Daily Archives: July 14, 2021

Smart Hub Lanarkshire offers small businesses insight into robotics and automation – Holyrood

Posted: July 14, 2021 at 1:46 pm

A series of online events during the summer and autumn will offer small businesses insight into how they could make use of robotics and automation.

Smart Hub Lanarkshire has announced a programme of free online events to help small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in different sectors explore the benefits of robotic technologies.

The programme begins on 28 July with an online event looking at the use of cobots collaborative robots in the food and drink sector.

Aimed at small food and drink businesses who are considering introducing automation, the event will be delivered by experts in the field of robotics, who will answer questions and help attendees make informed investment decisions.

They will also discuss the support that is available.

This will be followed by a similar event on 25 August , also looking at cobots, aimed at the life sciences sector, followed by a third event on 24 September for engineering and fabrication businesses.

Smart Hub Lanarkshire a newly opened centre dedicated to helping SMEs in the manufacturing sector grow and prepare for the future.

Run as a partnership between North Lanarkshire Council, New College Lanarkshire and the University of Strathclyde, it is home to a robotics and automation training facility and is a space for SMEs to access academic expertise and business support.

The hub opened virtually in April and aims to physically open its doors at New College Lanarkshires Motherwell campus later this year.

It was one of 12 projects to be awarded a share of 15.8m of funding from the Scottish Government through the Advancing Manufacturing Challenge Fund.

Professor Christopher Moore, principal at New College Lanarkshire, said: If you are considering introducing automated processes to your factory, and would welcome impartial industry insight and expertise to guide you, then these events will be invaluable.

As well as answers to technical questions, the panel will also be able to help you with queries about funding and finances.

Councillor Allan Graham, convener of the Enterprise and Growth Committee at North Lanarkshire Council, said: The events offer an excellent opportunity for local manufacturing SMEs to learn about the benefits of new robotics technologies.

As we start to recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, Smart Hub Lanarkshire will provide support for manufacturing businesses to help them use these innovative technologies to develop and grow for the future.

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Why the Need for Interoperability Will Shake Up Robotics Industry – Supply and Demand Chain Executive

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Interoperability the ability of computer systems or programs to exchange information continues to enrich the robotic environment. Even though the term interoperability has been known in the industry for a while, there is a clear lack of industry-wide adoption of the practice when it comes to mobile robot fleets.

There are two main factors driving the need for interoperability -- the growing demand for mobile robots and their increasing specialisation.

The robotics industry has been booming for a while and will continue to do so for many years to come. In fact, the global robotics market is projected to reach $209.38 billion by 2025, growing at a 26% CAGR. Not only will this create many new opportunities, but a great number of challenges will arise too, especially with autonomous mobile robot (AMR) adoption increasing at a fast pace.

With this increasing demand for robots, automation is gaining a lot of popularity in warehouses around the world. In fact, the warehouse automation market is forecasted to reach a value of $30 billion in 2026 at a 10.41% CAGR during the forecast period. Thats double the value it had back in 2019.

With new technological advances, we can see higher levels of specializations of mobile robots. They are now being developed to serve more specific use cases. With robot sales hitting the roof, no manufacturer will be able to keep up with the demand. Instead, companies will need to deploy robots from multiple manufacturers in order to live up to their operational needs.

The result? Diverse robot fleets. We can already see many warehouses, logistic centers, hospitals and factories around the world deploying different types of robots that are often supplied by different manufacturers. For example, they will have a specific robot for lifting heavy items, another one for moving small items, one for security purposes, another for cleaning and so forth.

Heres where the real problem arises. Each manufacturer will supply its robot with its own operating system. This means that as soon as a robot is introduced to a fleet with robots from one or more other manufacturers, these robots will not be able to communicate with each other. Besides, as robots become more autonomous, they need to begin to communicate effectively to avoid collisions, delays in operations and other serious accidents on the work floor.

A case study found in Meili Robots recent report explores the pain points of interoperability.

As described in the case study, the project tested, adjusted and customized a fleet management solution for diverse mobile robot fleets at a Danish hospital. As expected, the main pain point turned out to be the inability of the robots own independent control systems to integrate into other systems these included both the logistics system of the hospital itself and the operating systems of other robots within the fleet.

It is very clear that there is a need for one universal fleet management system that can provide an overview and information including data analytics of the entire fleet, regardless of their type or brand. Moreover, it is crucial that third-party robots locations, routes, speed, etc. can be controlled in a levelled way. Not only will this help avoid collisions or other accidents on the work floor, but it also optimizes operational efficiency.

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Researchers Create Simulator to Help Robots Wield Knives – The Spoon

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Robotics researchers from NVIDIA and the University of Southern California (USC) announced today the first differentiable simulator for robotic cutting, or DiSECt for short. This new simulator can predict forces that will act on the knife as it pushes and slices through soft materials like fruits and vegetables.

Your first reaction might be, why do they need all that simulator science when you can just install a sharp blade on a robotic arm and smash it down? Thats certainly one solution, but part of the reason robot researchers like NVIDIA, and Sony and Panasonic all work with food is because food is oddly-shaped, has different textures and is delicate. If a robot can successfully work with soft objects like food, it can carry those techniques over to other applications like surgery (where plunging knives down is frowned upon).

Cutting through food with precision and care is actually quite complex. It requires feedback, adaptation, motion control and parameter setting as the knife makes its way through the object. Additionally, since each piece of fruit or vegetable is unique, the robot needs to adjust its cutting with each new object.

NVIDIA shared with us an advanced look at an article explaining the DiSECt research that was recently presented at 2021 Robotics: Science and Systems (RSS)conference. Im not going to lie, it is dense and jargon heavy with paragraphs like this:

DiSECt implements the commonly used Finite Element Method (FEM) to simulate deformable materials, such as foodstuffs. The object to be cut is represented by a 3D mesh which consists of tetrahedral elements. Along the cutting surface we slice the mesh following the Virtual Node Algorithm [4]. This algorithm duplicates the mesh elements that intersect the cutting surface, and adds additional, so-called virtual vertices on the edges where these elements are cut. The virtual nodes add extra degrees of freedom to accurately simulate the contact dynamics of the knife when it presses and slices through the mesh.

But rather than focusing on the specifics of the research, there are some broader takeaways anyone in food tech can appreciate. First, DiSECt illustrates the continued importance of simulation and synthetic data in training robots. NVIDIA has actually built a kitchen as a training ground for its robots where it uses synthetic data and computerized simulation to virtually teach a robot tasks like identifying and picking up a box of Cheeze-Its. Similarly, DiSECt trains a robot to use a knife through simulation first, which can then be applied to the cutting object in the real world.

Additionally, giving robots added abilities will make them more useful in taking over dangerous tasks like repetitive cutting. Right now, robots in restaurants are frying foods and even making pizzas, but they arent doing more highly skilled, precision tasks such as cutting and slicing. A robot cant get injured while cutting and could bring more safety to restaurant kitchens.

The good news for those interested in this type of cutting-edge research is that NVIDIA and USC are not the only companies doing work in this field. In 2019, researchers from Iowa State University published a similar paper on the intricacies of robot slicing.

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Advancement In Artificial Intelligence: Rise of the Robots – Analytics Insight

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A robot is a machine that is programmed by a computer. It is capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically without human intervention. A robot can be directed by an external control device, or the control may be inserted within it. Robots are created to stimulate the human form. Most robots are task-performing machines, designed focusing on sharp functionality, rather than expressive aesthetics.

Since the covid-19 pandemic, the world has changed entirely. The entire globe has become dependent on technology so as to stay connected and get the work done more than ever before. Robots have evolved as a safer option as social distancing has become the norm. Robots have become an essential part of everyday life.

Robots are not a mechanical body which is unachievable, rather it is a computer-based artificial brain that is still well below the level of elegance needed to build a human-like robot.

ING, the banks robotics team in Poland has launched a service called SAIO, which is an AI-powered solution that enables companies whether small or medium-sized to robotize their business. SAIO can be used to mechanize financial processes and also, it can be put into work in other areas of a company like HR, logistics where the administration is needed.

Since Covid-19 it has become more important to clean rooms and with social distance, one has to do the cleaning work by oneself. But some robots are being used to clean and disinfect homes and hospitals. To kill all types of viruses and bacteria, companies like UVD Robots, Xenex, Tru-D, Puro Lighting, and Surface are using ultraviolet-C light. In New York Puros UV lamps are being used to clean subway cars and buses. In India, Milagrow introduced three new robots, Milagrow iMap Max, Milagrow iMap 10.0, and Milagrow Seagull to clean homes with a touch of a button. These robotics mops not only clean the house but can clean themselves too. Further, some robots have arms that can pick up items, open drawers, move objects, and even open and close doors without any physical contact and also, sanitize the room with UV light and chemical hydrogen peroxide spray.

This is something that is completely different. Already software bots have existed for many years which have the ability to automate repetitive, algorithm-based computer tasks by simply imitating the way humans work with applications. But now comes something smarter, a robot that can read. ING has been developing a smart robot which is an intelligent content service. Such robots have been trained to recognize information in a document like an invoice or payslip and this is done by using AI algorithms. This simplifies the work of the customers as well as the service provider. Also, it is not just a document it can read, rather photos, chats, and other content can be processed automatically in this way.

With digital transformation taking place rapidly, now there are technologies that are surprising. There are robots that cook. It can flip a burger, make a cup of coffee, etc. In India, Rebel Foods uses a fusion of software, robotics, and automation to prepare food. It uses robotics-led smart friers which identify the shape of the food and based on that shape can regulate the oil temperature automatically without human intervention. The company also uses a Visual AIQC Machine, called a SWAT machine which stands for Size, Weight, Appearance, and Temperature. Every dish prepared is put on a machine that scans it and accepts or rejects it accordingly. Also, some robots can make burgers while the staff is busy taking orders online or cleaning their restaurants.

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How lawyers embraced the robots – Morning Brew

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Does this count as an act of God?

That's the question legal teams everywhere were asking when Covid hit the US last March. Clients wanted to search out force majeure clauses in thousands of real estate agreements and other contracts, wondering if a pandemic could render them null and void. Not only were there more docs to review than usual, but also lawyers had to find quick answers to critical, unprecedented issues...all while working from home.

The 100-person team at Luminance, a UK-based AI-for-legal startup, felt like they were at the center of it all.

Founded by University of Cambridge mathematicians in 2015, the company specializes in automated legal doc review and analysis. Although the tech lends itself to a range of legal specialties, Luminance's business largely came from M&A due diligence work in its first four years. All of that changed in 2020, when M&A activity fell sharply and law firms scrambled to use the tech for new tasks in more than 30 different specialties, including property portfolio analysis, contract negotiations, compliance, litigation, and investigationsin order to save money. Overall, business spiked 40% in 2020.

What happened at Luminance is an illustration of a broader shift toward the automation of corporate legal department work. And experts say whats happening in the legal industry is indicative of the direction many knowledge work industries will go. Automation is often tied to conversations about manufacturing and wage work, but knowledge work automation is no myth.

Whether its the white collar worker or...the laborer, everyones going to go through this, what I call automation journey, whether they like it or not, Suneet Dua, US chief product officer at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), said. The automation train around RPA, robotics, workflows is moving so fastand theres low-code, no-code automation. That train is like a speed train. [The] human-skills train is the slowest train out there.

Stanford University research found that, after cross-referencing more than 16,000 AI-related patents and 800 job descriptions, knowledge sectors with highly-paid, well-educated workers may be more susceptible to automation than blue-collar jobs. For example, workers who completed a bachelors degree would be exposed to AI at least 5x more than workers with only a high school diploma. For evidence, look no further than the growth of robotic process automation (RPA), which uses neural networks, computer vision, and more to automate rote tasks. UiPath, a leading RPA startup, grew 10x between 2018 and 2021, thanks in part to clients ranging from Google to Equifax.

In the legal sector, the first stage of automation was centered on the logistics of managing massive amounts of physical documents and data, like converting them into digital files. Now, due to advancement in automation tools and user experience, were entering a new stage of automation.

Now, were moving into an environment where unstructured data can be captured and more complex decision-making can be supported through automation, says Chris Audet, a senior research director at Gartner, who researches in-house legal teams.

Several companies, like Luminance, are tackling this with machine learning (ML) models. For example, Luminance's product is a blend of supervised and unsupervised MLmeaning the model undergoes some training but also uses a learn-as-you-go approach, for finding unknown unknowns, Luke Taylor, a subject matter expert for the company, said. Its clients include one-fifth of the worlds largest law firms and all Big Four accounting firms: PwC, Deloitte, KPMG, and Ernst & Young (EY).

The supervised ML part works like this: When a lawyer interacts with one part of the contract (say, a problematic clause) the model can apply that interaction across the entire document pool (e.g., flagging any similar clauses for additional review). The unsupervised ML component, on the other hand, is all about independent pattern recognition. Without learning from a lawyer or using predefined terms, the model can analyze a vast set of documents, find the standards and deviations, and flag anomalies for a lawyers eye.

The product is also meant to be ready right out of the box: After about an hour of setup, Taylor said, a legal team can start analyzing documents for language patterns with no coding or configuration.

This leap forward in tech prowess, and other industries widespread adoption of automation, has made legal teams move from a passive to an active stance regarding AI tools, according to Audet.

[In] the past, automation, AI, advanced analytics were voyeuristic. That was their attitude toward it: Im kind of curious about it, I want to see how other teams maybe use it and I can evaluate it, says Audet. Thats not the case anymore.

Audet said 2020 was an inflection point: Legal teams lost staff, either through business contractions or attrition, and to help offset those losses, some earmarked leftover budget dollars for automation solutions.

Everyone was waiting for the first mover to make a move, and no one wasand now, were in a place where everyone is playing a bit of catch-up, says Audet. Covid kind of hit the reset button for folks, and what was [merely] of interest before now is actually seen as a core way, and a smart way, to get work done. So theyre asking questions like: Help me build the business case for this? Show me what ROI looks like? Where has this been done successfully across workflows?

According to Audet, in-house legal teams tend to see automation as an opportunity to save cognitive capacity for critical thinking, rather than use up their processing power on high-volume, low-stakes decisions.

Audet added: For decades, in-house legal teams have been bombarded by business requests that are not high-value...All of that has led them to feel like theyre drinking from a firehose, in managing that volume. ...People are already facing burnout, let alone lawyers [who] are told to review contracts for 75, 80 hours a week.

Taylor echoed the burnout issue, especially for junior lawyers.

One of the reasons why I didn't go into a law firm, in the end, is because I was very dissuaded by that grunt work, Taylor said. When you are a trainee going through this...and youre training up to become a lawyer, and youre looking at just the same contracts over again, it's not really helping you too much.

Besides saving cognitive capacity, for some legal teams the tech also offers a way to take on moreand often higher-valuework. In Luminances case, two global law firm clients working on large document reviews used automation tech instead of temporarily pulling other teams off their current projects. One was able to speed up the review time for 190,000 German employment contracts from 30 weeks to just two.

You won't hear many lawyers say, I think my jobs going to go away, Audet said. In fact, I havent spoken to a single one of them who feels that way. They actually are looking forward to this as a way to focus on the things that they believe theyre actually getting paid for.

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New WORX Landroid Robotic Mowers Are For Busy Homeowners Who Value Their Time Off – PR Web

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WORX Landroid M, WR147

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (PRWEB) July 14, 2021

Its 2021 and time to think outside the box when it comes to mowing the lawn. New WORX Landroid robotic mowers enable homeowners to maximize their free time by turning mowing chores over to robotics that get the job done quietly and efficiently without supervision.

Skip the lawn care service and invest instead in a maintenance-free, environmentally friendly robotic mower. Whether the lawn is 1/8 acre (5,445 sq. ft.), acre, (typical suburban lot size) or acre, theres a Landroid designed to make the job easier.

Three new WORX Landroid robotic mowers include for mowing 1/8 acre (WR165), Landroid M (WR147) for acre lawns and Landroid L (WR155) for lots up to acre. These smart, streamlined machines are programmable to cut lawns in any day or time combination for an entire season using Landroids smart phone app, or directly through the mowers LCD screen interface.

The new robotic mowers feature a floating blade system that automatically adjusts its cutting clearance height if it encounters an obstruction in its path, such as a rock, stick or other object. The floating blade system provides continuous cutting action as it navigates the lawn. Each Landroid mower also features a waterproof base, allowing homeowner to rinse off its underside with a garden nose to remove grass, dirt or debris buildup. Also, new this season is the inclusion of Bluetooth connectivity in addition to Wi-Fi to ensure a seamless set up and connection process through Landroids app.

With the Landroid, you dont have to be home to mow the lawn. From the grocery store, to attending an arts and crafts fair, in your favorite coffee shop, or in a remote location, communication with Landroid is easily managed through its smart phone app.

The WORX Landroids have brushless motors and are powered by the WORX 20V Power Share battery. The (WR165) uses the 20V 2.0Ah battery; Landroid M (WR147) incorporates the 20V 4.0Ah battery, while Landroid L (WR155) is powered by the 20V, 6.0Ah battery. Charging time for the WORX 20V, 2.0AH and 4.0Ah batteries is 75 minutes, while the 20V, 6.0Ah battery is 115 minutes. The Max lithium-ion batteries are compatible more than 35 WORX lawn and garden and DIY tools and lifestyle products for cost savings and convenience.

Landroid M and Landroid L have four wheels for traction and maneuverability. The Landroids also feature a dial with six position height adjustment from 1.5 to 3.6 in. androids also feature Cut to Edge, which offsets micro cutting blades on the side to minimize the need for follow-up trimming.

Unlike conventional lawnmowers, Landroids dont use a grass catcher. The tiny clippings mulch back into the lawn acting like fertilizer for a vibrant, healthy lawn. And when its time to recharge its batteries, Landroid automatically returns to its charging station to recharge. Once fully charged, it continues mowing where it left off. Landroids even know when its time to come in from the rain. Landroid even knows when its raining. With a built-in weather sensor, the robotic mower will return home or delay mowing to avoid damaging the lawn by mowing wet grass.

The Landroids patented AIA (Artificial Intelligence Algorithm) technology gives the Landroid problem-solving capabilities that allow it to cut the lawn more efficiently and to better navigate through narrow passageways compared to other robotic mowers. It can navigate up slopes and inclines of 20 (35 percent).

No two lawns are exactly alike, so homeowners can customize Landroid with optional plug in module accessories to expand its capabilities, such as an the Anti-Collision System (ACS, WA0860, $259.99), which enables Landroid to sense and avoid obstructions in the yard; GPS tracking/cellular connectivity through Find My Landroid (WA0866, $299.99).The Radio Link module (WA0867, $199.99) extends Wi-Fi connectivity an additional 500 yards. It presents a stronger signal when there are interference areas in the yard such as trees, shed, garage or gazebo. A Landroid Garage (WA0810, $159.99) is also available to keep the Landroid out of the elements. This structure is much like a car port, serving as a barrier to keep out rain and a hot sun.

Landroid is immediately ready after installation with preprogramed settings. Users have the option to customize those settings via the Landroid app. The Landroid app has a variety of functions that let homeowners program, monitor and troubleshoot the mower. A newer feature is the lawn size calculator. By walking the lawns perimeter with the Landroid app, it automatically calculates the size of the yard and configures a working schedule for the mower. Updates to the Landlords firmware can be uploaded automatically via Wi-Fi or cellular connectivity.

Other key features include multi-zone programming, which allows users to set up separate lawn-cutting zones, such as front and back yards, tiered locations and berms. Also, homeowners can set up a four digit pin number to lock the Landroid for security purposes. In the event the mower is stolen, only the correct pin number will enable the mower to re-start.

Built-in safety sensors stop the Landroid blades when its lifted or tipped. The sensors will ensure Landroid turns off or turns around when it encounters a person, pet or object.

In addition to the Landroid mower, one 20V batteries and charger, lawn screws, boundary wire, stakes, hex key, two measurement gauges, two wire connectors and nine replacement blades and eight lawn screws are included for securing the charging station. The Landroid mowers are covered by the WORX three-year limited warranty.

The WORX Landroid 1/8 acre model (WR165, $949.99); WORX Landroid M (WR147, $1,099.99) and WORX Landroid L (WR155, $1,399.99) are available at worx.com and Amazon.WORX Landroid Accessory Video Links

Anti-Collision System ACS

Garage Accessory

Radio Link Accessory Reach out to WORX social media links, including Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/worxus?ref=hl; Twitter: https://twitter.com/WORXTools; Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/worxtools and Instagram: @WORXTools

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Robotic inspection project for offshore wind turbines concludes – Energy Global

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Save to read list Published by Sarah Smith, Editorial Assistant Energy Global, Wednesday, 14 Jul 21

One of the UKs most ambitious robotics projects has proven the concept for robotic teams repairing offshore wind farms. This paves the way for human-robot teams at wind farms within 10 years and wind farms designed for robotic maintenance by 2050 a scenario that will be vital to the UK achieving its net-zero targets.

The 4 million MIMRee project, which was funded by Innovate UK, has concluded this month and reported on its drive to develop an autonomous robotic team for inspecting and repairing offshore wind farms. Two years since starting the project, the MIMRee team, including leading academics and technology developers, say they have successfully proven and demonstrated the core technologies at the heart of the concept.

Under the MIMRee scenario, a Thales autonomous mothership detects defects in wind farm blades using an onboard inspection system that can scan the structure of wind farms blades while they are still turning, sometimes at speeds of 200 mph at their tips. The mothership then signals the blades to stop and launches a specially adapted drone that can transport a six-legged blade crawler onto them to effect repair.

The Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, which has led the project, believes that within 10 years this scenario will be feasible at offshore wind farms with robots working semi-autonomously (that is, under the remote supervision of humans and only requiring technicians for intervention offshore when essential).

By 2050, such a system could be capable of planning its own missions and conducting them autonomously at wind farms of the future that are built for repair by resident robots. ORE Catapult estimates that this move will shift workers from hazardous environments at sea to onshore control room roles and reduce the cost of energy by 10% (including a 27% reduction in operating expenses).

BladeBUG's blade crawler climbs a blade at ORE Catapult's offshore Levenmouth Demonstration Turbine. Image courtesy of BladeBUG Ltd/Tony Fong.

This is not just a way for the sector to reduce costs, it is essential if the offshore wind industry is to achieve the scale of expansion needed for Net Zero, said Ben George, who leads ORE Catapults Operations and Maintenance Centre of Excellence (OMCE). Today, conditions at sea make human-only missions subject to safety risks, delays, cancellations, and extensive turbine downtime. This will not be a feasible way of running the super-sized offshore power stations of tomorrow that lie in deep waters hundreds of miles from shore.

The inspiration for the project was drawn from space exploration, the epitome of an extreme environment. Professor Sara Bernardini, who previously worked on mission planning for space mission operations, including the NASAs Mars Exploration Rovers programme, developed the AI system that controls how the MIMRee robots work together and communicate with humans.

Space provides a good example of humans working with robots. The current Mars exploration programme uses a team of robots, from helicopters to rovers, that can withstand extreme conditions. Astronauts are deployed selectively, where human ingenuity is most needed and risk to life is lowest. Likewise, future offshore work will be about humans being in the control room, developing and managing robotics and learning the skills required to work in teams with them, comments Professor Bernardini.

Another crucial technological breakthrough was developing a robots ability to repair blades. The BladeBUG robot was lent to the project by BladeBUG Ltd, a London start-up that has previously achieved the worlds first robotic blade walk at a working offshore wind turbine.

The Thales moving-blade inspection system scans the blades at ORE Catapult's offshore Levenmouth Demonstration Turbine. Image courtesy of Thales UK.

Wootzano Ltd fitted their patented electronic skin, used in harsh environments such as nuclear decommissioning and applied it to the feet of the crawler robot. The Wootzkin allows robots to navigate around slippery wind turbine blades monitoring for slips and avoiding falls whilst carrying out repairs.

The Royal College of Arts Robotic Laboratory developed the repair module that is capable of cleaning and recoating damaged blades.

Drone technologies were adapted to take-off and land on the autonomous vessel when it is moving at high speed while it is carrying the blade crawler. This phase of the work was led by the University of Bristol, the University of Manchester, and Perceptual Robotics.

Ben George concludes: This project has proven that such a system is possible and can handle the extreme environments at sea. We have tested each of its components in real-world settings, including at our offshore demonstration turbine off the coast of Scotland. Weve also developed a hardware-in-the-loop simulation system that allows individual robots to connect to a simulated environment so we can fine-tune their team behaviour before they go into field. It is highly significant that these technologies are being developed and demonstrated first in the UK this puts us in pole position for a fast-growing global export market.

Dr Paul Gosling, Chief Technical Officer for Thales in the UK, said: Increasingly we are seeing the technologies around robotics, autonomy sensing, and AI providing solutions enabling activities involving harsh environments to be undertaken using unmanned systems. The MIMRee work is a perfect example of a UK team of experts using this evolving technology to benefit society and the environment in the future. I am delighted Thales was able to contribute its expertise in the form of the autonomous mothership and camera sensing technology to make this activity a success.

The figures referenced in this article are drawn from the 'Quantifying the Impact of Robotics in Offshore Wind' report from the Offshore Wind Innovation Hub website.

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The Spring issue of Energy Global features a varied spectrum of in-depth technical articles detailing recent projects, future projections, and technological advancements in the renewables sector, from companies including GlobalData, Atlas Copco, Watlow, QED Naval, TRACTO, AB Energy, and more.

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Global Military Robots and Autonomous Systems Market Report 2021: Evolution of Airborne Military Robot Systems, Technologies, Markets, and Outlays…

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DUBLIN, July 12, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Military Robots and Autonomous Systems - Market and Technology Forecast to 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Global Military Robots and Autonomous Systems Report 2021 examines, analyzes, and predicts the evolution of airborne military robot systems, technologies, markets, and outlays (expenditures) over the next 8 years

Military robots are autonomous robots or remote-controlled mobile robots created for military functions, from transport to search & rescue and strike mission. Some of these robotic systems are presently in use, and several such robots are under development. These military robots and autonomous systems just rolling out or already in the prototype stage are far more proficient, logical, and autonomous than ones now in Iraq and Afghanistan.

As new add-ons are developed, military robots will be able to take on a wider set of battlefield roles. As of now, the United States military remains the largest user of these robots, however, countries like China and Russia are investing billions in robotics research and development that will allow them to narrow the gap with the US.

Throughout the report, we show how military robots and autonomous systems are used today to add real value. To provide the most thorough and realistic forecast, this report provides a twin-scenario analysis, including "steady state", the emergence of a new military robot and autonomous system technology.

In this report, we have classified military robots and autonomous system industry under 5 major groups.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Introduction1.1 Objective1.2 Market definition1.3 Methodology1.4 Events based Forecast Scenario1.5 Who will benefit from this report1.6 Language

2 Executive Summary2.1 Global Military Robots & Autonomous Systems - Trends and Insights2.2 Major Findings2.3 Major Conclusions2.4 Important Tables and Graphs

3 Current and Future Technologies Overview of the Global Military Robots & Autonomous Systems3.1 Introduction3.2 Types of Military Robots & Autonomous Systems3.3 Current Technologies3.4 Future Technologies

4 Current and Future Market Overview of the Global Military Robots & Autonomous Systems4.1 Introduction4.2 Number of Military Robots & Autonomous Systems - Per Region4.3 Current Markets4.4 Future Markets4.5 How to reach scale4.5.1 Challenges Involved in Scaling4.5.2 Strategy for Scaling

5 Market Analysis5.1 Introduction5.1.1 Industry Chain Structure5.1.2 Support for Local Industry5.1.3 Policy5.1.4 Drivers5.1.5 Inhibitors5.1.6 Opportunities5.1.7 Challenges5.2 Porter's 5 Forces Analysis5.3 Macro environment5.3.1 Macroeconomic factors5.3.2 Political5.3.3 Economic5.3.4 Social5.3.5 Technological5.4 Forecast factors

6 Global Military Robots & Autonomous Systems by Regions to 20286.1 Introduction6.2 Global Military Robots & Autonomous Systems Market by Regions overview

7 Global Military Robots & Autonomous Systems Market by Technology to 20287.1 Introduction7.2 Global Military Robots & Autonomous Systems by Software Technologies overview7.2.1 Computer Vision7.2.2 Natural Language Processing7.2.3 Edge Computing7.2.4 Complex Event Process7.2.5 Transfer Learning AI7.2.6 Hardware Acceleration for AI7.2.7 Reinforcement Learning7.2.8 Generative Adversarial Networks7.2.9 Mixed Reality7.2.10 Emotion Research - Affective Computing7.3 Global Military Robots & Autonomous Systems by Hardware Technologies overview7.3.1 Power Source7.3.2 Actuation7.3.3 Sensing7.3.4 Manipulation7.3.5 Locomotion7.3.6 Environmental Interaction & Navigation7.3.7 Human-Robot Interaction7.3.8 Control

8 Global Military Robots & Autonomous Systems Market by Applications to 20288.1 Introduction8.2 Global Military Robots & Autonomous Systems Market by Applications overview8.2.1 Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR)8.2.2 Search and Rescue8.2.3 Combat8.2.4 Transportation8.2.5 Explosive Ordnance Disposal8.2.6 Mine Clearance8.2.7 Firefighting8.2.8 Others

9 Global Military Robots & Autonomous Systems Market by Operations to 20289.1 Introduction9.2 Global Military Robots & Autonomous Systems by Operations overview9.2.1 Fully Autonomous9.2.2 Semi-Autonomous

10 Global Military Robots & Autonomous System Market by Platforms to 202810.1 Introduction10.2 Global Military Robots & Autonomous Systems Market by Platforms overview10.2.1 Land-Based Platforms10.2.2 Air Based Platforms10.2.3 Sea Based Platforms

11 Global Military Robots & Autonomous Systems Market by End Users to 202811.1 Introduction11.2 Global Military Robots & Autonomous Systems by End Users overview11.2.1 Army11.2.2 Air Force11.2.3 Navy

12 Events based forecast for the Global Military Robots & Autonomous Systems Market to 202812.1 Introduction12.2 Events forecast factors12.3 Event Forecast by Regions12.4 Event Forecast by Software Technologies & Hardware Technologies12.5 Event Forecast by Applications12.6 Event Forecast by Operations12.7 Event Forecast by Platforms12.8 Event Forecast by End Users

13 Leading Companies in the Global Military Robots & Autonomous Systems Market

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/fdze3j

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Global Military Robots and Autonomous Systems Market Report 2021: Evolution of Airborne Military Robot Systems, Technologies, Markets, and Outlays...

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Daye looks back on over 40 years as local banker – Wilkes Journal Patriot

Posted: at 1:45 pm

A veteran banker recently concluded a career serving customers in Wilkes and adjoining counties.

Wilkes native Matthew Daye was city executive of Mount Airy-based Surrey Bank & Trust in North Wilkesboro and a vice president of its holding company, Surrey Bancorp, when he retired June 30. His experiences reflect much of the story of banking locally in the last four decades.

Daye, 64, was raised and still lives in Traphill. Unsure of what to do after graduating from North Wilkes High School in 1976, he got a seasonal job at Stone Mountain State Park due to his interest in hunting and fishing.

Daye was working in the park one day when a woman appeared, frantically saying her son had fallen at a waterfall. Daye and others responded but the teenager was dead.

That experience made me take stock of things and what I wanted for a career. I realized that I wasnt sure if I really wanted to go into something with wildlife, he said.

Partly because of his strong math skills, Dayes step-father, Bill Daye, arranged for him to talk with Joe Harris, president of Elkin-based Mutual Federal Savings & Loan, about a possible career in banking.

Mutual Federal had just started a consumer loan division and Joe hired me to work there and I did that for about a year and a half. Joe then asked me to go to Dobson to work for their credit officer, Van Coe, in commercial lending, said Daye.

So, I ran a drive-through window teller window and made consumer loans. I was interested in business loans and Van helped me learn this.

Daye completed the N.C. School of Banking at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1984 and 1985.

Daye was still with Mutual Federal when Paul Holbrook, Yadkin Valley Bank city executive, offered him a job at Yadkin Valleys new branch bank on D Street, North Wilkesboro, around 1986.

Paul had found out that I had commercial loan experience and he said he needed someone to analyze the finances of business loan applicants. This was before they had computer programs for doing that.

Daye accepted the job offer and worked at Yadkin Valley in North Wilkesboro through a period of tremendous growth. There were days when business loan applicants were lined up while waiting in the lobby.

Soon after Ron Shoemaker, Larry Farthing and others started Wilkes National Bank in 1992, Farthing asked Daye if he wanted to help start and manage a new Wilkes National Bank branch on N.C. 18 North in North Wilkesboro. Daye accepted and the new branch opened in June 1994.

Daye said this allowed him to gain knowledge about commercial lending underwriting from Greg Edwards, then manager of the main branch of Wilkes National Bank in Wilkesboro.

Daye remained at the Wilkesboro-based bank after it was acquired by Integrity Financial Corp. (parent company of Catawba Valley Bank) in 2002. Wilkes National was called Northwestern by then, reviving the name of a Wilkes-based institution that grew to become North Carolinas fourth largest bank.

Greg called me one day and asked what I thought about starting a bank. A group of us began meeting about it. This led to creation of Great State Bank in 2008. Daye said that due to financial obligations, he didnt go to work at Great State because it meant a pay cut.

Later in 2008, Yadkin Valley Bank hired Daye for the commercial loan officer position in North Wilkesboro vacated by Ron Pearson when he joined Great State. Daye stayed there until he retired in October 2015, in time to enjoy most of deer season.

In March 2015, Daye left retirement when he accepted the job of managing a Surrey Bank & Trust loan production office in Wilkes with the understanding that he would be city executive of the full-service bank the Mount Airy-based institution planned here. It opened in December 2017.

I convinced them (Surrey Bank & Trust leaders) to be in downtown North Wilkesboro instead of on U.S. 421. Its been good for Surrey, said Daye.

Weve run a tight ship and lost no money on loans, he added. I can thank Mr. Smoak for that, he said, referring to the influence of Jim Smoak of Wilkesboro, a director and CEO of Yadkin Valley Bank for many years.

Daye cited the influence of several other bankers, including Joe Harris, Ron Shoemaker, Paul Holbrook, Greg Edwards, Ed Marxen and Joe Johnson at Yadkin Valley and Ted Ashby, president of Surrey Bank & Trust.

He said his greatest pleasure as a banker has been helping people and added that he wants to continue this in retirement, especially by making a difference in the lives of young people. Daye plans to also pursue his passion for music as drummer for the Phillip Boyce Band, which primarily plays classic rock.

Daye has served on the boards of the Wilkes Family YMCA, Ruby Pardue Blackburn Adult Day Care, Communities in Schools, Wilkes Recovery Revolution and the Wilkes Economic Development Corp.

He and his wife, Betty Daye, have three children. Son Matthew and his wife, Carrie, are expecting a child in December. Son Mark and his fianc, Jenna, are to be married Nov. 7. Daughter Rebekah is married to Nick McGlamery.

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Golfing with Wynn: Could there be a dynasty forming in the Tuesday Men’s League? – St. Albans Messenger

Posted: at 1:45 pm

Is it too early to talk about a dynasty?Due to a quirk in the computer system picking the teams, the trio of Dan The Fish Poissant, Mike Soupie Supernault, and Leighton Deer Hunter were together again. These guys won last week, and by some miracle, they won again this week. This time The Fish led the squad with a +6, Deer was +4, and Soupie came in with a +1.5. Their +11.5 was 3 better than the second-place team.

Larry Harley Wilson must have felt like the Lone Ranger as he was +8.5, even though his team was -1. Harley was most over points, even with the distraction of playing with the negative Mero boys, who were a combined -10.5.

Gary Iron ManDeaette giving his driver some needed work.3 doubles on the front contributed to his -1.5 effort.

Speaking of dynasties...Chris Blue Gill made it two in a row on finishing on the last-place team. Not ready to challenge Paul Cold One Smith, but theres a lot of time left. The guy who really dragged this club down was Paul Hack Hatch, who checked in at -4.5. Stormin Normand Sarthou (-1) and Larry The Lyons (+1) rounded out the Dumpster Fire Team with a score of -5.

Who got the Crash and Burn? Bob Bone Mero invited his brother, Mike T-Bone Mero to play in the League this week. T-Bone didnt disappoint as he captured the coveted Crash and Burn Trophy for being most under points at -7.5. An experience T-Bone will always remember.

Roland ButterscotchDaudelin, Brent Smiley Lussier, Ron The Canuck Deschamps,and Paul Cold One Smith . This was before The Canuck accused Butterscotch of losing his phone,which was in his pocket. Smiley went on to birdie #18 while Cold One avoided a last place finish.

Phone detective.There have been many inquiries, well, actually only one, about the whereabouts of Roland Butterscotch Daudelin. Butterscotch cant even manage to be on the last-place team. Happy to report that Butterscotch has turned into a phone detective. Ron The Canuck Deschamps accused Butterscotch of being responsible for the loss of his phone, which happened to be in his pocket. According to The Canuck, he was looking for Butterscotchs ball near the pond on #5 when it fell out. Butterscotch led a search party out to the pond and found the phone. The Canuck thanked Butterscotch by eating his potato chips.

Closest to pin:Havent heard much from Terry Old Smoothie Edwards this year. He finally made the newsletter by winning closest to pin, 3 4 away. Brent Smiley Lussier won the 50-50.

The Mero boys, T-Bone and Bone, with Corkscrew Gates and Harley Wilson. Harley was wondering how he could be +8.5, yet the team was -3.

Ask Bone:"Bone was asked, I cant seem to drop a putt of more than 2 feet. Im deadly from 6 inches, but whats the secret of draining those 2 footers?

"I use a good fabric softener. The rash on my legs all but disappeared, and the sores in my mouth are healing. Nothing says putting machine like Downy.

Stormin Normand explained how to score under 100.I holed out from the trap on #16, then holed out from behind the green on #10. Its all about laying up to a number, then trusting your wedge. Of course, its the first time Ive done it this year.

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