A 50-pound flying robot can be lethal. As drones swarm the U.S., regulators need convincing before they give Amazon, Google, and others permission for expanded use. Bloomberg Technology has a fascinating article titled “Crashing Drones Into Test Dummies for Safety” which clearly identifies how the small- and medium-sized drones flooding the U.S. market can seriously injure or even kill someone. Researchers at Virginia Tech - home to both a Federal Aviation Administration-designated test site for unmanned aircraft systems and a world-renowned injury biomechanics group - are developing methods to evaluate the risk posed by small unmanned aircraft to anyone on…
When it comes to the state of what really feels like the never-ending truck driver shortage, everything is really out there for all to see as plain as day. We talk and read and hear about how about the projected shortfalls in the difference between the actual number of drivers out there and what is actually needed. And we talk about other things, too, like the aging truck driver workforce, potential drivers not wanting to be away from home for long stretches and, of course, the millennial effect, in which they would rather be doing something “cooler” than driving a…
The Association for Advancing Automation (A3), a leading global advocate for the benefits of automating and producers of Automate 2017, has announced the eight finalists in the Automate Launch Pad Startup Competition. The competition highlights the industry’s most innovative young companies in robotics, machine vision, and motion control who are competing for the spotlight at the Automate 2017 Show and a $10,000 cash award. Sponsored by GE and co-produced by Silicon Valley Robotics, the competition provides innovative startup companies with an opportunity to generate awareness of their technology and find new sources of funding. The eight finalists will compete for…
The Robotic Industries Association (RIA), the industry’s trade organization, has announced the winners of the Engelberger Robotics Awards. The 2017 Engelberger Robotics Award will be presented to Gill Pratt, chief executive officer of the Toyota Research Institute (TRI), and Daniela Rus, professor of electrical engineering and computer science and director of the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Pratt and Rus will be honored at a special ceremony held in conjunction with the Automate 2017 Exhibition and Conference and the International Symposium on Robotics. The award is named for Joseph F. Engelberger,…
UPS conducted the test on Monday in Lithia, Fla. with Workhorse Group, an Ohio-based battery-electric truck and drone developer. Workhorse built the drone and the electric UPS package car used in the test. “This test is different than anything we’ve done with drones so far. It has implications for future deliveries, especially in rural locations where our package cars often have to travel miles to make a single delivery,” said Mark Wallace, UPS senior vice president of global engineering and sustainability. “Imagine a triangular delivery route where the stops are miles apart by road. Sending a drone from a package…
Four vision industry leaders have been re-elected to serve new two year terms on the Board of Directors of AIA – Advancing Vision + Imaging, the industry’s trade group. The four incumbent board members who were re-elected are: ● Ghislain Beaupré, Vice President, R&D and Operations, Teledyne DALSA ● Wallace Latimer, Sales Director / Customized Optical Systems, FISBA ● Rex Lee, PhD, CEO/President, Pyramid Imaging ● Edward Roney, National Account Manager – Intelligent Robotics, FANUC America Corporation “I am excited for this opportunity to serve on the AIA Board of Directors for another term,” Beaupré said. “I am pleased to…
The Robotic Industries Association (RIA), an advocate in North America for safety and innovation in robotics, announced that in 2016 the North American robotics market broke all-time records for orders and shipments. During the year, 34,606 robots valued at approximately $1.9 billion were ordered in North America, representing growth of 10% in units over 2015. The automotive industry’s orders grew 17%. Units shipped to North American customers also grew by 10%, with 30,875 robots valued at $1.8 billion shipped in 2016. Shipments into the automotive market grew 25% relative to 2015. According to the report, the fourth quarter of 2016…
OTTO Motors, a division of Clearpath Robotics and provider of self-driving vehicle technology and services, will provide Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi an OTTO 1500 self-driving vehicle for ground tire delivery in the Corolla assembly plant. “Toyota has set the standard in lean manufacturing principles and we’re very proud that OTTO has been selected as a means to drive lean, flexible material transport for the Mississippi plant,” said Simon Drexler, Director of Industrial Solutions at OTTO Motors. “We expect the implementation of the initial vehicle will yield positive results with regard to overall operating costs, and lead to further opportunities within…
Ford Motor Company has announced it is investing $1 billion during the next five years in Argo AI, an artificial intelligence company, to develop a virtual driver system for the automaker’s autonomous vehicle coming in 2021 – and for potential license to other companies. Founded by former Google and Uber leaders, Argo AI is bringing together some of the most experienced roboticists and engineers working in autonomy from inside and outside of Ford. The team of experts in robotics and artificial intelligence is led by Argo AI founders Bryan Salesky, company CEO, and Peter Rander, company COO. Both are alumni…
