Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 11.46
June 21, 2021
…the challenges facing robotics developers working on navigation and manipulation is the need for good data for machine learning. For applications in warehouses to factories and fields, roboticists rely on simulation to accelerate testing and address potential edge cases. NVIDIA Corp. today announced the open beta of its Isaac Sim engine, which includes several new features. Isaac Sim, which is built on NVIDIA's Omniverse platform, now includes support for multiple cameras and sensors, compatibility with ROS 2, the ability to import CAD [computer-aided design] assets, and synthetic data generation and domain randomization. These features will help designers train a wide…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 13.83
June 19, 2021
…using magnetic fields to perform highly maneuverable and dexterous manipulations. This could enable applications in biomedicine and manufacturing, they said this week. The team of scientists created the miniature robots by embedding magnetic microparticles into biocompatible polymers—non-toxic materials that are harmless to humans. The robots are “programmed” to execute their desired functionalities when magnetic fields are applied. The robots improve on many existing small-scale robots by optimizing their ability to move in six degrees of freedom (DoF), said Nanyang Technological University (NTU). It defined six DoF as translational movement along the three spatial axes, and rotational movement about those three…
Found in Robotics Companies & Businesses, with a score of 26.62
June 17, 2021
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) provides independent expert research and development, advanced robotic system capabilities, and custom hardware designs, which include perception systems, mobile manipulation, and automation process development. SwRI launched the Robot Operating System-Industrial (ROS-I) open-source project. ROS-I is now a global initiative steered by a global consortium, and it includes innovative software capabilities and applications for industry based on foundational open-source building blocks. Headquartered in San Antonio, SwRI is an independent, nonprofit, applied R&D organization. More than 2,800 engineers, scientists, analysts, and technologists perform contract research and development for government and industrial clients worldwide.
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 18.91
May 26, 2021
…components. Source: Toyota Research Institute Punyo offers flexible robot manipulation Building on recently published work, the Punyo project is changing the mechanics of robot manipulation and contact with the world, claimed the institute. Most robots today are hard to the touch and use rigid grippers, but TRI said its air-filled, elastic bubble design provides greater flexibility and better grasping. When combined with cameras on the inside, the shape- and force-sensing gripper enables robots to respond to and control an object when it slips or moves, TRI said. The Punyo bubbles use visuotactile sensing techniques that allow a robot to recognize…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 4.14
May 14, 2021
…the digital infrastructure and solve the networking problems and manipulation challenges.” “Since we can't expect robots to be online 100% of the time, we have to provide missions and be prepared for exceptions,” he added. “The architecture has to be very distributed, between the server, the edge, or on the device. With IoT [the Internet of Things] and the cloud, we're getting to the point where it has to be quite fluid.” Agriculture, mining, and delivery robots are other areas where fleet management software and services will eventually be needed, argeed the industry experts. “Orchestration software is essential where you…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 13.44
May 12, 2021
…Howard has conducted research on autonomous decision-making, developed robotic manipulation to aid people with disabilities, and founded a company serving children with special needs. She has also been a senior researcher at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (NASA JPL) and is academic co-lead of Black in Robotics. “Ayanna Howard is a trailblazer in vital research areas, including topics such as trust and bias in AI, which will continue to be front and center in society in the coming years,” said Gabriele Kotsis, president of ACM. “The quality of her research has made her a thought leader…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 8.51
May 10, 2021
…orientation information to applications in computer vision and robot manipulation. Jared Glover, CEO of CapSen Robotics. Source: ARM Institute Prior to that, Glover completed his B.S. in computer science from Carnegie Mellon University, where he led a team developing robotic walkers. He has 20 years of research experience in robotics and computer vision and more than 500 paper citations. Glover is also on the boards of the Pittsburgh Robotics Network and the Catalyst Connection, a private non-profit that provides consulting and training services to small manufacturers in southwestern Pennsylvania. During his ARM Institute fellowship, Glover will work on the “Autonomous…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 11.69
April 30, 2021
…They explained their work in improving robotic perception for manipulation. Augmenting visual perception “Our origins were in motors and linkages, and it was a natural progression to the robotics space,” said Sullivan. “We were working on computer vision, and as we try to move to more diverse applications, we'd like to have robots manipulate objects in a more humanlike fashion. For example, robots need the capability to do complex things, like blind grasping in a high cabinet, which humans can do with their sense of touch. We can feel the pose, adjust grasp, and adjust for slipping better than robots.”…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 13.42
April 27, 2021
…board with humans in the loop.” “As for mobile manipulation, if you take an AMR [autonomous mobile robot] with two and a half degrees of freedom [DoF] and add a six-DoF arm, the edge cases multiply,” he said. “For mobile manipulation, you absolutely have to have a human in the loop.” Market small but growing “It was a seminal moment when A3's [the Association for Advancing Automation] numbers came out last year, noting that non-automotive robot sales surpassed automotive,” Nieves said. “While that won't be the case every year, it will be the case more often going forward.” “The robotics…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 31.11
April 22, 2021
…intelligence framework, which now includes ManipulaTHOR for active object manipulation. The organization described ManipulaTHOR as “a first of its kind virtual agent with a highly articulated robot arm equipped with three joints of equal limb length and composed entirely of swivel joints to bring a more human-like approach to object manipulation.” The Allen Institute for AI (AI2) said it conducts AI research and engineering for the common good. The Seattle-based institute was founded in 2014 by philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and is led by Dr. Oren Etzioni, a leading researcher in the field. AI2 employs a diverse team…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.61
April 18, 2021
…come together with a shared vision of affordable mobile manipulation,” added Walker. “We both have ROS-native systems and can merge behaviors and the user experience. We'll be able to reduce size and cost as we integrate further.” “Manufacturers are the 'first movers' with precise machine tending,” he said. “The robot is able to fit into situations where workers already have a process. It can reach into a machine or collect parts for a tray or sampling without a huge apparatus. With our mobile manipulator, you can have it pull a batch or sample in the way it's already done.” “It's…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 5.32
April 16, 2021
…including automated guided carts (AGCs) and automated forklifts. Mobile manipulation has posed several challenges, including safety and power management, but Waypoint Robotics has teamed up with Productive Robotics to offer the Vector AMR with the OB7 collaborative robot arm. Picking solutions Stoecklin Logistics unveiled its robotic case picker, CO-PRO, designed to relieve human employees of the repetitive task of lifting heavy crates and cartons. It automatically moves them directly from pallets to a conveyor or robotic system. Its patented universal gripper holds up to 66 lb. and can transfer multiple units for higher throughput. “As the volume of cases in…
