen with Ranney and local mentors like mechanical engineer Kevin Bollich.

"I assist the team with technical aspects," said Bollich, who has mentored the team for 11 years. "Mechanical engineering and computer science are my background. Robotics pulls that all together."

He encouragedthem to pursue their ideas and workedwith them to make them a reality.

"The students are really sharp," he said.

Together they figured out angles, wheel speed sensors and programming for a motor to provide low-speed assist until the rider can pedal on his own, making it different from an e-bike.

They manufactured everything in-house at the W.D. and Mary Baker Career Center and tried to think through every potential problem.The modified pedal has a safety feature that keeps the prosthetic or compromised leg secure but also releases the leg should the rider fall.

"How it works," Lafayette High senior Trinity LeBlanc began,"once they've put their foot on the pedal, they'll push off with their other leg and pressthe low-speed assistbutton, and from there the bike will actas a normal e-bike until they reach a comfortable speed where they can begin pedaling and then release the button."

But it doesn't stop there.The microprocessor and small, add-on motorwork with other sensors to determine whenthe prosthetic leg needs anextra push to maintain pedaling.

"From there, all the other sensors and the microprocessor will work together to make sure it's a smooth ride," LeBlanc said.

Bollich said the project became personal to the students, and the potential real-world impact of the bike kit made them want to work harder.

There's a business side to the challenge, too. That's where William Ness, chief information officer with the Lafayette Economic Development Authority, came in this year.

"I helped primarily with the business pitch side of things," Ness said. "In addition to building the actual robot, for the FIRST Innovation Challenge students develop the robot as a sellable product."

They had to do their research to answer questions about market, costs, licensing, manufacturing and distribution for their report. Now they're putting that research into action, with plans to apply for a professional patent.

Once they've patented and licensed the technology, they hope to work with a nonprofit or other organization to make their bike kit available to more people in addition to giving itto the little boy who inspired the project in the first place, Ranney said.

"This has been a great opportunity to learn about patents andbusiness models, and we're also getting the chance to help someone," LeBlanc said.

"We're making a positive difference," Menardsaid.

More: Award-winning innovation: Lafayette robotics team develops valuable skillset through competition

Team 3616 Phenomena also earned other awards in this year's FIRST Robotics Challenge. The team also built a robot and programmed it to fulfill and compete in the global contest, and here the team also rankedin the top 20 worldwide, the only Louisiana team to do so.

Ranney said the students grew in self-esteem and confidence as well as their knowledge of robotics and potential career fields.

"This will have an everlasting impact on them," the teacher said.

Contact children's issues reporter Leigh Guidry at Lguidry@theadvertiser.comor on Twitter@LeighGGuidry.

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'We're making a positive difference': Lafayette robotics students innovate to meet real-world needs - Daily Advertiser

Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Christian Hubicki gives a talk on robotics to a group from the Boys and Girls Club inside the robotics lab in the AME building at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering.

More than 30 membersofBoys& Girls Clubs of the Big Bend got a behind-the-scenes tour of unique facilities at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering as part of a partnership between Prime Meridian Bank, FSUs Opening Nights and the college.

The middle and high school students toured a polysonic wind tunnel and robotics labs at the colleges Aero-Propulsion, Mechatronics and Energy(AME)Building. Leading the tour was Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering ChristianHubicki, a robotics researcher who gained a national following after starring on the CBS reality show, Survivor.

Our students benefit greatly by seeing whats happening on college campuses in our community, said Kacy Dennis, Director of Operations for the Boys & Girls Club of the Big Bend. This kind of in-person educational programming enables our students to see how what they are learning in school can be applied to careers. It shows them whats possible and motivates them to keep learning to achieve their dreams.

The tour and lunch were sponsored by Prime Meridian Bank, a supporter of Opening Nights. As part of its mission, Opening Nights helps provide educational experiences for students of all ages.

Key to Prime Meridian Banks commitment to improving lives in our community is nurturing partnerships that offer experiences that inspire students, said Sammie Dixon, vice chairman, president and CEO of the bank. Education in the classroom is critical. Giving students exposure to what they can do with that education provides them with even more options for a bright future.

The AME building was formed to meet the needs of rapidly evolving and competitive fields in engineering. The building boasts multiple wind tunnels, including one that reaches Mach 5, that allow researchers to develop new aerospace technologies.

The facility is also home to the Center for Intelligent Systems, Control and Robotics (CISCOR). This center uses state-of-the-art technology to develop solutions to problems in systems, control and robotics. CISCOR researchers are developing robots that can maneuver over different types of terrain and even climb walls.

Michael Blachly, director of Opening Nights, said the organization was proud to provide educational opportunities for students in the Big Bend area.

Opening Nights is pleased to partner with our sponsor Prime Meridian Bank and FAMU-FSU College of Engineering to provide in-person educational programming for the Boys and Girls Clubs, he said. The magic of offering both arts and science programming helps students think creatively, strengthens their imaginations and develops different skillsets to become well-rounded individuals.

About Opening Nights at Florida State University

Opening Nights at Florida State University is the universitys official performing arts presenter, bringing world-class talent to campus and the surrounding region. The organizations mission is to present compelling and distinguished artists who provide extraordinary experiences that educate, inspire and connect diverse audiences on and off campus. For more information, visitopeningnights.fsu.edu.

About Prime Meridian Bank

Prime Meridian Bank is headquartered in Tallahassee, Floridas State Capital, and offers a broad range of banking services to the Tallahassee and Lakeland/Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA).The Bank serves clients in North and Central Florida as well as South Georgia and South Alabama and currently has four locations: two in Tallahassee, Florida, one in Crawfordville, Florida, and one in Lakeland, Florida. The Banks motto: Lets think of a few good reasons why it CAN be done. Learn more athttp://www.TryMyBank.com.

About Boys & Girls Club oftheBig Bend

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Magic of art and science: Boys and Girls Club experience robots, polysonic wind tunnel - Florida State News

Add Soft Robotics to the long list of automation companies that have seen a boost in investment interest amid the pandemic. The New England-based firm announced this morning a $10 million raise that serves as an extension of the $23 million Series B it announced in January of last year.

The extension was led by Material Impact, Scale Venture Partners and Calibrate Ventures and featured existing investors Tekfen Ventures and industrial robotics giant ABB. The latest round brings the companys total funding to around $58 million.

Founded in 2013, the company takes a novel approach to picking machines, with a soft, pneumatic-powered gripper thats ideal for fragile food stuffs that might otherwise be damaged by rigid robotics. Food, of course, has been a prime target for interest in automation during the pandemic, due to labor shortages and fears of disease transmission.

Todays industrial robots are unable to deal with product variability or unstructured environments typically found across the labor challenged food supply chain in areas such as agriculture, food processing and logistics, Soft Robotics COO Mark Chiappetta said in a release.

With our revolutionary soft grasping, 3D perception and AI technologies, Soft Robotics unlocks robotic automation by augmenting widely available industrial robots with true hand-eye coordination allowing them to perform tasks that traditionally could only be performed by human workers.

The round also sees Tyson Foods investment wing, Tyson Ventures joining the fold. Tyson, which produces poultry, beef and pork in massive volumes, is an existing customer.

At Tyson Ventures, we are continually exploring new areas in automation that can enhance safety and increase the productivity of our team members, Tyson Ventures Rahul Ray said in the release. Soft Robotics best-in-class robotic technology, computer vision and AI platform have the potential to transform the food industry and will play a key role in any companys automation journey.

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Soft Robotics raises another $10M, citing pandemic-related demand - TechCrunch