Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 8.53
May 10, 2021
…challenges remain, including local regulations, the need for the perception and decision-making technology to mature for dynamic environments, and infrequent but serious safety incidents such as a fatal Tesla accident last month. In addition, automakers are concerned about the cost of sensors, artificial intelligence software, and other components before autonomous vehicles can be deployed at scale. The race to driverless vehicles continues to be very competitive, with billions of dollars in investments and consolidation. Shenzhen-based AutoX replied to the following questions from Robotics 24/7 about its RoboTaxi deployment: RoboTaxi finds rapid acceptance What was the biggest lesson from the first…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 15.35
May 08, 2021
…which has developed artificial intelligence software for for radar perception, this week said it had raised $55 million in Series B funding. The Dayton, Ohio-based company said its AI-powered Virtual Aperture Imaging platform dynamically sends out an adaptive, phase-modulated waveform that changes in real time with the environment. It then encodes that data over time, increasing the resolution of any radar hardware by up to 100X, claimed Oculii. “Our vision is to make radar a vital component of any autonomy solution, leveraging its inherent strengths with unparalleled resolution, and the market is responding,” stated Steven Hong, co-founder and CEO of…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 13.33
April 30, 2021
…and robotics. 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…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 6.71
April 23, 2021
…civilian and military applications is sometimes a matter of perception. There's a rigorous process associated with being a defense contractor. The legal requirements can be a burden for commercialization, and there can be good reasons to separate them. We're doing a good job of slaloming these requirements. We're fortunate that our products are the same—which is different from iRobot, which had consumer robots and IED [improvised explosive device removal] robots. [Editor's note: iRobot decided to spin out Endeavor Robotics in 2016. FLIR Systems acquired Endeavor in 2019, and Teledyne Technologies bought FLIR in January 2021 for $8 billion.] Our exoskeletons…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 8.84
April 21, 2021
…charge, cargo capacity of 150 kg (330 lb.), and perception capabilities to more than 150 m (492.1 ft.). The company is also testing drone deliveries. Tencent Holdings has a 17.7% stake in Meituan, which has invested $15 million in PuduTech's restaurant robots. Meituan also participated in last week's Series C round for 3D vision firm Mech-Mind Robotics. Meituan mainly uses human delivery drivers, but it is working on autonomous vehicles and drones. Source: Getty Images Delivery robots jostle for growing market The global market for delivery robots will grow from $212 million in 2021 to $957 million by 2026 at…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 4.89
April 19, 2021
…and how many boxes are empty or stacked, its perception can change significantly,” said Gopalakrishna. “Using Isaac Sim with synthetic data generation and domain randomization, users can train robots in a more efficient way. We also supports the open-source community including ROS and ROS 2—we want the robotics world to grow faster and provide more meaningful applications outside of safety cages.” Louisville, Colo.-based AMP Robotics, whose Neuron AI platform applies computer vision for more efficient recycling, discussed how NVIDIA products are enabling practical robotics at scale. “We really pushed the envelope—our system can train on over a billion types of…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 5.17
April 16, 2021
…transforming how things are done, by adding proactive depth perception and mapping to human-driven vehicles. The goal is to have an autonomous solution that's infrastructure-free, with cost savings within 12 to 18 months, and at the $50,000 price point of a current forklift truck,” said Agarwal. “We've developed an AMR and are working on autonomous lift trucks, but our ADAS kit costs less than $5,000 and can be added to almost any brand.” “SIERA.AI's system is the only one that does end-to-end proximity alerts, has machine vision connected to the cloud, and includes near-miss tracking,” he said. “Near misses are…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.28
April 15, 2021
As robotics suppliers work to expand automation to new tasks and markets, their systems need to be easier to train and more flexible. Micropsi Industries has developed MIRAI, a control system that it said enables collaborative robots to perceive and react rather than follow preset programs. Micropsi was founded in 2014 and has offices in Brooklyn, N.Y., and Berlin, Germany. The company is aiming to serve in assembly and test applications for electronics, consumer goods, and other manufacturing. “I have a background in computer science and philosophy, and I got into robotics via artificial intelligence,” said Ronnie Vuine, founder and…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 7.53
April 13, 2021
…systems using its proprietary compliant end effectors, 3D machine perception, and SoftAI artificial intelligence. Launched in 2019, the mGrip system is a suite of configurable gripper and controller products intended to realize reliable, high-speed picking of traditionally hard-to-grasp items. Hundreds of mGrip systems are in production globally, including at Fortune 100 companies in the food processing and consumer packaged goods industries. mGrip meets food production demand Adoption of robotic automation in the protein and dairy industries has lagged behind other food segments due to the inherent variability and stringent hygienic requirements which often require food contact surfaces to be cleaned-in-place…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 6.32
April 02, 2021
…built a localization system first rather than pressing a perception one into service for localization,” he said. “The challenge is that there's more education of the market in the beginning, but the opportunity is that we're the only game in town for this.” WaveSense is leaving sensor fusion to other ADAS parties, but Bolat acknowledged that GPR could ultimately find applications in agriculture, delivery robots, and utilities. “We're tapping a sea of data that's never really been tapped at this scale. It's like the early days of GPS,” he said. “There's certainly road condition and subsurface characterization, utility infrastructure, and…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 6.90
April 01, 2021
…or semi-autonomously through production sites, carry out multiple tasks, or carry playloads. Just as autonomous vehicles require increasingly sophisticated perception and navigation technologies to be safe and reliable, so do emerging industrial robots need the advantage of modern motion control. Those who embrace it are not just embracing new technologies; they are creating new ways to perform tasks and assist human beings.
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 8.28
March 29, 2021
…enable the flexible movement of materials and improve working conditions for employees. Stretch combines Boston Dynamics’ advancements in mobility, perception and manipulation to tackle the most challenging, injury-prone case-handling tasks, and we’re excited to see it put to work.” Boston Dynamics is currently seeking customers to pilot test deployment of Stretch with truck-unloading tasks ahead of its commercial deployment in 2022. Interested parties can apply to join the Stretch Early Adopter Program by visiting www.bostondynamics.com/stretch.
