Online food ordering giant Grubhub is calling it quits on its mobile robot delivery service partnership with Russian Internet company Yandex N.V., according to a recent report from Reuters. “We will be ending our partnership with Yandex,” Grubhub stated to Reuters on Friday. “We’re working with our campus partners on alternate service options as we shift away from Yandex over time.” A short-lived partnership Yandex came to an agreement with Grubhub in July 2021 to have its autonomous mobile robots deployed at college campuses nationwide. Grubhub is owned by Dutch multinational company Just Eat Takeaways. The company said it has…
As a senior associate engineer at the Autonomous Robotics Research Centre in Abu Dhabi, Fatima Al Nuaimi is hoping to use her skills to help solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges. She’s working with her team to make advancements in accessibility technology and has insights into how robots can help flight climate change. In advance of International Women’s Day on March 8, Al Nuaimi spoke with Robotics 24/7 about her research, how robotics can help improve sustainability, getting students interested in the technology, and the role the United Arab Emirates' government has played in encouraging women to pursue…
At 14 years old, Jacob Slone is the youngest student to ever be taught at the Hass East Kentucky Advanced Manufacturing Institute in Paintsville, Ky. The school was specifically created to boost the local economy by teaching workers in the region the skills they need to land jobs in advanced manufacturing. Quite a few students are former coal miners making mid-career changes. Up until Slone, the school taught students over the age of 18, so it would make sense why he is an outlier. But Slone is part of the school’s push to attract younger students, according to Kathy Walker,…
While robots are quickly spreading beyond automotive manufacturing to other sectors, most systems are still used in factories. The industrial automation industry continues to grow. In 2021, the global market for industrial automation was worth about $43.8 billion, according to Statista. By 2030, it could grow to $116 billion, estimated Allied Market Research. Demand for robots in places such as manufacturing plants, warehouses, and distribution centers continues to increase as sensors, motion control, and software advance, making the hardware more capable and easier to use. Tasks or applications growing in popularity include machine tending and welding. Coupled with the labor…
The farming industry has yet to fully embrace automation, but major agricultural companies are bringing legitimacy to the space and upgrading their technology. Last week, Bowery Farming, a digitally focused vertical farming company based out of New York City, announced it had acquired farming robot startup Traptic Inc. for an undisclosed amount. Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Traptic has developed fruit-picking robots. The company estimated that its robots are able to pick 100,000 strawberries a day. Instead of selling its robots upfront, the company uses a robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) model and charges at a fixed price per pound. Bowery said it will take advantage…
As the manufacturing workforce gets older, the complexity of tasks on assembly lines increases, and the labor shortage continues, more and more companies are turning to collaborative robots, or cobots, to help fill in the gap. Cobots can work alongside humans and are easier for the end user to control. Their relatively small size and safety sensors allow them to fit in more places, and they can be easily programmed to complete repetitive tasks. Ideally, they free up time for human workers to tackle other more complicated problems and allow facilities to operate more efficiently. Automaker relies on human-machine collaboration…
With the threat of the coronavirus still present around the globe, organizers of the Olympic Games Beijing 2022 are taking advantage of robotics to help keep athletes and attendees safe this year. An estimated 2,900 athletes are participating, according to the International Olympic Committee. The event will take place within a “closed-loop” bubble system to help minimize the spread of COVID-19 and to ensure athletes and attendees don’t leave the event’s confines and enter the city. The Main Media Centre of the venue is decked out with service robots performing a variety of tasks, from disinfecting surfaces and taking temperatures…
