Daily Archives: May 10, 2023

Amp Robotics Corp., a Louisville, Colorado-based company focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics technologies for the waste and recycling industry, has received financing from Microsofts Climate Innovation Fund.

According to Microsoft, its Climate Innovation Fund has made investment commitments to companies since its launch in 2020. The fund aims to invest in emerging climate technology solutions that have early commercial traction and need capital to scale the market as well as provide project financing to bring existing climate solutions to scale.

Amp Robotics says this latest investment brings its Series C funding round, led by San Francisco-based Congruent Ventures and Boston-based Wellington Management, to a total of more than $99 million.

With its Series C funding, Amp says it plans to scale its operations, deploying technology solutions to retrofit existing recycling infrastructure and expanding new infrastructure based on its application of AI-powered automation. Amp recently released a compact, AI-enabled automated sortation solution, the Amp Cortex-C, along with an integrated, standalone facility offering for recycling and waste management companies.

Weve been fortunate to attract world-class investors based on the proven viability of our AI platform as a category-defining technology application for the waste industry, and were grateful for the investment from Microsofts Climate Innovation Fund, says Matanya Horowitz, founder and CEO of Amp Robotics. With its deep expertise and innovation in AI and broad involvement in climate, Microsoft brings an unmatched perspective to our work here at Amp. This new funding will further our efforts to improve the economics and efficiency of recycling and transform our industrialized global economy into a more circular one.

RELATED: Amp Robotics opens new headquarters

Investment in AI and robotics technologies reflects growing demand for automation in the waste industry, Amp reports on this latest investment from Microsoft. In addition to improving material recovery by boosting productivity, reducing contamination and addressing labor shortages, advanced technology is key to meeting brands sustainability commitments. Additionally, policy and legislative tailwinds create new opportunities for recycling as more states pass laws that raise waste diversion goals and establish extended producer responsibility programs.

Theres an urgent need for solutions and ongoing innovation to address our critical waste crisis," says Brandon Middaugh, senior director of the Climate Innovation Fund at Microsoft. "Amp provides a powerful and scalable application of AI-enabled automation to help meet the world's imperative climate objectives by extending the circular economy.

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Amp Robotics receives financing from Microsoft Climate Innovation ... - Waste Today Magazine

Plus One Robotics and Yaskawa Motoman provide parcel handling solutions that allow for more efficient movement of parcels and palleted shipments.

Plus One Robotics, a provider of advanced AI vision software and solutions for robotic parcel handling, today announced new customer programs using Yaskawa Motoman robots. These customer deployments are for Plus One's induction and mixed depalletizing solutions.

"The technology in these depalletizing arms helps us move certain shipments that would otherwise take up valuable resources to manually offload," said Brian Marflak, FedEx vice president of Global Engineering, Research and Technology. "Having these systems installed allows team members to perform more skilled tasks such as loading and unloading airplanes and trucks. This has been a great opportunity for robotics to complement our existing team members and help them complete tasks more efficiently."

"We're proud that the Plus One solutions not only achieve the throughput necessary to fill the workforce gap experienced by all distribution centers, but do so with near 100% fulfillment accuracy," said Plus One CEO and co-founder, Erik Nieves. "This not only keeps the operations running 24/7, but also provides benefits like ergonomics, safety, and the flexibility to handle the variance associated with seasonal shipping schedules."

Key to Plus One Robotics' effectiveness is its remote supervision software, Yonder. Utilizing human-in-the-loop capabilities employees, or Crew Chiefs, can supervise multiple robots from any location allowing robots to handle a pick exception and return to autonomous operation within seconds. Utilizing Crew Chiefs to remotely supervise the robots helps organizations reduce downtime and creates a workforce multiplying effect that keeps parcels moving while freeing up on-site employees for other higher-value work. The software then uses this data to improve the machine-learning model for future picks.

"With Plus One's incredibly fast image acquisition and processing, Yaskawa robots can achieve maximum production potential," stated Doug Burnside, Yaskawa Motoman Vice President of North American Sales and Marketing. "This, combined with the intuitive Yonder remote supervisor support helps to efficiently and accurately manage robot operation for more fluid production."###

About Plus One RoboticsPlus One Robotics provides the industry's fastest and most reliable parcel-handling robotics platform. Founded in 2016 by computer vision and robotics industry experts, Plus One's intelligent solutions combine computer vision, AI, and supervised autonomy to pick parcels for leading logistics and e-commerce organizations in the Global 100. Plus One is headquartered in San Antonio with offices in Boulder, Pittsburgh, and The Netherlands. Visit http://www.plusonerobotics.com for more information, and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.

About Yaskawa MotomanFounded in 1989, the Motoman Robotics Division of Yaskawa America, Inc. is a leading robotics company in the Americas. With over 540,000 Motoman robots installed globally, Yaskawa provides automation products and solutions for virtually every industry and robotic application; including arc welding, assembly, coating, dispensing, material handling, material cutting, material removal, packaging, palletizing and spot welding. For more information please visit our website at http://www.motoman.com or call 937.847.6200.

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Plus One Robotics Utilizes Yaskawa Motoman to Expand Its ... - Robotics Tomorrow

Long Beach Poly Rabbotics team won the Aerospace Valley Regional, qualifying to go to championships in Houston in April. (Photo courtesy of Poly Rabbotics)

The robotics team at Poly High School dubbed the Poly Rabbotics recently made campus history.

Thats because Poly Rabbotics won a regional competition for the first time, which sent them to Houston for the 2023 FIRST Robotics Competition championships. FIRST means, For inspiration and recognition of science and technology.

The regional title was the programs first since it began in 2018. The recent trip to Houston represented the teams second appearance in the championship competition.

Poly Rabbotics Team 7042 is a student-led team with about 40 members. In recent years, the team has sent a robot to the Del Mar Regional where it won the Judges award and the LA and OC regionals; it was the Rookie Inspiration Award in Los Angeles in 2018.

And then, late last month, the team made it to the FIRST Championship for the second time. It was made it in 2019.

The contests are organized by FIRST Robotics Competition, a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring students to study science, technology, engineering and math. Each year, teams composed of high school students, coaches and mentors work during a six-week period to build game-playing robots designed for the competition.

Wyvern is the name of Long Beach Poly High School robotic teams robot. (Photo courtesy of Poly Rabbotics)

Long Beach Poly Rabbotics team won the Aerospace Valley Regional, qualifying to go to championships in Houston in April. (Photo courtesy of Poly Rabbotics)

Long Beach Poly Rabbotics team won the Aerospace Valley Regional, qualifying to go to championships in Houston in April. (Photo courtesy of Poly Rabbotics)

Long Beach Poly Rabbotics team won the Aerospace Valley Regional, qualifying to go to championships in Houston in April. (Photo courtesy of Poly Rabbotics)

Long Beach Poly Rabbotics team won the Aerospace Valley Regional, qualifying to go to championships in Houston in April. (Photo courtesy of Poly Rabbotics)

More than 600 teams, split into eight divisions, competed in Houston from all around the world, split into eight divisions.

Poly Rabbotics division featured nearly 80 teams some from Brazil, Mexico, Taiwan, Australia and Canada in the fight to make the playoffs, said Sydney Chaikittirattana, a Poly senior and the teams operations director.

During our time at the FRC World Championship, our team spent time both preparing our robot for some of our seniors final matches, she said, and exploring the competition and learning from our peers.

Their robot, named Wyvern, was designed to play this years game, Charged Up, which required robots pick up cones and cubes, and score them in goal areas.

At the end, there is a big platform that shifts so you have to drive your robot onto it and balance, said Lauren Higuchi, the Long Beach teams co-captain. This year was a little bit more simple functions but still a very complex game.

Higuchi managed the construction and design of the robot. After three years of being on the team, the senior said, she was excited to make it to the championships.

The team had come a long way from the start of the year, she said.

Our first regional, we did not have a good showing, Higuchi said. It was the first time we hadnt even made it to playoffs at that regional; we were at an all-time low.

As the team went into the Aerospace Valley Regional in Lancaster, she said, the first couple of days felt as if everything was going wrong.

At the end of the day of competition, our prospects were not looking good, Higuchi said. We all thought that we might not even make it to eliminations again and for me and I know the other seniors as our last year on the team we were all saying, It cant end like this.

But when the top eight teams at the regionals picked other groups with which to ally going into elimination rounds, Poly Rabbotics was picked by the first-place crew, Team 7157 Botics, from Brea. That allowed them to claim a spot for the finals, alongside Team 4414 HighTide, from Ventura.

Alliances are formed between three teams for the elimination rounds. Poly Rabbotics and the two other teams got through the quarterfinals, semifinals and then the finals as the winning alliance.

Two alliances competed in the best-of-three final round during the Lancaster regional, Chaikittirattana said with a spot in Houston on the line.

Polys alliance won.

This was the first time Poly Rabbotics made it to the FIRST championship because it won a regionals competition.

The team was excited to reach a point they never had before and to once again learn from the best teams worldwide, Chaikittirattana said.

At the championships, which took place from April 19 to 22, Wyvern fought hard and won some crucial matches, Chaikittirattana said but it also took some brutal damage in the process.

However, our team was always quick to bounce back and we didnt miss a single match, Chaikittirattana said. Despite smoking motors, bent titanium and programming errors, we ended our last match stronger than ever.

Even though their championship run ended earlier than the team had hoped they finished 47th in the Curie Division the students remained in high spirits, and supported their favorite teams in the finals. They watched their friends from Team HighTide, in Ventura, become World Champions in the Hopper Division.

We went from the lowest of lows at the beginning of the season, Higuchi said, to it all coming together at the end and it was all worth it.

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Poly High robotics team made it to world championships in Houston - Long Beach Press Telegram

WARREN After a successful season competing against various robotics teams, the Titonics will head this week to a two-day national competition at the Liberty Science Center Invitational in New Jersey.

The nine-member team from McGuffey PK-8 School has members from fourth to eighth grade who have been practicing at the school in preparation for this weekends big event.

The school plans to give the team a big sendoff Friday morning with a Warren safety forces escort before it begins the more than six-hour bus trip.

Coach Amanda Colbert said this is the first time any FIRST LEGO League team from the Warren City School District has advanced to this competition.

We are also the only team from Ohio competing, Colbert said.

The team will compete against 42 other teams from across the country.

She said the team began preparing for the season last August and competed at a regional event in December at Warren G. Harding High School, and then won the Core Values Award at the district event at the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland in February.

Colbert said with t]he state selected the team as the representative from Ohio to compete at the national contest because of that award.

She said the award recognizes the team that demonstrates the core values that the FIRST LEGO League aspires to, such as teamwork, cooperation, discovery and innovation.

The FIRST LEGO League Challenge is an international competition organized for elementary and middle school students.

Each August, FIRST LEGO League Challenge teams are introduced to a scientific and real-world challenge for focus and research.

Team members are Zai Cleveland, fourth grade; Cameron Colbert, fifth grade; twins Alexandria and Autumn Dykes, fourth grade; Nora Foster, eighth grade; Daniel Haggerty, sixth grade; Mari Martin, eighth grade; William Sanders, eighth grade; and Donovan Stringer, eighth grade.

Amanda Colbert said the team has a combination of three new members and six former members.

I think what sets our team apart is we are not like most robotics teams. We have team members who excel in so many ways both in academics and athletics and community engagement events, she said.

Team mentor Dr. Alisha Alls said the team members also are together in other school groups and sports teams. She said the team helps with cleanups in the community.

The team has a great work ethic and works well together. When the team comes together, they act like it is second nature with the younger and older team members. They take care of each other. They are like a family, Alls said.

William said this is his first time going to the nationals, with the team practicing twice a week and working very hard. The team will be required to do a presentation with its robot and then take part in the competition, which requires taking part in missions and tasks.

Colbert said the robot must complete as many missions as it can within 2.5 minutes on a playing table. The theme of the competition is energy-related with an oil field, electric car and a power grid, she said.

Donovan said everyone on the team has a chance to program the robot to accomplish the missions.

This is amazing the team has advanced this far. Last year we advanced to state, but it was held virtually, Cameron said.

The team received a Global Innovation Award at state competition in 2022.

Autumn, who is new to the team, said, it is hard to believe we are going.

Zais older brother and sister were founding members of the Titonics team seven years ago, so for him to be on the team and move to nationals, he feels is an accomplishment.

Even though we do have some returning members, it is basically a new team, which is competing in person for the first time in quite a few years. The last few years everything the team has done has been virtual because of COVID-19, Colbert said.

Colbert said while at the competition, the team will spend time visiting the Statue of Liberty in nearby New York. She said many of the parents of team members also are going.

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McGuffey robotics team heads to nationals | News, Sports, Jobs - Warren Tribune Chronicle

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. (May 9, 2023)Arkansas Tech Universitys robotics team advanced to the quarterfinal round of its division at the 2023 VEX U Robotics World Championship April 27-29 at Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas, Texas.

ATU overcame electro-mechanical issues during qualification matches to narrowly advance into the division elimination bracket as a No. 16 seed. Thats when ATU team member Chris Osborne, a mechanical engineering major from Bryant, came through with a big play.

Chris pulled the ole switcharoo on the other team while they were playing defense, and one of their robots ended up flipping over, said Jacob Weidenfeller, ATU instructor of electrical engineering, lab director and advisor for the ATU VEX U robotics team.

As a result, Arkansas Tech upset the No. 1-seeded team from Orlando, Fla., and advanced to the quarterfinal round of its division before seeing its tournament come to an end. Weidenfeller said that if video replay was allowed for rulings, Arkansas Tech would have advanced to the semifinals. He said that disappointment will serve as fuel for the team as it prepares for 2024.

Thats the way the cookie crumbles, said Weidenfeller. We will be back next year.Between the two divisions at the VEX U Robotics World Championship, a total of 16 teams advanced to the elimination bracket quarterfinals.

Osborne was joined on the 2022-23 ATU robotics team by Daniel Andrus of Clinton, Patrick Barnes of Sheridan, Patch Cook of Pottsville, Thomas Dang of Bryant, Collin Easterling of Hope, Lee Edwards of Scranton, Juan Leon of Hope, Wyatt Lester of Sheridan, Hunter Mathis of Hope, Anthony McLain of Bryant, Ryan Nanthalangsy of Sheridan, Braden Pierce of Bryant and Emily Wheat of Sheridan.

Arkansas Tech founded its VEX U robotics program at the beginning of the fall 2019 semester. The team first qualified for the world championship in 2020, but that group was unable to compete because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This spring marked ATUs first opportunity to participate in the VEX U Robotics World Championship.They learn a lot of skills, said Weidenfeller, who has led the ATU VEX U robotics program since its inception. They are learning computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing. They use three-dimensional printers to make their own parts as well as CNC (computer numerical control) machines and lathes. Theyre also learning how to work together as a team.

Participation in the ATU robotics team is open to any student regardless of major.

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ATU robotics reaches world championship top 16 SWARK Today - SWARK Today

MOUNT PLEASANT Most students joined the team to help with the business portions, but once they tried the technical aspects, they were hooked.

The Racine Unified School District robotics team provided the chance to learn new skills and meet new people, which the high schoolers enjoyed.

We were all friends before, and then when we joined, it strengthened our friendship, said senior Scarlette Sikora.

The robotics team, whose official name is 7900 Trial N Terror, has 22 members who attend either Case High School or the REAL School. It is also open to students from Horlick and Park high schools.

This school year, students worked to build a robot that competed in several competitions against and with schools from around the state and country.

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Most team members had never designed or programmed a robot before, and they enjoyed learning how.

Members of the Racine Unified robotics team stand with the robot they programmed and designed at Case High School, 7345 Washington Ave. Most team members had never designed or programmed a robot before, and they enjoyed learning how.

Much of that learning occurred during a 12-week build season from January to March.

Prior to build season, students met twice per week after school at Case, 7345 Washington Ave. During build season, they met every day after school and often on Saturdays.

Senior Lina Hemmig was the team captain, and several small groups of students worked on different aspects of the robot, but everyone came together to complete the finished product.

Theres a lot of collaboration between the teams, said senior Payden Schulz.

Students enjoyed seeing the results of their labor.

Its really exciting to see your work being put in action, said sophomore Nick Donaldson.

Everyone saw students, especially those who joined the team this school year, improve and take more ownership as build season progressed.

Kaitlyn Chao, robotics lead faculty mentor, was thrilled to see students learn and evolve.

The massive amount of dedication that all the students put into it and hard work and thought and all of that its really awesome to see, Chao said. They definitely go through some pretty exponential growth from January to March.

Students acquired the knowledge of using power tools, soldering, wiring and continuous loop programming. That was a gradual yet seemingly instantaneous process.

Sometimes it just all of a sudden clicks and youre like, Oh wait, I know exactly how to do this, said senior Mads Luebke.

Challenges included not having enough time to complete all the lofty goals students set for themselves. There were also supply chain issues, so they had to adjust during build season if materials didnt arrive in time.

Robotics members appreciated the multiple competitions, including a three-day contest in Milwaukee in March with nearly 50 other teams. They competed in around a dozen matches, often working with other robotics teams.

The communication and collaboration is so much friendlier, because youre going to be working with these people and youre going to be working against them, Hemmig said. Everyone wants to make sure that everyone is succeeding, and theres not this harsh competition.

Racine Unified robotics team members help control a robot on April 24 at Case High School, 7345 Washington Ave. Most team members had never designed or programmed a robot before, and they enjoyed learning how.

Competitions involved a timed contest where the teams 90-pound robot had to do a specific task like pick up a cube and place it in a certain area. The first 15 seconds were autonomous, meaning students had to program the robot to do specific actions before they could manually control it.

The Trial N Terror team names acronym is TNT, so members had a call and response chant before each competition.

Give me a T. T! Give me an N. N! Give me a T. T! What does that spell? Kaboom!

The robot was named C-4 in reference to the team name.

In addition to acquiring technical skills, students learned how to work with classmates, a rewarding experience.

Working with other people, thats a really big skill we had to learn, Luebke said. Seeing the team work together and have fun, just watching everybody actually enjoy what theyre doing, is a very good aspect.

Leading this team has given me experience to be able to delegate and talk to other teams, as well as my own, and deal with the communication aspect, Hemmig said.

They hope to attract more students to the robotics team because many team members are seniors.

That recruitment could happen this month when students visit several schools and businesses to showcase the robot.

If the experiences of current students are any indication, anyone can join the club and learn as they go.

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Students on RUSD robotics team learn technical skills, collaboration - Journal Times

Northern Force, the Falmouth High School/Gorham High School robotics team, won an award for industrial design at the FIRST Robotics New England District Championship late last month.

The 25-member team competed against 94 other teams over three days of competition and judging in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Northern Force worked since January to build an industrial-sized robot dedicated to playing and winning a field game designed by FIRST Robotics.

The robot had to be capable of picking up cones and cubes and driving across a field very quickly, freshman Connor Lund said.

The team analyzed the game, predicted gameplay strategies and used programs such as computer-assisted design to build its robot, Falmouth High School freshman Sara Tennent said.

The district championship was a blast, Tennent said. It was great to see the final execution of our robot and the result of our work.

To win the industrial design award, Northern Forces robot had to demonstrate industrial design principles, striking a balance between form, function and aesthetics. Contest judges noted the strict engineering process the team used to design and build the robot, Tennent said. They also liked its sleek and colorful aesthetic.

Gorham High School teacher Roger Lord started the team in 1996 and the team partnered with Falmouth High School in 2001. Professional engineers, programmers and designers provide guidance to the students.

In essence, we use our study of robots to help prepare students to be robot-proof, and able to handle the increasing levels of uncertainty and ambiguity inherent in a globalizing world, coach Meredith Greenlaw said.

The team has entered a new era, Greenlaw said, both because of a change in coaches and new members. Greenlaw and her husband, Clare, both executives in the STEM field, took over as coaches this year, and last years team had many graduating seniors.

This years young team, however, was successful in their first district championship. They took awards at both competitions they entered this year, including the Excellence in Engineering award in early April.

We wanted them to embrace a professional design and build process, try new things, and expose them to opportunities that they wouldnt get in the classroom, Greenlaw said. Theyve grown substantially as problem solvers, leaders and students.

While Northern Force did not advance to the world competition this year, theres always next year. Tennent and Greenlaw both said they plan to continue with the team with the goal of competing at that top level.

Ive always been interested in STEM, Tennent said. I hope to advance my engineering.

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Falmouth/Gorham robotics team takes a top design award - Press Herald

An origami-inspired robot designed by a UCLA-led team that can reverse direction when either of its antennae senses an obstacle. Credit: Wenzhong Yan/UCLA

Roboticists have adopted a method resembling the traditional art of paper folding to fabricate autonomous machines from thin, pliant sheets. These lightweight robots are more straightforward and cost-effective to manufacture, and their more compact form makes them more convenient for storage and transportation.

However, the conventional requirement of rigid computer chips, which enable advanced capabilities such as sensing, analyzing, and adapting to the environment, adds extra weight to the delicate sheet materials and makes them difficult to fold. As a result, the semiconductor-based components must be added after the robot has been formed into its final shape.

Now, a multidisciplinary team led by researchers at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering has created a new fabrication technique for fully foldable robots that can perform a variety of complex tasks without relying on semiconductors. A study detailing the research findings was published in Nature Communications.

A Venus flytrap-like robot that envelops a prey when both of its jaw sensors detect an object. Credit: UCLA Samueli

By embedding flexible and electrically conductive materials into a pre-cut, thin polyester film sheet, the researchers created a system of information-processing units, or transistors, which can be integrated with sensors and actuators. They then programmed the sheet with simple computer analogical functions that emulate those of semiconductors. Once cut, folded and assembled, the sheet transformed into an autonomous robot that can sense, analyze and act in response to their environments with precision. The researchers named their robots OrigaMechs, short for Origami MechanoBots.

This work leads to a new class of origami robots with expanded capabilities and levels of autonomy while maintaining the favorable attributes associated with origami folding-based fabrication, said study lead author Wenzhong Yan, a UCLA mechanical engineering doctoral student.

OrigaMechs derived their computing capabilities from a combination of mechanical origami multiplexed switches created by the folds and programmed Boolean logic commands, such as AND, OR and NOT. The switches enabled a mechanism that selectively outputs electrical signals based on the variable pressure and heat input into the system.

Using the new approach, the team built three robots to demonstrate the systems potential:

While the robots were tethered to a power source for the demonstration, the researchers said the long-term goal would be to outfit the autonomous origami robots with an embedded energy storage system powered by thin-film lithium batteries.

The chip-free design may lead to robots capable of working in extreme environments strong radiative or magnetic fields, and places with intense radio frequency signals or high electrostatic discharges where traditional semiconductor-based electronics might fail to function.

These types of dangerous or unpredictable scenarios, such as during a natural or manmade disaster, could be where origami robots proved to be especially useful, said study principal investigator Ankur Mehta, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of UCLAs Laboratory for Embedded Machines and Ubiquitous Robots.

The robots could be designed for specialty functions and manufactured on demand very quickly, Mehta added. Also, while its a very long way away, there could be environments on other planets where explorer robots that are impervious to those scenarios would be very desirable.

Pre-assembled robots built by this flexible cut-and-fold technique could be transported in flat packaging for massive space savings. This is important in scenarios such as space missions, where every cubic centimeter counts. The low-cost, lightweight, and simple-to-fabricate robots could also lead to innovative educational tools or new types of toys and games.

Reference: Origami-based integration of robots that sense, decide, and respond by Wenzhong Yan, Shuguang Li, Mauricio Deguchi, Zhaoliang Zheng, Daniela Rus, and Ankur Mehta, 3 April 2023, Nature Communications.DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37158-9

Other authors on the study are UCLA undergraduate student Mauricio Deguchi and graduate student Zhaoliang Zheng, as well as roboticists Shuguang Li and Daniela Rus from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The study was funded by the National Science Foundation. Yan and Mehta are applying for a patent through the UCLA Technology Development Group.

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Origami Robotics: Scientists Push the Boundaries of Autonomous ... - SciTechDaily

The food solutions company will deploy Simbe's business intelligence solution, Tally, across 15 stores to generate real-time inventory insights

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., May 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Food solutions company SpartanNash (the "Company") (Nasdaq: SPTN) today announced expansion plans for the use of an autonomous inventory robot named Tally in 15 grocery stores in Michigan and Indiana. Developed by retail technology company Simbe, Tally represents SpartanNash's continued investment in technology to enhance the store guest and Associate experience.

After a successful pilot in select D&W Fresh Market stores, SpartanNash is implementing Simbe's solution in additional Family Fare and Martin's Super Market stores. The real-time data intelligence that Tally provides helps ensure store guests' favorite items always stay fresh, adequately stocked and priced competitively.

"Tally's speed, accuracy and automation enable our Associates to save time in inventory tracking and spend more time on the floor serving store guests," said SpartanNash Executive Vice President, Corporate Retail Tom Swanson.

Tally is a quiet, slim robot that unobtrusively traverses store aisles throughout the day, leveraging 3D computer vision technology to collect highly accurate shelf data. It can capture 15,000 to 30,000 products an hour, ensuring products remain in-stock, in the correct location, and accurately priced.

"When we first started working with SpartanNash, we knew this was a partner that recognized the powerful role technology can play in enhancing in-store operations and, as a result, the customer experience," said Simbe Robotics Co-Founder and CEO Brad Bogolea. "It's been so rewarding working together to further deploy our retail solution. We're excited to continue providing powerful insights for SpartanNash to help improve the shopping experience for store guests and Associates."

As part of SpartanNash's commitment to customer-focused innovation, this announcement follows the Company's recent pilot with food technology platform Afresh Technologies.

"SpartanNash is positively influencing our store guest experience through new-to-world technology innovations such as Tally to help us in our mission to deliver the ingredients for a better life," said Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy and Information Officer Masiar Tayebi.

About SpartanNashSpartanNash (Nasdaq: SPTN) is a food solutions company that delivers the ingredients for a better life. Committed to fostering a People First culture, the SpartanNash family of Associates is 17,500 and growing. SpartanNash operates two complementary business segments - food wholesale and grocery retail. Its global supply chain network serves wholesale customers that include independent and chain grocers, national retail brands, e-commerce platforms, and U.S. military commissaries and exchanges. The Company distributes products for every aisle in the grocery store, from fresh produce to household goods to its OwnBrands, which include the Our Family portfolio of products. On the retail side, SpartanNash operates 145 brick-and-mortar grocery stores, primarily under the banners of Family Fare, Martin's Super Markets and D&W Fresh Market, in addition to dozens of pharmacies and fuel centers. Leveraging insights and solutions across its segments, SpartanNash offers a full suite of support services for independent grocers. For more information, visit spartannash.com.

About Simbe RoboticsSimbe Robotics is the global leader in automation solutions that give retailers unprecedented visibility and insight into the state of their store environments, while improving inventory and operational challenges. Simbe is a privately held, venture-backed company headquartered in San Francisco, CA and works with major worldwide retailers and brands across the US, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit http://www.simberobotics.com or follow the company at @simberobotics.

About TallyTally is the world's first fully autonomous in-store product auditing solution. Tally works in concert with retail store associates by empowering them with timely information to ensure products are always stocked, in the right place and correctly priced. Using a suite of sensors, the robot operates safely during normal store hours alongside shoppers and employees and doesn't require any infrastructure changes to the store. Tally's design is intuitive, friendly, and fits naturally into the retail environment. The robot scans entire stores up to three times per day and autonomously returns to its dock allowing for continuous operation. Combined with Simbe's cloud-powered software platform, powered by computer vision and machine learning, retailers have unprecedented information and insight into the state of their stores. This information can be used to streamline store performance, maximize customer satisfaction, increase sales, and optimize operational expenditures.

CONTACT:Adrienne ChanceSenior Vice President, Communications[emailprotected]

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SpartanNash Strengthens Customer-Centric Innovation with ... - PR Newswire

Torc Robotics and C.R. England (CCJ Top 250, No. 29)announced a partnership Tuesday to pilot Torcs fleet of autonomous trucks.

The collaboration will serve as an expansion for Torc, a Daimler Truck subsidiary, to support carriers in the refrigerated freight market. The joint pilot will leverage C.R. Englands temperature-controlled loads and Torcs fleet of long-haul Level 4 autonomous test trucks.

Torc is thrilled to be partnering with C.R. England to better improve long-haul trucking safety for one of the premium service providers and largest refrigerated carriers in the nation, said Torc CEO Peter Vaughan Schmidt. The data derived from the pilot will contribute to our safety and validation efforts and use cases for autonomous trucking.

[Related: Ride impressions of a Torc autonomous truck]

Reefer carriers like C.R. England are an ideal match for autonomy, Vaughn said, since they make up a large segment of the industry and theyre delivering perishable items that need to get to market as soon as possible. Since autonomous trucks do not need to stop for mandatory driver breaks, they can make better time and help improve the bottom line.

We think autonomy is made for this, Vaughn said. You have no hours-of-service limitation, which means goods can arrive faster, and that's exactly whats needed in this segment and that's why we're so super excited about this partnership.

C.R. England CEO Chad England sees autonomous trucks presenting more opportunities for customers and drivers alike.

C.R. England is excited to announce our partnership with Torc for pilot activities on Level 4 autonomous test trucks. We believe this innovation will eventually provide the ability to expand our network safely, with high levels of service to our customers, all while enhancing the quality of existing driver jobs, England said. Specifically, by adding autonomous lanes to our network, we can expand our customer offerings and create more structured jobs for drivers at both ends of autonomous runs. Torcs deep integration with Daimler Truck AG makes our two organizations a perfect fit for piloting this new technology.

Schmidt agrees and sees autonomous trucks taking on less desirable long-haul routes while providing more regional opportunities for drivers that want to spend more time at home. Torcs model has an autonomous truck handling long stretches of travel between regional hubs where manually driven trucks will pick up a load and haul it to its final destination.

I think autonomous trucks will always be augmented by manually driven trucks, Schmidt said. [Autonomous trucks] will probably do long-haul routes that keep you away from your family three weeks or so in a month, which a lot of drivers do not want to do anymore.

Like England, Schmidt sees other opportunities coming up for drivers which may not have them behind the wheel.

Some might also swap to mission control centers, so I think it offers a huge opportunity to do what you like to do most, Schmidt said.

This is C.R. Englands second autonomous truck partnership. Last month the Utah-based carrier entered an agreement with Kodiak to pilot their self-driving trucks to haul refrigerated loads for Tyson Foods.

Initial planning for the Torc, C.R. England pilot will begin mid-2023 with on-road tests soon to follow.

The pilot program with C.R. England is Torcs second pilot. The Virginia-based company announced its first pilot with Schneider last September.

The partnership with Schneider has been a really great one, Schmidt said. I think both parties learn a ton and still today we continue driving that super long, thousand-mile stretch several times a week.

Torc's announcement this week follows its recent acquisition of Algolux, a Canadian-based business that specializes in software-driven depth perception awareness for night, fog and snow.

"Snow is a challenge, especially if you have covered roads and super heavy snowfall," Schmidt said.

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Torc Robotics, C.R. England to pilot autonomous trucks - CCJ