Daily Archives: September 27, 2022

Self-cleaning Autonomous Robot Cooks Chicken Wings, Fries and Other Food Items

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., Sept. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Nala Robotics, an AItechnology company fueling restaurant cooking automation, today introduced The Wingman, an autonomous fry station that can easily be added or configured to any restaurant or commercial food service operation.

The Wingman by Nala Roboticscan pick up and load the frying baskets with chicken wings, French fries and other food items, dip them in oil and shake off any excess. The multi-fryer configuration allows different cooked foods to simultaneously be sent to individual seasoning bins where spices or sauces are added and properly mixed to ensure every wing or food item is evenly coated. Each dish is then subsequently plated, ready to be served.

"The Wingman is our latest robot to help restaurants and other food providers boost efficiency in the kitchen and scale production, while minimizing the potential for contamination," said Ajay Sunkara, CEO of Nala Robotics. "It's no secret that chicken wings are a very popular food choice in America and across the globe, prepared in a variety of styles and cuisines. This is where our technology is essential, where we can cook an endless array of dishes, while at the same time meet high consumer demand as labor shortages continue to challenge the industry worldwide."

With its built-in clean in place functionality, The Wingman uses artificial intelligence and high-performance camera and vision systems to significantly improve efficiency for high-volume deep frying, while maintaining high-quality consistency.

Monthly rental options for The Wingman start at $2,999 per month. Email info@nalarobotics.com for more information on pricing and customized solutions.

Download a short video of The Wingman here or by visiting https://vimeo.com/749619393.

About Nala Robotics

Nala Robotics is an AI technology company disrupting the culinary industry. Its innovations include the world's first fully automated multi-cuisine chef, a customizable robot that uses machine learning to cook infinite recipes replicated with exact precision anytime, anywhere. The company's line of autonomous robotic solutions are ideal of multiple cuisines including American, Chinese, Indian and Thai. Based in Arlington Heights, Ill., Nala Robotics has offices in California, India and Ukraine. For more information, visit https://nalarobotics.comor follow the company on LinkedIn and Twitter @nalarobotics.

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AI Company Nala Robotics Introduces The Wingman - Yahoo Finance

In 2019, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos predicted that within a decade, robotic systems will be advanced enough to grasp items with the dexterity of a human hand. Three years later, Amazon looks to be making progress toward that goal.

A recent video published on the companys science blog features a new pinch-grasping robot system that could one day do a lot of the work that humans in Amazon warehouses do today. Or, potentially, help workers do their jobs more easily.

The topic of warehouse automation is more relevant than ever in the retail and e-commerce industries, especially for Amazon, which is the largest online retailer and the second-largest private sector employer in the US. Recode reported in June that research conducted inside Amazon predicted that the company could run out of workers to hire in the US by 2024 if it did not execute a series of sweeping changes, including increasing automation in its warehouses.

At the same time, the company is facing the prospect of US workers starting to unionize after the victory by the Amazon Labor Union in the historic Staten Island vote, and another upcoming union election in October in Upstate New York. Labor activists have long speculated that Amazon might ramp up automation efforts in response to unionization activity.

In a statement provided by an Amazon spokesman, the companys director of Robotics AI, Siddhartha Srinivasa, said: [W]e have an incredible opportunity to help advance the science of robotic manipulation in ways that meaningfully benefit our employees and our customers. Our investments in robotics and technology are helping make jobs in our facilities better, easier, and safer, as well as creating new career opportunities for our people.

The robotic arm in question does not look as futuristic as you might imagine. The proof-of-concept machine uses an off-the-shelf metal pincher rather than some novel grasping device. But it can pick up a new item and deposit it on a metal chute every three seconds. At the rate its going in the video, Amazon says the robot could handle more than 1,000 items an hour, meaning it could pick and stow items at rates several times faster than a human worker could. From a box of crayons to a container of what looks like garlic powder to a whisk broom, each item is grasped and moved with no human direction. The robot utilizes multiple cameras to help it see the assortment of items in front of it, as well as machine learning to help it decide the best way to pick up a given item, and motion-planning algorithms to help the robot navigate the crowded scene without bumping or damaging any of the goods. Preliminary tests also found that the robot damages certain products at a much lower rate than other manipulation robots Amazon has tested.

The video and the robotic system in it were created late last year in a controlled lab test by Amazon technologists. This robot prototype can only move items weighing less than two pounds. In testing, the robot was asked to handle hundreds of different items in this weight group and successfully grasped and moved around 95 percent of them, according to Amazon spokesman Xavier Van Chau. On a larger scale, the two-pound weight restriction would still allow the robot to grasp a selection of items making up about half of Amazons total product assortment. But the company is working on grasping solutions that would be able to handle any and every type of item that could fit inside an Amazon box, perhaps by combining a pincher attachment with a popular suction method, and having the system trained to know which hand should be used for which item.

How long it will take for Amazon to create a single robot that can handle the vast majority of products is up for debate, but its a question of when, not if. And when the when becomes now, well have an answer to one of the great unknowns of this era of automation: Will a new generation of warehouse robots that can grasp goods almost as well as human hands make work better or easier for the people doing these jobs? Or will the technological evolution eliminate the need for these workers and their jobs?

An Amazon spokesperson said the company is betting on the latter, based on the way it has utilized other types of robots in its warehouses up to now. In June, Amazon announced a prototype of a robotic system called Cardinal that lifts and sorts already-packaged orders and, the company claims, reduces the risk of employee injuries by handling tasks that require lifting and turning of large or heavy packages or complicated packing in a confined space. The company says it expects to introduce the system into an unspecified number of fulfillment centers in 2023. And last year, the company unveiled another robot arm that it calls Robin, which handles a similar task with lighter packages. Van Chau, the company spokesperson, declined to provide details on the deployment of either the Cardinal or Robin robots.

Amazons history in robotics dates back to when it bought a company called Kiva for $775 million. In the decade since, it has rolled out more than 500,000 roaming warehouse robots. During the same period, the company says it has hired more than a million workers and points to this fact to try to dispel the notion that warehouse advancements are leading to worker elimination.

From the early days of the Kiva acquisition, our vision was never tied to a binary decision of people or technology, the company said in a recent blog post. Instead, it was about people and technology working safely and harmoniously together to deliver for our customers. That vision remains today.

The Kiva robots did make some Amazon warehouse jobs easier. For those workers in picker or stower roles, robots now transport shelves to them at a stationary workstation, where they stand for 10 hours a day with padding beneath their feet. In Amazons pre-Kiva days, these workers would walk 10 to 20 miles a day, plucking merchandise from, or adding goods to, aisle after aisle of inventory shelves.

Kiva robots also brought downsides. Before the robots arrived, a picker might have had a goal to handle 100 items an hour; Amazon tripled those expectations when the robots, not the workers, did the traveling. And with the addition of robots, injury rates increased as workers were forced to move faster to keep up with higher quotas.

The tasks being completed by Amazon test robots like the pinch-grasping one in the new video potentially have more direct overlap with existing worker tasks. The robot, like an Amazon picker or stower, is retrieving a piece of merchandise from one location and moving it to another, as quickly as possible without damaging it. That said, while the robot prototype is picking items at a rate of more than 1,000 an hour around triple the typical rate of human pickers in Amazon warehouses its not an apples-to-apples comparison. Amazon pickers in warehouses with robots have to pull each item out of a cluttered shelving unit, and sometimes have to use a step stool to reach merchandise at the top. Similarly, Amazon stowers have to fit each piece of merchandise into an open space on the mobile shelving unit, versus the robot that is simply moving it from one open space to another. Van Chau, the Amazon spokesperson, said the prototype in the video was neither tested nor designed to pick items from shelves as workers do in the companys current robotic warehouses.

Still, robotics experts are paying attention. Martin Ford, the author of multiple books about robotics including Rule of the Robots, said while its unclear how Amazons most recent robot prototype would perform in a high-volume warehouse, it still seems to show remarkable progress. With advancements like Amazons, as well as those of many well-funded startups building robotic systems to try to solve for challenge of grasping with the dexterity of humans, its inevitable that the problem will be solved perhaps sooner than many of us expect, Ford told Recode.

And once that happens, Ford added, theres little doubt that Amazon warehouses, as well as many other environments, are going to become a lot less labor intensive.

Amazon maintains that robots and people will continue to work together inside its warehouses. But robotics experts say that one day, the company may have a real option to depend on robots to do a lot of the work it currently depends on human employees to do.

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Amazon warehouse robots are getting closer to replacing human hands - Vox.com

Aurora Autonomous Vehicle Company in Pittsburghs Strip District needs to hire more employees who can build and fix the tech-heavy cars and trucks the company designs.So they called Pittsburgh Technical College to help create a brand-new degree.Pittsburgh Technical College offers robotics classes, but there wasn't a comprehensive program graduating the kind of employee Aurora needs until now.Watch the video player above to learn more about this dynamic new degree.These service engineers are "really at the heart of what we do," said Matt Blackburn, senior manager of government relations at Aurora.He described the hardware that goes into what the company makes for vehicles: "Somebody has to build that, somebody has to repair that, somebody has to replace that. So that's what these technicians will be doing.""It's an opportunity to really integrate key components from major programs, like computer-aided design, engineering, electronics, to really create the technician of the future," Alicia Harvey-Smith, president and CEO of Pittsburgh Technical College, said.Students like Calle Barrett have a mind for robotics. She said that students would begin with a box with pieces for a robot. From there, "you build the robot from basically the wheels up, and you wired it and everything."A year ago, Aurora reached out to PTC to develop an associate degree in robotics and autonomous engineering. It will take 18 months to graduate and start working. Harvey-Smith estimated the starting salary range to be in the mid-to-high-$50,000's, "which is not bad for a student with an associate certification degree. But I think that will continue to grow as the demand increases and as this particular industry increases."David Becker, academic chair of Electronics, Trades and Technology for PTC, said that "Robotics is in its infancy." He added that "there's not enough students trained" in this "exploding" field.Not only are scholarships available, but the final part of the course can include a paid internship at Aurora.Aurora executives say this new associate degree, called robotics and autonomous engineering technology, or RAET, will also help fill positions across other Pittsburgh companies.Blackburn reminded potential students that "you don't have to work at Aurora" after completing this program. In fact, "you could work at any of the robotics/tech companies here in Pittsburgh.""The best part of this job is watching students get jobs, period," said Becker.The first session begins in October, but students can apply anytime through the link here.

Aurora Autonomous Vehicle Company in Pittsburghs Strip District needs to hire more employees who can build and fix the tech-heavy cars and trucks the company designs.

So they called Pittsburgh Technical College to help create a brand-new degree.

Pittsburgh Technical College offers robotics classes, but there wasn't a comprehensive program graduating the kind of employee Aurora needs until now.

Watch the video player above to learn more about this dynamic new degree.

These service engineers are "really at the heart of what we do," said Matt Blackburn, senior manager of government relations at Aurora.

He described the hardware that goes into what the company makes for vehicles: "Somebody has to build that, somebody has to repair that, somebody has to replace that. So that's what these technicians will be doing."

"It's an opportunity to really integrate key components from major programs, like computer-aided design, engineering, electronics, to really create the technician of the future," Alicia Harvey-Smith, president and CEO of Pittsburgh Technical College, said.

Students like Calle Barrett have a mind for robotics. She said that students would begin with a box with pieces for a robot. From there, "you build the robot from basically the wheels up, and you wired it and everything."

A year ago, Aurora reached out to PTC to develop an associate degree in robotics and autonomous engineering. It will take 18 months to graduate and start working.

Harvey-Smith estimated the starting salary range to be in the mid-to-high-$50,000's, "which is not bad for a student with an associate certification degree. But I think that will continue to grow as the demand increases and as this particular industry increases."

David Becker, academic chair of Electronics, Trades and Technology for PTC, said that "Robotics is in its infancy." He added that "there's not enough students trained" in this "exploding" field.

Not only are scholarships available, but the final part of the course can include a paid internship at Aurora.

Aurora executives say this new associate degree, called robotics and autonomous engineering technology, or RAET, will also help fill positions across other Pittsburgh companies.

Blackburn reminded potential students that "you don't have to work at Aurora" after completing this program. In fact, "you could work at any of the robotics/tech companies here in Pittsburgh."

"The best part of this job is watching students get jobs, period," said Becker.

The first session begins in October, but students can apply anytime through the link here.

More here:

Pittsburgh Technical College offering new degree in automation and robotics repair - WTAE Pittsburgh

The world is constantly changing, and as new challenges arise for society to face, we risk failing to make the changes necessary to meet them. Education is how we prepare children to face the challenges of the future, and extracurricular supplements help students become well rounded individuals. Extracurricular activities for kids often focus on sports, yet there are so many new opportunities that have the capacity to prepare the next generation to thrive as constructive members of the 21st century. However, these opportunities are sadly often overlooked. Some people reading this will have never heard of For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), while others have found their experience with FIRST Robotics programs to be life changing. FIRST Robotics is an international organization that runs robotics programs for students in pre-K all the way through high school, but what this simple definition doesnt reveal are the true benefits that students receive hidden in the nuances of these programs.

According to firstinspires.org 81% of FIRST alumni declare a STEM major, compared to only 58% of people in a comparison group. But what students learn in FIRST goes beyond the science and technology knowledge they gain. Anyone who has been on a FIRST team at any age level can see how opportunities for students to develop real-world skills and associate what they are learning with methods of improving their world are integrated into the program. In the FIRST Lego League Challenge, the elementary and middle school program, one of the major components of the program involves students looking at an actual problem and developing a solution. Last season challenged students to find a problem in the area of transporting goods, and students were able to explore problems with packaging, delivery time and a variety of other topics, and then develop an innovative solution in that area. In the high school program, FIRST Robotics Competition, also known as FRC, the highest award a team can win doesnt involve the robot they develop, but instead focuses on the quality of the team itself. This usually involves looking at how the team has used their STEM knowledge to improve their communities and help others. This has led many FRC teams to become extremely involved in their community. The benefits of FIRST are unlimited, whether its STEM knowledge, practical skills such as critical thinking, leadership, and teamwork or students learning how they can make a positive change in their community and world.

Despite programs such as FIRST truly working to better prepare students to become positive influences in the world, many kids end up in other activities, namely sports. The Little League has over two million children participating worldwide, while FIRST hasnt even reached 700,000. The benefits of the FIRST programs are clearly larger than the science and technology skills learned and students tendency to pursue these fields; but simply looking at the two programs from a career perspective, the difference is astronomical. Less than 1% of Little League Participants end up playing Major League Baseball. Yet, as mentioned before, 81% of FIRST alumni declared a STEM major. One extracurricular activity provides students with the basic skills and inspiration needed to start a sustainable career something many students end up pursuing while the other activity gives students a crapshoot in that field. Even for the students who dont major in a STEM field, FIRST undeniably has a benefit for any student who goes through its programs; yet it is still hard to believe that in a society plagued with as many problems as ours, there isnt more of a premium on a program that has such a focus on good citizenship this is a shift that needs to happen. Simply taking a look at the students participating in FIRST compared to other youth organizations and then examining the benefits that these programs provide, its fair to say that FIRST is underrated. It would be worth any parents time to look into these programs.

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More kids should be in FIRST robotics - UConn Daily Campus

Having a 3D printer or a CNC machine available for projects is almost like magic. Designing parts in software and having them appear on the workbench is definitely a luxury. But for a lot of us, these tools arent easily available and projects that use them can be out-of-reach. Thats why one of the major design goals of this robotics platform was to use as many off-the-shelf components as possible.

The robot is called the OpenScout and, as its name implies, intends to be a fully open-source robotics platform for a wide range of use cases. It uses readily-available aluminum extrusion as a frame, which bolts together without any other specialized tools like welders. The body of the robot is articulating, helping it navigate uneven terrain outdoors. The specifications also call for using an Arduino to drive the robot, although there is plenty of space in the robot body to house any robotics platform you happen to have on hand.

For anyone looking to get right into the useful work of what robots can do, rather than spending time building up a platform from scratch, this is an excellent project. Its straightforward and easy to build without many specialized tools. The unique articulating body design should make it effective in plenty of environments. If you do have a 3D printer, though, that opens up a lot of options for robotics platforms.

Read more:

Robotic Platform Is Open Sourced And User Friendly - Hackaday