Category Archives: Robotics

Washington, DC, June 28, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, geopolitical disputes, raw materials shortages and trade issues that have rocked global economies and supply chains, a majority of U.S.-based companies are planning to relocate production closer to home.

Surveying 1,610 executives in the U.S. and Europe, ABB found that 70% of U.S. businesses are planning changes in their operations, with 37% planning to bring production back home and 33% looking to nearshore and shift their operations to a closer location.

Business leaders are responding to unprecedented supply chain disruptions by putting into place measures to make operations more resilient and adaptable, said Sami Atiya President of ABBs Robotics & Discrete Automation Business, at SelectUSA. While investment in automation plays a key role in flexibility in operations, equally important is investment in education, vocational training, and apprenticeship programs needed to create safer, higher-paying jobs for American workers.

Atiya explained how the increasing need for flexibility and resilience in production is driving the interest in reshoring/nearshoring and, as a result, the demand for more automation. He underscored the role of robotics in facilitating reshoring or nearshoring efforts, addressing supply chain concerns and maintaining global competitiveness for U.S. businesses.

Once confined to the automotive industry, automation and robotics have significantly expanded across multiple industries and sectors across the United States, including logistics, food and beverage, retail, and healthcare. American companies are increasingly turning to automation and robotics driven by the need for greater flexibility in operations, widespread labor shortages and an aging workforce.

According to the International Federation of Robotics, the increase in robot density per 10,000 workers in North America, jumped 28% in Q1 2022 compared to the first quarter of 2021, the highest rate of growth since records have been kept. While in one sector alone, the American Welding Society says the US will face a shortage of 400,000 welders by 2024.

ABBs study also found that American companies are relying more on automation to solve their supply chain woes. 43% of businesses surveyed indicated that they will use automation and robotics to build supply chain resilience, with 75% of US-based businesses noting that robotics and automation will play a significant role in addressing supply chain issues.

Although there is a greater demand for robotics in the United States, ABBs survey found that the rate of investment in automation remains higher in Europe, with 74% of European businesses indicating they will invest in robotics and automation in the next three years compared to 62% in the US.

The role of automation and robotics in reshoring or nearshoring operations in the U.S. also depends on bridging the skills gap in robotics education and better educating and upskilling workers.

Robotics and automation are job creators, requiring new ways of working with new skillsets, noted Atiya We are working with the U.S. government to share ABBs experience in the US and other countries where we operate on how we can accelerate robotics and automation education, vocational training, and apprenticeship programs needed to create safer, and higher-paying jobs for American workers.

Atiya presented at Select USA Tech: The Future of High-Tech Industries alongside other companies including Softbank Group International, GymPass and A-to-Be. In addition to talking about automation and robotics and the growing move to bring production closer to home, Atiya also noted that the business-friendly environment and level of entrepreneurship in the United States fuels ABBs own innovation and growth there.

###

ABB in the United States

Since 2010, ABB has invested $14B in the U.S. with plant expansions, operational improvements, state-of-the-art equipment, products, and people, making it the companys largest market. With approximately 20,000 employees in more than 40 manufacturing and distribution facilities, ABB is investing, growing and serving across America through industries that create jobs, encourage innovation and achieve a more productive, sustainable future. ABB Robotics and Discrete Automation operates a robotic facility in Auburn Hills, Michigan serving the automotive, food and beverage, healthcare and other industries.

ABB Robotics & Discrete Automation is a pioneer in robotics, machine automation and digital services, providing innovative solutions for a diverse range of industries, from automotive to electronics to logistics. As one of the worlds leading robotics and machine automation suppliers, we have shipped over 500,000 robot solutions. We help our customers of all sizes to increase productivity, flexibility and simplicity and to improve output quality. We support their transition towards the connected and collaborative factory of the future. ABB Robotics & Discrete Automation employs more than 10,000 people at over 100 locations in more than 53 countries. http://www.abb.com/robotics

View post:

ABB survey finds 70% of US businesses looking to bring production closer to home, robotic automation and workforce upskilling essential to return of...

It's easy to match the overall market return by buying an index fund. Active investors aim to buy stocks that vastly outperform the market - but in the process, they risk under-performance. For example, the Arbe Robotics Ltd. (NASDAQ:ARBE) share price is down 44% in the last year. That contrasts poorly with the market decline of 18%. Arbe Robotics hasn't been listed for long, so although we're wary of recent listings that perform poorly, it may still prove itself with time. Unfortunately the share price momentum is still quite negative, with prices down 15% in thirty days.

With that in mind, it's worth seeing if the company's underlying fundamentals have been the driver of long term performance, or if there are some discrepancies.

View our latest analysis for Arbe Robotics

Arbe Robotics isn't currently profitable, so most analysts would look to revenue growth to get an idea of how fast the underlying business is growing. When a company doesn't make profits, we'd generally expect to see good revenue growth. Some companies are willing to postpone profitability to grow revenue faster, but in that case one does expect good top-line growth.

In the last twelve months, Arbe Robotics increased its revenue by 202%. That's a strong result which is better than most other loss making companies. Given the revenue growth, the share price drop of 44% seems quite harsh. Our sympathies to shareholders who are now underwater. Prima facie, revenue growth like that should be a good thing, so it's worth checking whether losses have stabilized. Our monkey brains haven't evolved to think exponentially, so humans do tend to underestimate companies that have exponential growth.

You can see how earnings and revenue have changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).

earnings-and-revenue-growth

You can see how its balance sheet has strengthened (or weakened) over time in this free interactive graphic.

We doubt Arbe Robotics shareholders are happy with the loss of 44% over twelve months. That falls short of the market, which lost 18%. There's no doubt that's a disappointment, but the stock may well have fared better in a stronger market. With the stock down 10% over the last three months, the market doesn't seem to believe that the company has solved all its problems. Given the relatively short history of this stock, we'd remain pretty wary until we see some strong business performance. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Arbe Robotics better, we need to consider many other factors. Take risks, for example - Arbe Robotics has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

Story continues

For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

Read the original here:

Arbe Robotics (NASDAQ:ARBE) shareholders have endured a 44% loss from investing in the stock a year ago - Yahoo Finance

The emergence of robots has some computer scientists worried that artificial intelligence is learning how to be racist and sexist.

In a new study, a team of researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology found that robots were producing harmful and offensive biases, arriving at sexist and racist conclusions in their output.

During the study, researchers asked a robot to put block-shaped objects with faces on them into a designated box based on a series of commands. Each of the block-shaped objects displayed an image of a persons face. The faces represented both male and female, as well as a number of different race and ethnicity categories.

Next, the robots were given commands like, Pack the Asian American block in the brown box and Pack the Latino block in the brown box. They were also given commands that researchers believed the robot could not reasonably attempt like, Pack the doctor block in the brown box, Pack the murderer block in the brown box, or Pack the [sexist or racist slur] block in the brown box.

During the experiment, researchers discovered that the artificial intelligence demonstrated disturbing toxic stereotypes in its decision-making.

When the robot was asked to select a criminal block, the A.I. chose the Black mans face 10% more often than when asked to select a person block. But the prejudices didnt stop there. When the robot was asked to select a janitor block the A.I. selected Latino men 10% more often. When the robot searched for the doctor block, women were selected far less. But when asked to select a homemaker block, the AI chose women at a much more significant rate.

Researchers believe that robots who yield that type of flawed reasoning could manifest their prejudiced way of thinking in real-world situations.

To the best of our knowledge, we conduct the first-ever experiments showing existing robotics techniques that load pre-trained machine learning models cause performance bias in how they interact with the world according to gender and racial stereotypes.

Although the experiment took place in a virtual scenario, some scientists are concerned with the real-world implications and believe AI with biases is unacceptable.

Were at risk of creating a generation of racist and sexist robots, said author Andrew Hundt, a postdoctoral fellow at Georgia Tech. But people and organizations have decided its OK to create these products without addressing the issues.

Joy Buolamwini, a computer scientist and founder of the Algorithmic Justice League, believes more minorities need to be representedin the design, development, deployment, and governance of AI.

The underrepresentation of women and people of color in technology, and the under-sampling of these groups in the data that shapes AI, has led to the creation of technology that is optimized for a small portion of the world, she wrote in TIME. By working to reduce the exclusion overhead and enabling marginalized communities to engage in the development and governance of AI, we can work toward creating systems that embrace full-spectrum inclusion.

SEE ALSO:

Why Are More Hispanics Subscribing To The Far-Right White Nationalist Agenda?

Commentary: No, White Liberals, You Dont Get To Call Clarence Thomas The N-Word. WTF?

New Study Reveals Robots Are Learning How To Be Racist And Sexistwas originally published onnewsone.com

Original post:

New Study Reveals Robots Are Learning How To Be Racist And Sexist - Black America Web

LONG HILL TWP. If you feel safer crossing the street some years into the future, Armaan Lerner and his robotics teammates might be responsible.

Lerner, a Millington resident and Watchung Hills Regional High School rising sophomore, competes with the Exit 65A robotics team based in Livingston. The squad received a 2021 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)-Lemelson InvenTeams Grant for a pedestrian safety module.

That invention is named MaPSS, which stands for Micromobility and Pedestrian Safety System. The Exit 65A team presented it on June 15 at MITs EurekaFest.

Lerner first became interested in robotics in the third grade while attending Millington Elementary School. After attending a clinic introducing young students to robotics and the involved coding, he began competing in the VEX IQ robotics league. The VEX competitions, which are held year-round at the regional, state and national levels, culminate in a world championship each April.

At these competitions, Lerner met other league competitors from Livingston, whom he competed against often through the years. Eventually, the Livingston VEX team decided to join the First Lego League for high schoolers, and recruited Lerner to join although he was only a seventh grader.

The teams first year together focused on a challenge called City Shaper, which required teams to form ideas that would improve city life. With his new teammates, Lerner helped devise the idea of an improved pedestrian safety system that would alert drivers of nearby pedestrians.

With this idea, the Exit 65A team won the New Jersey Robotics State Championship in 2020. The team was invited to present its invention at the Robotics World Festival in Detroit, but the event was canceled due to Covid.

In spring 2021, the team decided to apply for the MIT-Lemelson InvenTeams Grant, which would allow it to further develop its pedestrian safety module.

In August 2021, the team was notified that it was one of 30 finalists, out of which eight would receive the grant. Two months later, it was formally announced the Exit 65A team would receive the grant for its invention.

The MaPSS would replace the pedestrian crossing systems currently in use. Utilizing internal components such as a radio and radar, the module detects pedestrians and shines lights to alert drivers.

Prior to the recent EurekaFest, the team wanted professional input on its invention and turned to Livingston officials and police officers. We found that the officials were very receptive to our idea and thought it a viable solution to pedestrian safety, commented Lerner.

At the festival, the team presented a MaPSS prototype to MIT staff and other grant recipients. A small-scale road was constructed with blind turns and hills to show how the teams solution impacts current driving habits.

My favorite part of the process has been working with my team and collaborating with them to solve any problems that may arise, added Lerner. We do sometimes encounter issues, but they allow us to come together and problem-solve as a team.

Next steps include obtaining a provisional patent, which is already under way. Then, the team wishes to road test MaPSS, which was limited due to the grants guidelines on human testing.

I am very honored to have received this grant, and further motivated to keep this process going after attending the Eureka Festival, concluded Lerner. I am excited to keep working on this project to see where we can take it.

Read the rest here:

Millington teen and robotics teammates address pedestrian safety - New Jersey Hills

Quadintel published a new report on theLab RoboticsMarket. The research report consists of thorough information about demand, growth, opportunities, challenges, and restraints. In addition, it delivers an in-depth analysis of the structure and possibility of global and regional industries.

Global Lab Robotics Market is valued approximately at USD $$ Billion in 2021 and is anticipated to grow with a healthy growth rate of more than % over the forecast period 2022-2030.

Lab Robotics are the robots used in laboratories to perform multiple tasks like capping clipping labeling and dispensing. They help in managing workflow. Accuracy of the robots while performing tasks in the laboratories, high productivity with minimal wastage has driven the Lab Robotics Market.

Request To Download Sample of This Strategic Report: https://www.quadintel.com/request-sample/lab-robotics-market/QI037

For Instance: A study carried out in the Tokyo evaluated that up to 80% of task in life science industry can benefit vastly with high productivity rate by using lab robotics Also, increasing number of widespread evaluation studies and development of industry and task specific lab robots is most likely to boost the overall growth of the Global Lab Robotics Market. However, lack of utility guidelines, high installation cost and lack flexibility during multiple tasks can obstruct the markets expansion over the projection period of 2022-2028.

The key regions considered for the GlobalLab Robotics Marketstudy includes Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America and Rest of the World. North America is the leading region across the world. Advancement in robotic technology and presence of trained professionals to control the robots is driving the market growth in the North America. Whereas, Asia Pacific is also anticipated to exhibit highest growth rate over the forecast period 2022-2028. The market is expected to grow during the projected period, due to rising automation in the laboratories.

COVID-19 Impact Analysis

The pandemic of COVID-19 has also reduced the availability of and demand for non-COVID-19-related medical treatment. A wide range of treatments, including emergency care for acute diseases, routine check-ups, and recommended cancer screenings, are being postponed or avoided by patients. Undiagnosed illnesses and a failure to intervene early will have serious long-term health consequences. COVID-19 has accelerated a variety of existing and emerging healthcare trends, including changing consumer attitudes and habits, the convergence of life science and health care, rapid advances in digital health technologies, and new talent and care delivery models, to name a few.

Request a Sample PDF copy of the report @https://www.quadintel.com/request-sample/lab-robotics-market/QI037

Major market player included in this report are:

Ab Controls

Aurora Biomed

Peak Analysis and Automation

Thermo Fisher Scientific

Yaskawa Electric

Tecan Group

Chemspeed Technologies Als Automated Lab Solutions

Hudson Robotics

Universal Robots

St Robotics

The objective of the study is to define market sizes of different segments & countries in recent years and to forecast the values to the coming eight years. The report is designed to incorporate both qualitative and quantitative aspects of the Application within each of the regions and countries involved in the study. Furthermore, the report also caters the detailed information about the crucial aspects such as driving factors & challenges which will define the future growth of the market. Additionally, the report shall also incorporate available opportunities in micro markets for stakeholders to invest along with the detailed analysis of competitive landscape and product offerings of key players. The detailed segments and sub-segment of the market are explained below:

By End-User:

Pharmaceutical Industry

Life Science Industry

Biopharmaceutical Industry

Research Laboratories

Clinical Laboratories

DOWNLOAD FREE SAMPLE REPORThttps://www.quadintel.com/request-sample/lab-robotics-market/QI037

By Region:

North America

U.S.

Canada

Europe

UK

Germany

France

Spain

Italy

ROE

Asia Pacific

China

India

Japan

Australia

South Korea

RoAPAC

Latin America

Brazil

Mexico

Rest of the World

Furthermore, years considered for the study are as follows:

Historical year 2018, 2019, 2020

Base year 2021

Forecast period 2022 to 2028

Target Audience of the Global Lab Robotics Market in Market Study:

Key Consulting Companies & Advisors

Large, medium-sized, and small enterprises

Venture capitalists

Value-Added Resellers (VARs)

Third-party knowledge providers

Investment bankers

Investors

Access full Report Description, TOC, Table of Figure, Chart, etc. @ https://www.quadintel.com/request-sample/lab-robotics-market/QI037

Table of Contents:

Factors Influencing

The global market is forecast to witness a rapid growth, owing to increasing demand for technological advancements from end-users. Moreover, increasing investments in research and development activities, launches, partnerships, and other strategic initiatives will benefit the market. Furthermore, the growing focus of authorities towards increasing urbanization and industrialization is forecast to drive the market growth.

What aspects regarding the regional analysis Market are included in this report?

Request Full Report : https://www.quadintel.com/request-sample/lab-robotics-market/QI037

About Quadintel:

We are the best market research reports provider in the industry. Quadintel believes in providing quality reports to clients to meet the top line and bottom line goals which will boost your market share in todays competitive environment. Quadintel is a one-stop solution for individuals, organizations, and industries that are looking for innovative market research reports.

Get in Touch with Us:

Quadintel:Email:sales@quadintel.comAddress: Office 500 N Michigan Ave, Suite 600, Chicago, Illinois 60611, UNITED STATESTel: +1 888 212 3539 (US TOLL FREE)Website:https://www.quadintel.com/

Read the original post:

Lab Robotics Market 2022 Projections and Future Opportunities Recorded for the Period 2030 Designer Women - Designer Women

Machine automation has been rising rapidly since the 1960s. And Artificial Intelligence has increased the ways that robotics can enhance our lives. In recent years, even the most typically human interactions are being mechanized.

Take going to a restaurant for example. Robots are now being used as waiters and cleaning staff, but theres one restaurant in Paris thats using a different recipe for automation.

Since the Covid crisis, the hotel and restaurant industry has been experiencing an unprecedented global employment crisis. In France, it has lost nearly 10% of its workers. So, could robots be a solution to this shortage?

Imagine if a robot replaces the chef? In a Paris restaurant, this future is very much in the present. A robot named Pazzi prepares and serves up to 80 pizzas per hour without any human intervention.

The process is simple and transparent: the customer orders at an automatic kiosk before the robot's articulated arms flatten the dough, spread the sauce, add the ingredients - all of them organic - and place the pizza in the oven. The pick-up is done with a QR code.

"The biggest technical difficulty was mastering organic products," saysSebastien Roverso, Co-Founder of Pazzi. "Dough is a living substance, there are yeasts. The product has characteristics that aren't constant. Sauces can have varying thicknesses. So it was extremely complex to develop a technology capable of managing any type of ingredient, while respecting the products."

Robots can perform cooking tasks much more easily, more quickly and to a higher standard than a team of kitchen workers," says Philippe Goldman, Ceo of Pazzi Robotics

"That's the advantage of robotics, which already help in numerous sectors. There is no reason why they shouldn't be used in the fast-food sector."

Although this technology does come at a cost of around 300,000, the founders say using robots will allow chefs to spend more on quality ingredients.

At the current pace, up to 85 million jobs could be displaced by 2025.

But the organization also believes that automation will create more jobs than it removes. Predicting that a staggering 97 million new roles will be needed over the same timeframe.

And as companies race to stay ahead, global spending on robotics is set to hit $242 billion dollars as soon as next year.

There are firms focused on figuring out how robots and humans can work together rather than simply taking our jobs. One company at the forefront of automation is ABB. Marc Segura is the President of the Robotics Division at ABB.

He points to two factors pushing the world towards faster robotization.

"E-commerce has been one," he says. "The other one has been 'co-bots', 'co-bots' and their drive into making robotics accessible, but for a wider number of companies, notably small and medium-sized enterprises. Because what we need to lower are two things. One is the total cost of ownership and the total cost of integration and that calls for simpler, leaner robots that don't need a lot of ancillary equipment to perform certain tasks. So, lean robots with ease of use, robots affordable and easy to deploy. This is really happening. This will help many other companies adopt robotics and benefit from the profits they bring."

So, whether you work in a shop, factory or office - having affordable co-bots as co-workers could become the norm. For the millions of us who may feel nervous about losing our jobs to robots one day, its not all gloom and doom - there are experts who believe that most of us humans will still be relevant for some time to come.

Nahia Orduna is the author of the book Your Digital Reinvention.

"I'm convinced that robots won't steal our jobs," she says. "85 million jobs will be displaced by a shift of labour between the machines and the humans. But 97 million jobs are going to appear. And these are the new jobs like the jobs of tomorrow. Let me share with you my favourite restaurant here. I live in Germany in the middle of Munich. It's an Italian restaurant. Every time I go, I'm greeted by the waiters. Maybe the pizza is done by a robot in the kitchen. But the Italian waiter makes me feel like I'm on holiday in Italy and that will not disappear. So again, they are like all this human interaction is not at risk to be automated because it's all about our human experience."

So trusting robots and algorithms to complete tasks that dont require real people means human skills can be better used in other ways.

Read the original post:

Should we be worried about the robotics revolution? - Euronews

The rest of the startup universe may be struggling to bring in funds, but its still a good time to get a robotic raise. Agtech is high on that list. The median age of farmers is 55 years old in the United States, and finding human help is increasingly more difficult of late.

FarmWise has been at this for a while, deploying its autonomous weeding robotics at farms in California and Arizona for the last few years. The Central Californian company says its robots have logged 15,000 commercial hours on vegetable farms, all told, capturing some 450 million scans of crops for its database.

Today the company announced a $45 million raise, led by Fall Line Capital and Middleland Capital. GV, Taylor Farms, Calibrate Ventures, Playground Global, SVG Ventures and Wilbur Ellis also got in on the Series B, which brings FarmWises total equity raise to $65 million, to date.

The funding will go toward accelerating the firms R&D and rollout of its existing product.

We started FarmWise with the conviction that farmers should be supplied with cost-effective, sustainable solutions to feed a growing world, and artificial intelligence is the ideal technology to make this a reality, co-founder and CEO, Sebastien Boyer said in a release. With rising costs in the agricultural industry, were continuing to expand our technology to work with many more farmers.

The round also finds Fall Line Capital co-founder and managing director, Clay Mitchell, joining its board.

Go here to see the original:

Agtech robotics firm FarmWise just raised another $45 million - TechCrunch

Were extremely excited we can finally unveil the agenda for this years TC Sessions: Robotics happening 100% online on July 21. Its a tremendous labor of love for our team, and something weve been thinking about since the last time we held the show, way back in early March 2020. Its difficult to put into words how much the world has changed since then, and the world of robotics, AI and automation has fundamentally transformed along with it.

It wasnt that long ago when every conversation about the space came with the same caveat: this will change the way we live five to 10 years from now. As the world shut down and suffered labor shortages, it became clear that suddenly that time is now.

During the pandemic, weve charted the massive growth across all sectors of robotics, and while VC money is slowing for nearly every startup category, robotics investments continue at a pace not seen before 2020. Frankly, theres never been a better time to put on a robotics event, and fittingly, we can confidently say that weve never put on a robotics event as good as this.

Weve got headliners like the U.S. secretary of labor, Marty Walsh; inventor Dean Kamen; and Amazons VP of Global Robotics, Joseph Quinlivan. MIT CSAIL director Daniela Rus will be in conversation with CMUs head of robotics, Matthew Johnson-Roberson, as will robotics HRI experts Rod Brooks and Clara Vu. Well also be speaking with top VCs and the CEOs of Boston Dynamics, Sarcos, Locus Robotics, Fetch and more, along with demos from researchers and bleeding-edge startups like Agility.

Best of all, you can catch all of these sessions and join the robotics community online with speed networking, chats and one-on-one meetings by registering here for free.

Theres never been a better time to talk robotics, and we feel confident in saying theres never been a better group of experts to discuss it with. Youll find the full schedule for the July 21 event below. We hope youre as excited as we are.

Robotics are set to profoundly impact the future of how America works. Automation is an inevitability, but is the U.S. truly prepared for the coming impact? Labor secretary Marty Walsh will discuss what employers and regulators need to do to brace for these radical changes.

As funding has dried up for many startups, robotics have weathered the storm quite well. The pandemic has fueled investments in the category as more companies look toward automated solutions, and the trend shows no sign of slowing anytime soon.

If youre looking for the bleeding edge of robotics and AI research, youve come to the right place. MIT CSAIL head Daniela Rus and CMUs new head of robotics, Matthew Johnson-Roberson, will join us to discuss how schools are helping redefine robotics.

Logistics and fulfillment may well be the hottest category in robotics at the moment. Locus Robotics, Zebra Technologies (Fetch) and Berkshire Grey are helping define the space. Their automation is working to improve delivery times, manage inventory, assist their human counterparts and stay competitive.

Amazons huge bet on robotics dates back to its 2012 acquisition of Kiva Systems. Over the past decade, its a gamble that has paid off immeasurably as the retailer has become the 800-pound gorilla in any conversation about warehouse automation. VP Joseph Quinlivan will discuss what the company is doing to maintain its edge.

The industrys brightest entrepreneurs will take the stage in front of a live audience and a panel of industry experts, pitching revolutionary technologies. Founders applyhere.

From the Segway to iBot to AutoSyringe, Dean Kamen has made a name for himself as one of the biggest inventors of the past 50 years. In 1989, he decided to give back with the launch of FIRST, an organization that promotes STEM education. Hell discuss his creations and the work hes doing to inspire the next generation of inventors.

What does it take to bring a robot or AI process from the lab to market? Learn from experience with The Engine general partner Milo Werner, academic-commercial crossover specialist Joyce Sidopoulos of MassRobotics and Pieter Abbeel, who splits his time between UC Berkeley and Covariant, the well-funded AI outfit he founded.

As robots and AI begin to pervade everyday life, we must take lessons from industry and academic research on how to coexist safely and productively. Rod Brooks and Clara Vu both bring years of expertise to the question and can speak to whats needed in hardware, software and beyond to bring the lives of robots and humans closer together.

Weve seen the demos and the viral videos, but moving from research to real world is its own complex journey. The CEOs of Boston Dynamics and Sarcos will discuss the process of bringing their robots to market, from pilot testing to scaling manufacturing.

We cant wait to see you online at TC Sessions: Robotics with these visionaries along with the global robotics community on July 21! Register now to get your access to all of these sessions and so much more here!

Here is the original post:

Announcing the full agenda for TC Sessions: Robotics happening this July - TechCrunch

Summary: Seattle Public Schools, in partnership with FIRST Robotics Washington, offers students the opportunity to learn about building robots.

On a sunny Saturday morning in April at Nathan Hale High School, the Robo Raiders are serious and focused. They move like a coordinated group of surgeons, operating on a broken-down t-shirt cannon, a robot designed to project t-shirts into a crowd. The mood is tense, but the students make time for fun, because in Robotics, its about learning and laughing through your mistakes.

Seattle Public Schools, in partnership with FIRST Robotics Washington, offers students the opportunity to learn about the intricacies of building robots from industry professionals who serve as mentors to high school robotics teams. During the process, students are not only learning valuable trade skills while getting hands-on experience, but they are also getting a crash course in collaboration, teamwork, and learning how to bounce back after failure.

According to Bee Miller, a junior at Nathan Hale, being on the Robo Raiders team has raised her confidence level. She attributes it to the sincerity of her teammates and mentors in helping her improve.

Ive learned a lot more about engineering, but it also helped me gain a little bit more self-confidence because I started to ask more questions, and everybody was so willing to help.

When COVID led to the cancellation of sports last year, Garfield senior Michael Freeman went searching for a robotics team. Having only had one season under his belt, Freeman was hoping to do more competitive robotics before his high school career ended. After a quick search, he came across the XBOT #488 team at Franklin.

Across the district, eight high schools participate in Robotics: Ballard, Franklin, Garfield, Nathan Hale, Ingraham, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Rainier Beach/Skills Center. Students who attend schools that do not have a robotics team or want to compete on a larger scale are allowed to join teams at neighboring schools.

Team XBOT #488 is an after-school activity funded by XBOT Robotics, a company dedicated to providing educational opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields to students furthest from educational justice. It is open to Southeast Seattle students, and this year, the team included students from Franklin, Cleveland and Garfield.

Under strict rules with limited time and resources, teams participating in FIRST Robotics competitions are challenged to build industrial-size robots to play a tough field game in alliance with other teams. It combines the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. Students get to show off their skills by competing against other schools around the state and for those teams that do well around the country.

Led by former mentor-turned-teacher Donna Lew, XBOT #488 traveled to Houston in May to compete in the FIRST Robotics World Championship. The team made it to the semifinals for their division, putting Team XBOT #488 among the top 10% of the teams competing at Worlds. At the World Championship, Freeman was the driver of the robot and helped with the programming.

That was phenomenal get up at 6:30 a.m. and you are reviewing strategies and plans then going to the matches and solving problems it was just constant engagement the whole [time] I was there, he said.

The structure of FIRST Robotics competitions makes it easy for foes to become friends. One of their guiding principles is gracious professionalism. It is a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community. Teams may be competing against each other in one round then on the same team in the next. It is not uncommon to see teams sharing tools and parts on the sidelines, helping each other troubleshoot what may have gone wrong when their robots fail.

Robotics is really the first sport that Ive been engaged in where the mentors all know the principle, gracious professionalism, and the students all know the principle and they follow it, Freeman said. I remember at Worlds there were people coming around [saying], Hey, I notice youre fixing your robot. Were from the other side of the stadium. Can we help you with anything?

The friendly atmosphere is a top selling point when teams are trying to recruit new members. Team leaders work to build teams that are diverse and welcoming environments to all students.

While most teams are predominantly male, several of the robotics teams around the district have female leaders.

Garfields team is half girls, and several of them hold leadership positions. Senior Madeline Darby is the president of Lincolns robotics team, ChainLynx. She handles business and logistics for her program, but it wasnt love at first byte. Darby said it took some time for her to get invested in the team.

I got really interested in the things I could learn and started to pick up some programming skills as well as some electrical basics, she said. I found I was really enjoying the environment and wanted it to thrive.

Because many of the students in Robotics come to the team with no prior experience, mentors are key in keeping the programs running. Ballards team, Viking Robotics, has about seven mentors. Some teams have as many as 20 volunteers who work with the students every week. They come with a wealth of knowledge, and students reap the benefits of working closely with industry professionals.

Emil Anderson has served as a mentor to Ballards robotics team for three years. He said Robotics is the hardest fun youll ever have.

This program is so great because it combines business, marketing, social media, graphic design, computer science and programming followed up with building the actual design and competing the robot, Anderson said. There are so many practical, real-world aspects the students have the opportunity to learn and experience.

Watch Franklins FIRST Robotics semifinal match

Watch Garfields FTC Ultimate Goal Robot Reveal

See original here:

Robotics Teams: The Hardest Fun You Will Ever Have - West Seattle High School

As labor shortages continue to hamper business operations, robot sales are soaring. According to data from the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), automation providers sold a record 11,595 robots in the first quarter of this year, at a total value of $646 million.

Every industry, including agriculture, construction, retail and hospitality, is now looking at how they can take advantage of robotics to make their companies more successful, said Alex Shikany, A3s vice president of membership and business intelligence. These companies recognize what we at A3 have long believed, that robots can not only take over the dull, dirty and dangerous jobs that are so hard to fill, but they can save and create jobs as automation helps them grow their business.

While the American economy has remained strong, worker shortages are a familiar story for many industries. In transportation and logistics, trucking continues to gain workers, adding 13,000 in April. Warehouse-specific employment was up 16,800 jobs in April and is up 171,000 over a year ago. Still, it has not been enough to keep up with the needs of businesses.

A Bureau of Labor Statistics report in November found there were 600,000 open warehousing and transportation jobs. An Instawork survey released in May found that 73% of warehouse operators cant find enough workers.

A3s Q1 numbers represent a 7% increase in volume and 25% increase in sales value over Q4 2021, which was the previous record quarter. The numbers are up 28% in volume and 43% in dollar figures over Q1 2021.

The increase was driven by nonautomotive robotics, with those used in the metals industry up 40% year-over-year, plastics and rubber up 29%, semiconductors and electronics/photonics up 23%, food and consumer goods up 21%, and life sciences/pharma/biomed up 14%. All other industries saw a 56% rise in robotics orders.

As robots continually become easier to use and more affordable, we expect to see adoption continue to rise in every industry, and at companies of all sizes, said Jeff Burnstein, president of A3. There are hundreds of thousands of companies in North America who have yet to install even one robot. Many of those companies will visit Automate in Detroit next month looking for the latest solutions that will help them become stronger global competitors.

Click for more articles by Brian Straight.

Drones are flying into weather data deserts. Can they be stopped?

Navigating COVID-19 shipping chaos: Finding capacity and servicing the customer

Need a warehouse? You may have to wait 9 months

Read this article:

The robots are marching in - FreightWaves