Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.82
August 30, 2021
…has also developed the H1 teleoperation system for robotic manipulation and the G1 humanoid general-purpose robot. It raised $17.1 million in Series B funding in February and is a semi-finalist in the ANA Avatar XPRIZE competition. Onboard demo planned GITAI said it will collaborate with Nanoracks LLC on a technoical demonstration of the S1 robot arm in the Bishop airlock in Node 3 of the ISS. Houston-based Nanoracks is providing the launch opportunity, on-orbit operations, and data downlink. NASA astronauts will install the arm inside the airlock. It will conduct intra-vehicular activity (IVA) such as swich and cable operations. The…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 12.83
August 22, 2021
…for multiple tasks. Combining locomotion, a humanoid design, mobile manipulation, and a smooth user interface is a still a tall order. As with the concept of multipurpose household robots, the hardware of humanoids would need artificial general intelligence (AGI) to be able to generalize lessons and be flexible and capable. Today, researchers and developers expect to distribute the computing for AI between the cloud and edge devices. Humanoid robots gain agility, seek purpose Many androids are designed for human-machine interaction, and some are more lifelike than others. It's worth noting that the ones that are closest to finding commercial value…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 5.68
August 12, 2021
…a bit.” Although there is some interest in mobile manipulation, it has been more for UR cobot arms on the MiR250, and issues with power and control still need to be worked out, said Charles. “We're seeing more use cases for tasks such as visual inspection for quality control than machine tending or pick-and-place tasks, which don't always make sense for ROI [return on investment],” he said. On the software side, Version 2 of MiR's fleet management software is available, and the company and some of its customers are watching various interoperability efforts. “Our system is fairly open,” said Charles.…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 18.11
August 11, 2021
…Aviation & Missile Center (AvMC). Pittsburgh-based RE2 builds mobile manipulation systems for human-in-the-loop or fully autonomous tasks. In the Remote Robotic Refueling for Extended Missions (R3EM) project, the company will develop a system that can autonomously refuel AH-65 Apache helicopters in the field. “The R3EM program enables RE2 to apply its next-generation autonomy software and history of robotic arm expertise to a new outdoor application within the Department of Defense,” said Jorgen Pedersen, president and CEO of RE2 Robotics. “The technology being developed as a result of this aircraft servicing program strategically aligns with our ongoing expansion into the commercial…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 6.48
August 02, 2021
…do in modern supply chains? With advances in perception, manipulation, and mobility, groups of robots can increasingly do the heavy lifting in warehouses, fulfillment centers, and distribution centers. Here are some noteworthy examples of how robots can provide returns on investment: Picking and packing: Robots can now pick items from shelves, package them, and take them to the parking lot. FANUC, which claims to be the world's largest maker of industrial robots, has already produced machines that can pick and package virtually any product. Footwear company Crocs credited 6 River Systems' Chuck mobile robots for helping it meet increased demand…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 19.09
July 28, 2021
Precise, fast, and flexible robotic manipulation of variable items has been a challenge for automated order fulfillment. Artificial intelligence startups are working to enable more autonomous handling. Embodied Intelligence Inc., which does business as Covariant, yesterday said it has raised $80 million in Series C funding. The Berkeley, Calif.-based company said it will use the money to continue its robotics and AI research and development, as well as grow its team globally. “Autonomous order picking has long been seen as the holy grail for warehouse automation in the robotics world,” stated Pieter Abbeel, president, chief scientist, and co-founder of Covariant.…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 5.95
July 26, 2021
…the nature of fulfillment will also change as robotic manipulation improves, said respondents. “There are quite specific challenges in picking groceries compared to normal item picking,” stated Fizyr. “You often have closely stacked items that can stick to each other.” “Secondly, some of the of the materials are reflective, and it can be like looking into a mirror sometimes,” it said. “There’s also transparent wrapping over some products ... and transparent bottles of water in a sixpack, sort of combines all the challenges together. These are all possible to overcome. As much as 85% of items can be picked by…
Found in Robotics Companies & Businesses, with a score of 26.16
July 20, 2021
…a Carnegie Mellon University spinout that develops intelligent mobile manipulation systems. The company says it helps organizations across multiple markets improve worker safety, productivity, and efficiency through the use of robotics. RE2 Robotics added that it is committed to creating manipulator arms with human-like performance, intuitive robot interfaces, and advanced autonomy capabilities for use in any environment. Its RE2 Sapien robot arms are able to see, learn, and interact via the RE2 Detect and RE2 Intellect autonomy modules. With computer vision and machine learning, RE2's systems can operate with humans in the loop or autonomously, depending upon the application.
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 19.92
July 20, 2021
RE2 Robotics Inc., a leading developer of intelligent mobile manipulation systems, today marked its 20th year in business with the launch of its newest robotic arm, the RE2 Sapien 6M. “We are incredibly proud of the success we have achieved over the past 20 years here in Pittsburgh,” stated Jorgen Pedersen, president and CEO of RE2 Robotics. “From Day 1, we have been focused on creating technology that helps humans to do their jobs safely and efficiently, and we remain dedicated to that mission today. We look forward to more innovation in the years ahead, as we continue to focus…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 5.14
July 13, 2021
…applications such as food processing, household automation, and surgical manipulation. At the 2021 Robotics: Science and Systems Conference (RSS), researchers from NVIDIA Corp. and the University of Southern California presented DiSECt, which they described as the first differentiable simulator for cutting soft materials. The researchers said DiSECt can accurately predict the forces acting on a knife as it presses and slices through natural soft materials, such as fruits and vegetables. The work was nominated for a Best Paper Award at RSS 2021. The simulator augments the Finite Element Method (FEM) with a continuous contact model based on signed distance fields…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 8.55
June 29, 2021
…with AutoGrasp, which combines AI-powered machine vision, grasping, and manipulation algorithms to handle a range of merchandise, including deformable items such as polybags. It can identify items to pick, place, and sort into complete customer orders. The company noted that its SORT pick-and-place robots use CORE with AutoGrasp. In addition, Kindred said it uses reinforcement learning and human-in-the-loop data methodology to continuously improve robot capabilities so that picking becomes smarter, faster, and more accurate over time. CORE with AutoGrasp can provide critical business intelligence to inform decisions and increase productivity, said the company. To meet the continued peaks in online…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 5.94
June 25, 2021
…vision, a sense of touch is essential for human-level manipulation. RasLabs originally developed its electroactive polymer with the intention of using it for actuation, said Peter Vicars, CEO of the MassRobotics resident in Boston. “It can change shape with low voltage—12 to 15 volts—by 35%, and there's also an enormous attenuation of force,” he said. “With the smart material, we can make a sensor fit on the end of a traditional robotics gripper, providing a sense of touch similar to our own fingertips.” RasLabs' sensors could fit inside a robotic gripper or prosthetic hand, and it is working on a…
