Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 14.13
November 08, 2021
…$55 million in Series B funding in May, and General Motors recently joined its investors. Last month, Ambarella announced that Oculii and Ambarella had signed a definitive merger agreement, pursuant to which Ambarella would acquire all outstanding capital stock of Oculii for $307.5 million. On Nov. 5, 2021, pursuant to the terms of the merger agreement, Ohio Merger Sub Inc. merged with and into Oculii, and all outstanding capital stock of Oculii was cancelled and converted into the right to receive cash. As a result of the merger’s completion, Oculii has become a wholly owned subsidiary of Ambarella. Steven Hong,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 8.91
November 05, 2021
…Rubik’s cube with software that’s a step towards more general AI, and a step away from the common single-task mentality. DeepMind created “RGB-Stacking,” a vision-based system that challenges a robot to learn how to grab items and stack them. In the ongoing quest to get machines to replicate human abilities, scientists at the MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (MIT CSAIL) created a framework that’s more scaled up. They built system that can reorient over 2,000 different objects, with the robotic hand facing both upwards and downwards. This ability to manipulate anything from a cup to a tuna can…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 18.09
November 04, 2021
…leading investors in Momenta included Chinese strategic investor SAIC Motor; global strategic investors General Motors, Toyota, and Bosch, as well as Temasek and Yunfeng Capital. Mercedes-Benz, IDG Capital, GGV Capital, Shunwei Capital, Tencent, and Cathay Capital also participated in the $500 million Series C round. Autonomous vehicle developers and related technology providers have raised more than $26.5 billion in 2021, according to Robotics 24/7. Here are 10 of the biggest totals to date: Company Location Amount (M$) Transaction Date Cruise San Francisco 2,750 Investments 4/15/2021 Waymo Mountain View, Calif. 2,500 Investments 6/16/2021 Xpeng Hong Kong 2,000 IPO 6/24/2021 Momenta Beijing…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 18.82
October 20, 2021
…continue going up at that rate forever, exposure to general non-automotive industry—which is as large or larger than the automotive space—is encouraging for the long term.” According to A3, the most substantial increases in robot orders in Q2 came from companies in the following segments: Metals, up 99% over Q2 2020 Automotive components, up 85% Semiconductor and electronics/photonics, up 62% Plastics and rubber, up 51% Food and consumer goods, up 51% Automotive OEMs, up 49% Life sciences/pharmaceutical/biomed, up 21% Component technology markets have record growth In addition to the large increase in robotic orders, machine vision, motion control, and motor…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 25.74
September 23, 2021
General Motors Co. today said it will invest $300 million in Momenta to accelerate the development of next-generation, self-driving technologies for future GM vehicles in China. “Customers in China are embracing electrification and advanced self-driving technology faster than anywhere else in the world, and the agreement between GM and Momenta will accelerate our deployment of next-generation solutions tailor-made for our consumers in China,” stated Julian Blissett, executive vice president of General Motors and president of GM China. “Momenta is committed to developing breakthrough artificial intelligence solutions to push beyond the frontier of possibilities today and significantly improve personal mobility experiences,”…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 30.00
August 25, 2021
Perrone Robotics Inc. yesterday said that it and Local Motors Inc. have signed an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) agreement. The companies plan to develop next-generation autonomous shuttles that will integrate Perrone's autonomous vehicle technology into Olli, the shuttle designed and manufactured by Local Motors. “This new OEM agreement is an important step in expanding our current customer base while enhancing the vehicle experience for passengers,” stated Vikrant Aggarwal, president of Local Motors. “Our ability to meet evolving customer needs depends on our ability to work with partners with proven track records and the ability to scale.” Perrone and Local Motors…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 14.76
August 16, 2021
…developed propulsion systems, including batteries, power controllers, and electric motors, for small and general aviation class of aircraft for NASA and Siemens, among others. The company said it was the first to fly an electric two-seater in 2007, and it has designed nine experimental and serially produced electric aircraft. Pipistrel won the NASA Green Flight Challenge in 2011 with a four-seat electric airplane. It participates in standards committees for hybrid-electric aviation. Research and development division Pipistrel Vertical Solutions is developing electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi, as well as a hydrogen fuel cell-powered 19-seat miniliner/microfeeder. Honeywell brings SATCOM…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 5.25
July 09, 2021
…example, the automotive industry has been using robotics since General Motors installed its first pick-and-place robot on the line in 1961. That’s 60 years of robotics utilization. The materials handling industry is just now piloting, and in some case rolling out, piece-picking robots, typically in small pilots. Anecdotal reasons for the reluctance to embrace automation The cost and availability of labor: Manufacturers grappled with high wages, especially in unionized industries. For them, automation was easier to justify. Meanwhile, labor in distribution facilities was plentiful and comparatively cheap. Throwing more bodies at the problem was a viable solution. Land was available…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 13.08
July 01, 2021
…testing its self-driving car system in California. Ghost appoints general counsel Ghost Locomotion has raised $165 million from investors including Mike Speiser at Sutter Hill Ventures, Keith Rabois at Founders Fund, and Vinod Khosla at Khosla Ventures. The company said will use the new capital to continue development and introduce its product next year. Jacqueline Glassman, Ghost Locomotion Returning investors Sutter Hill Ventures and Founders Fund participated in the Series D round, along with a new commitment from Coatue. Building on its commitment to consumer vehicle safety, Ghost has appointed Jacqueline Glassman as general counsel. She is former chief counsel…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 8.58
June 28, 2021
…powertrain and the electrification/electronic architecture. Also known as Xiaopeng Motors, the company was founded in 2014 and has offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, and San Diego. Its smart EVs are manufactured in Zhaoqing and Zhengzhou, China. Xpeng said it delivered 5,686 vehicles in May 2021, a 481% year-over-year increase. Xpeng develops autonomous, driver-assist features In March, Xpeng claimed to have completed 3,000 km (1,864 mi.) in autonomous driving on Chinese highways with 0.71 human driver interventions per 100 km (62.1 mi.) using its XPILOT system. In comparison, Waymo LLC reported a rate of 0.033 disengagements per 1,000 mi. (1,609…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 26.13
June 24, 2021
…market for mobile robots continues to go global. OTTO Motors today announced a series of partnerships to make its autonomous mobile robots available to a global audience. The Kitchener, Ontario-based company also said it has successfully completed third-party assessments to demonstrate that its products meet or exceed all relevant safety standards in Europe and the U.S., including ANSI/RIA R15.08, which it helped to define. “One of the things that sets OTTO Motors apart is our process-first approach to automating material handling,” stated Rick Baker, chief revenue officer of OTTO Motors. “It is how we’re able to achieve facility-scale transformation for…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.19
May 10, 2021
…operate fully driverless cars on city roads for the general public. Are there plans to work with other municipalities or the national authorities? Certainly, our goal is to run our RoboTaxi service everywhere in China. AutoX rolling out to China and beyond What is the next step for AutoX—do you have plans to roll out this offering in other cities in the near future? Yes. We already have fleets testing in four major cities in China: Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Wuhan. AutoX has partnered with Honda, lidar maker RoboSense, and others to make its vehicles smarter. What aspects of autonomous…
