Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 12.79
March 06, 2022
…a robotic hand A bioengineering graduate student at Northeastern University in Boston has designed a robotic hand able to produce sign language. The student, Samantha Johnson, named the system “TATUM,” which stands for “Tactile ASL Translational User Mechanism.” The genesis of the robot began when Johnson took a course in American Sign Language (ASL) in her second year at Northeastern. The course put her in touch with people at the Deaf-Blind Contact Center in Allston, Mass., where she was able to practice signing with the participants in the center. “When I was watching the interpreter sign, I asked, ‘How do…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 26.59
March 04, 2022
…week, the commonwealth of Massachusetts awarded $3,057,320 to Harvard University and Boston University to support the development of next-generation robotics and wearable technologies. The new grant will help researchers working to improve the lives of people with neuro-motor impairments and to help individuals achieve ambitious fitness goals, according to the Baker-Polito administration. The project will also help drive innovation in a new category of rehabilitation, diagnostic, and assistive devices that are more lightweight, affordable, and connected, said the Innovation Institute at the MassTech Collaborative. “Massachusetts is a global leader in both technology and healthcare because of our support for important…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 14.31
February 25, 2022
…formed Motional as a joint venture in 2020. The Boston-based company is developing SAE Level 4 autonomous vehicles for robotaxi providers and fleet operators. It claimed that its achievements include the first fully-autonomous cross-country drive in the U.S, the launch of the world's first robotaxi pilot, and more than 100,000 public rides. In November 2021, Motional announced plans to partner with Lyft Inc. on robotaxi service in Las Vegas by 2023. Via helps cities digitize transportation The new service will combine Via's booking, routing, and mobile app technology with Motional's autonomous vehicles, fleet management software, and in-vehicle passenger experience. Via's…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 30.21
January 11, 2022
…Inc. Aurora, Ontario-based Magna said the engineers from the Boston-based autonomous shuttle developer will help its capabilities in advanced driver-assistance systems, or ADAS. “Growing our engineering bench strength in sensing hardware and software helps accelerate our path forward in a rapidly growing ADAS market,” stated John O’Hara, president of Magna Electronics. The companies did not disclose financial terms of the acquisition, and Magna will also gain Optimus Ride's assets and intellectual property. Magna combines vehicle expertise Founded in 2015 by former members of MIT's team in the 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge, Optimus Ride has been developing electric, autonomous vehicles to…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 8.81
December 27, 2021
…theoretically can do everything and lacks specialized application—for example, Boston Dynamics' Spot robot dog. On the other hand, we will see an increasing number of software- or application-focused companies that offer dedicated functionalities to certain target markets. For example, German startup Energy Robotics focuses on the inspection of assets or plants. Ryden: In some sense, more specialization. As the software improves, robots can be put to use for more demanding and difficult challenges. These applications will need specific features, such as unique end effectors on robot arms. Tom Ryden spoke at MassRobotics' recent partner appreciation event in Boston. Teele: We…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 13.13
November 03, 2021
…reality-based software suite and the ActivSight imaging module. The Boston-based digital surgery company claimed that it completed the world’s first autonomous robotic surgery of soft tissue in 2018. Activ Surgical said it is using artificial intelligence and augmented reality (AR) to improve surgical vision and make procedures safe, smart, and accessible to all. The patented ActiveEdge software is being designed to reduce preventable errors by enhancing a surgeon’s intraoperative decision making via the aggregation of data from around the world. Clinical trials in Texas The study occurred at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston). Dr.…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 23.76
October 24, 2021
…Motorsport from the Technische Universität München, or the Technical University of Munich, yesterday won the Indy Autonomous Challenge Powered by Cisco. TUM competed in a field of nine teams from 21 universities to win the $1 million grand prize in the first autonomous racecar competition at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The rules of the Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) required each team to compete in a fastest-lap competition that included an obstacle-avoidance component. The winning team recorded a two-lap average speed of 135.944 mph on the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) oval. Organized by Energy Systems Network and the IMS, the…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 32.69
October 23, 2021
…Motor Speedway. Nine teams with participants from from 21 universities and nine nations have programmed Dallara AV-21 racecars in pursuit of the $1 million first-place prize. The primary goal of the Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) is to advance technology that can speed the deployment of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and the commercialization of fully autonomous vehicles. It is also a platform for students to excel in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). University teams The following teams are competing in the Indy Autonomous Challenge: AI Racing Tech – University of Hawai’i, University of California San Diego Autonomous Tiger Racing –…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 8.15
October 15, 2021
…interoperability project with Siemens, FedEx, Yaskawa, Waypoint, and the University of Memphis. Since some of the participants are in multiple groups, they are able to coordinate efforts and focus on different aspects of the challenge. “Now that the MassRobotics standard is published, they can use it in their projects where it's applicable,” said Walker. “We've been talking with anyone who will listen about this, and customers should push for adoption. Because it's lightweight, there's no fear if they decide to follow it.” At the A3 panel on “Interoperabilty for AMRs: Exploring the Path Forward,” Pestoni and Jose Luis Susa Rincon,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 7.66
October 05, 2021
…learning (ML) models to the exact indoor environments so Boston Dynamics' quadruped could autonomously operate in these different indoor settings. “As we deploy Spot equipped with our data-collection sensors and field-control software to indoor environments, we need to develop a cost effective and reliable workflow to train our ML-based perception models,” said Aviad Almagor, division vice president of emerging technology at Trimble. “At the heart of this strategy is an ability to analyze synthetic environments,” he said. “Using NVIDIA Isaac Sim on Omniverse, we could seamlessly import different environments from CAD tools like Trimble SketchUp. Generating perfectly labeled ground-truth synthetic…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 12.17
September 27, 2021
…who recently led the robotics department in Bar Ilan University. The company said it has 20 team members, most of whom are engineers and software developers. Unlimited Robotics has a presence in California, Colombia, and Georgia. Its investors include Avishai Abrahamai, founder and CEO of Wix.com, who serves as a board member in the company. Gary designed for everyday chores Gary is designed to perform chores in everyday environments, according to Unlimited Robotics. It said its service robot can autonomously navigate and move in familiar and new places indoors, at a speed of up to 1.2m/sec (3.1 mph). It can…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 12.65
August 02, 2021
…company, which has offices in London; Parsippany, N.J.; and Boston, said it is the only such platform accredited by leading global educational institutions. Fundamental Surgery applies haptics The Fundamental Surgery platform allows users to have the same sights, sounds, feelings, and sensations they would experience in a real operating room, said FundamentalVR. It combines HapticVR technology and analytics of previously unmeasurable data points so that surgeons can acquire advanced techniques. The company said its Haptic Intelligence Engine delivers full kinesthetic force-feedback haptics into a variety of handheld devices, ranging from base station-held instruments to haptic gloves. It does this within…
