Category Archives: Robotics

Every time we come across an unknown concept or an image or a word, we quickly search for it on google and instantly get loads of answers on that matter. If robots could do the same, things will be so much easier. For conventional robots, every task like moving a foot, grasping an object, recognizing a face, requires a significant amount of processing and preprogrammed information. So, installing any new programming in them, for new knowledge takes a lot of time and effort. This is why several research groups are exploring the idea of robots that rely on cloud-computing infrastructure to access vast amounts of processing power and data. This approach, which some are calling cloud robotics, would allow robots to offload compute-intensive tasks like image processing and voice recognition and even download new skills instantly.

The idea of cloud robotics is to attach the robot to an external cloud. So, if the robot sees an unknown object, it can instantly send the image to the cloud and receive information and instructions in no time. The term cloud robotics is coined by James Juddher, a professor at Carnegie Mellon currently working at Google. He described the possibilities of cloud robotics at the IEEE International Conference on Humanoid Robots, in Nashville, Tenn., this past December. According to him, embracing the cloud could make robots lighter, cheaper, and smarter, He is confident that cloud robotics could offload CPU-heavy tasks to remote servers, relying on smaller and less power-hungry onboard computers. Even more promising, the robots could turn to cloud-based services to expand their capabilities.

The idea of connecting a robot to an external computer is not new. Back in the 1990s, Masayuki Inaba at the University of Tokyo explored the concept of a remote brain, as he called it, physically separating sensors and motors from high-level reasoning software.

Now cloud robotics seeks to push that idea to the next level, exploiting the cheap computing power and ubiquitous Net connectivity available today. Kuffner, who currently works on Googles self-driving car project, realized that running computing tasks on the cloud is often much more effective than trying to do it locally.

Kuffner explained the Google service known as Google Goggles. If someone snaps a picture of a painting at a museum or a public landmark and Google sends the information about it. Similarly, it can be used in robotics too. A robot would send images of what it is seeing to the cloud, receiving in return detailed information about the environment and objects in it. Using the cloud, the robot could also improve capabilities such as speech recognition, language translation, path planning, and 3D mapping.

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Cloud Robotics: The Way to Lighter, Cheaper and Smarter Robots - Analytics Insight

By Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com

A Howell robotics team has been named a finalist in a robotics challenge.

Team KRASH, one of Howell's four FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) teams, has advanced from the semi-finals to the finals of the FIRST Robotics Innovation Challenge. Team KRASH is one of only 20 teams worldwide to advance to this stage of the competition. In the Innovation Challenge, teams identify a real-world problem, design a solution, create a business model, and pitch their idea to other FTC teams for judged awards.

Team KRASH's project involved developing the KRASH Engineered Boxing Bag (KEBB) to help regress the symptoms of Parkinson's disease. The team has worked with Ohana Karate's Rock Steady Boxing program to develop the KEBB prototype. In addition to being a finalist, Team KRASH is in the running for the Community Choice Award, which is voted on by the public. The community can vote for Team KRASH through the provided web link.

As a finalist, Team KRASH will make several presentations to various FIRST Robotics judges, including a business pitch. As a finalist, the team will also receive expert pitch advice from real-world entrepreneurs before their final judging and a 1:1 coaching session with staff from one of the top social impact business incubators.

The winners will be announced on June 30th.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all FIRST Robotics events are being held virtually this year. Officials say Howell's teams are following the district's health and safety protocols while preparing for the events and virtual competitions.

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Howell Team Finalist In FIRST Robotics Innovation Challenge - WHMI

According to the EPA, the U.S. alone produces 292.4 million tons of municipal solid waste a year. That figure works out to around 4.9 pounds per person, per day. To say the world and the United States in particular has a waste problem is putting it mildly. No one solution is going to address this growing issue but thankfully, weve seen a number of innovations surface in recent years.

This year, were playing host to the Extreme Tech Challenge Global Finals on July 22. The pitch-off competition will feature some of the most innovative forward-looking startups across a range of categories, including many dealing with sustainability. The day will also feature panels, including a number hosted by TechCrunch editors.

One highlight worth tuning in for is Waste Matters. The conversation will include a trio of folks from companies taking unique approaches to managing the waste stream.

Leon Farrant is the co-founder and CEO of, Green Li-Ion, a company dedicated to dramatically accelerating the process of recycling lithium-ion batteries. Its a key issue as a wide range of different consumer electronics grow more ubiquitous around the world.

Matanya Horowitz is the founder and CEO of AMP Robotics. The Denver-based company uses AI and robotics better sort a wide range of recyclables from waste. Material Evolution co-founder and CEO Elizabeth Gilligan will also join us to discuss her companys novel and sustainable approach to creating concrete.

Join us on July 22 to find out how the most innovative startups are working to solve some of the worlds biggest problems. And best of all, tickets are free book yours today!

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Hear CEOs from Green Li-Ion, AMP Robotics and Material Evolution discuss high-tech solutions to waste management - TechCrunch

AutoStore is weighing an initial public offering that could value the Norwegian warehouse robotics company at more than $10 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.

The company is working with advisers on the planned listing, which could come as soon as this year, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing confidential information. While the venue for the IPO hasnt been confirmed, AutoStore is leaning toward listing on a European exchange, the people said.

Deliberations are ongoing and no final decisions on the timing and size of an IPO have been made, according to the people.

Founded in 1996, Nedre Vats-based AutoStore provides robots used in the storing and retrieval of goods in warehouses. It specializes in so-called cube storage automation and its technology is deployed at more than 600 sites in 35 countries.

Private equity firm Thomas H. Lee Partners acquired the company in 2019. In April, it sold a 40% stake in AutoStore to SoftBank Group Corp. in a deal that valued the company at $7.7 billion including debt.

Thomas H. Lee will continue to be AutoStores largest shareholder after an IPO, the people said.

A representative for AutoStore didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Thomas H. Lee declined to comment. SoftBank couldnt be immediately reached for comment.

E-commerce and related companies have seen a flurry of successful listings in the U.S. this year. Another SoftBank-backed firm, South Koreas Coupang Inc., rose 41% in its trading debut in March. The shares have since given up some of their gains but are still trading about 8% above the offer price.

Companies have raised an all-time high of almost $350 billion via IPOs this year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, exceeding a previous peak of $282 billion from the second half of 2020.

With assistance by Michael Hytha

Before it's here, it's on the Bloomberg Terminal.

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Robotics Firm AutoStore Is Said to Plan IPO at $10 Billion Value - Bloomberg

Dairy Specialists LLC (Dairy Specialists) of Evans, Colo., is pleased to announce it has finalized an agreement to acquire the assets of Priority Robotics of Tillamook Inc. (Priority Robotics), effective July 1. Priority Robotics, which was founded in 2015, specializes in the distribution, installation and service of robotic dairy milking equipment and holds an exclusive territory dealership for Oregon and Washington with Lely North America, the worldwide leader in dairy robotics.

The acquisition of Priority Robotics, located in Tillamook, increases the market share of Dairy Specialists in robotics and broadens the companys geographical reach to better serve the increasingly technological dairy industry. Priority Robotics currently employs six individuals in the Tillamook region, all of whom will remain on staff and continue serving customers under the Priority Robotics of Tillamook Inc. name.

It is an exciting time in the industry, and the acquisition of Priority Robotics fits perfectly into our strategic business model. We are cutting edge when it comes to technology, so adding the talent and resources of Priority Robotics allows us to gain more leverage in the industry, said Brian Stork, chief operations officer at Dairy Specialists.

Kurt Mizee, the founder and owner of Priority Robotics, will serve as an independent consultant to Dairy Specialists. He will assist with integrating the two companies and help transition customers and staff onto the Dairy Specialists platform. He will also continue to own and serve as vice president of Tilla-Bay Farms, Inc., which was the first dairy in the Western United States to install a robotic dairy milking system in 2011.

I feel strongly that Dairy Specialists values and leadership align with the vision and mission of Priority Robotics, said Mizee. This sale provides a greater array of resources to better position the business into the future.

Dairy Specialists LLC, a subsidiary of Ag Property Solutions (www.agpropertysolutions.com) is one of the largest and most innovative commercial dairy service and equipment dealerships in the country. The company supplies commercial dairy farms with innovative parlor designs, new construction, remodels, robotic milkers, dairy waste management and 24/7 tech services. Additionally, the company offers state-of-the-art dairy equipment, parts, and supplies thanks to strategic partnerships with a myriad of the worlds best manufacturers and suppliers. For more information, visit http://www.dairyspecialists.com/.

Priority Robotics of Tillamook Inc. is a dairy robotics dealership established in 2015, by farmers for farmers. The company proudly sells equipment made by Lely of North America. With a business model based on reliability, consistency and efficiency, Priority Robotics is a trusted supplier, contributing to the success of their customers. Along with Lely, Priority Robotics takes customers to the next level in dairy automation.

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Dairy Specialists LLC announces acquisition of Priority Robotics of Tillamook Inc. - Tillamook Headlight-Herald

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Automotive Robotics Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2021 - 2026)" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

The automotive robotics market iwas valued at USD 9 billion in 2020 and is anticipated to reach USD 16 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of over 10% during the forecast period (2021 - 2026).

Companies Mentioned

Key Market Trends

Technological innovations are driving the market growth

The automotive manufacturing segment has been taking rapid steps in the industrial automation domain emerging as a role model for the other industries by showcasing how automation should be utilized to scale up the value chain and achieve zero-defects manufacturing. The automotive industry has been an early adopter of robotics for applications, like welding, painting, glue dispensing, etc. However, there are plenty of robotic applications available to choose from within the industry.

Now, the automotive industry is shifting its focus toward the new technology trends, like compact robot and controller, higher communication speed, low spatter, and high-speed welding, human collaborative robot with industry 4.0.

Now with all application automobile company moving toward Internet of Things (IoT). Growth in the IoT concept and technological advances have boosted the use of automated technologies in various industries. The high penetration rate of smart devices and the use of wireless and cloud technologies will change the face and mode of operation of robots in the near future.

Asia-Pacific is Expected to Lead the Automotive Robotics Market

Asia-Pacific is the fastest developing region globally, with countries, like India, China, Taiwan, and South Korea evolving as the leaders in this region. Leading vendors, such as ABB and KUKA are instituting the region as their operation's base. Furthermore, government regulations and funds have empowered projects to improve the infrastructure. These aspects have made APAC the favored automotive manufacturing hub, which will drive the automotive robotics market.

Countries, such as China and India are the principal countries in Asia-Pacific in terms of development, and many industries, such as automotive, electronics, and aviation are opening their factories in these countries, which is generating the demand for the automotive robotics market, making Asia-Pacific an emerging region.

Major players in the region are adopting robotics and other advance manufacturing technology for their upcoming vehicles. For instance, in January 2021, Byton has signed a manufacturing deal with Foxconn, which will be providing advanced manufacturing technology, operation management expertise and supply chain resources to Byton. The two companies will work together for Byton's M-Byte electric SUV across all stages of its production line for introducing the SUV in Chinese market by 2022.

Morover, Byton Nanjing factory was built to industry 4.0 standards using leading manufacturing equipment and technology. The welding shop comprise of 335 welding robots by Kuka.

Key Topics Covered:

1 INTRODUCTION

2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

4 MARKET DYNAMICS

4.1 Market Drivers

4.2 Market Restraints

4.3 Industry Attractiveness - Porter's Five Forces Analysis

5 MARKET SEGMENTATION

5.1 By End-user Type

5.2 Component Type

5.3 By Product Type

5.5 Geography

6 COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

7 MARKET OPPORTUNITIES AND FUTURE TRENDS

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/23vrn1

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Insights on the Automotive Robotics Global Market to 2026 - Featuring ABB, Omron Adept Robotics and Honda Motor Among Others - ResearchAndMarkets.com...

Amazon partners with The LEGO Group to donate 200 robotics kits to local Parkland County area community groups to encourage STEM learning

SEATTLE, June 28, 2021 /CNW/ - (NASDAQ: AMZN) Amazon today announced plans to open its first Amazon robotics fulfillment center in Parkland County, Alberta creating more than 1,000 full- and part-time jobs starting at $16 an hour with comprehensive benefits and opportunities to work alongside Amazon Robotics in an industry-leading workplace. The new robotics fulfillment center, set to launch in 2022, is more than 600,000 square feet and will be used to pick, pack and ship small items to customers such as books, electronics, and toys.

To celebrate, Amazon will be donating more than 200 build-your-own robot kits to community groups in the Parkland County area with the goal of providing the resources necessary to introduce local youth to the world of robotics, unlock their imagination and explore a new challenge.

"We're excited to expand our operations and create great, safe careers of the future for talented Albertans starting on Day One," said Vibhore Arora, Regional Director, Amazon Canada. "Robotics and advanced technologies make our fulfillment centres safer and more collaborative, which is a big part of our mission to become Earth's Safest Place to Work."

"This is exciting news for Alberta. It is a vote of confidence in our economy, and will create over a thousand jobs for Albertans, right when we need them most. As we continue to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, high-tech investments like this will continue to get people back to work as we diversify and look towards the future," said Alberta Premier Jason Kenney. "Thank you to Amazon as well for the generosity you've shown to community groups in Parkland County with the donation of 200 robotics kits to support STEM learning."

"Amazon's vote of confidence in Alberta with their new robotics fulfillment centre shows the momentum our province has in the technology space while enhancing their customer experience and creating a thousand jobs," said Doug Schweitzer, Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation.

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"Council is tremendously excited to welcome Amazon to Parkland County," said Mayor Rod Shaigec. "The facility is a major investment and will create a significant number of jobs in the region."

"I'm excited for our young people, a top five global business leader focused on technology and commerce innovation is setting up operations across the street in Parkland County," said William Morin, Chief of the Enoch Cree Nation 135. "This means our young people have a real example of the future global economy they can be a part of."

Working with robots at AmazonOver the past two decades, Amazon has introduced many innovations and different elements of technology to help deliver products quickly and reliably to meet ever-growing customer needs and expectations - Amazon Robotics is one of these innovations.

Since the launch of Amazon Robotics at fulfillment centers in 2012, Amazon has created around 300,000 jobs worldwide. The smart systems support employees in their tasks, and the company continues to invest in new logistics centers, jobs and workplace safety measures.

As Alberta's first Amazon robotics facility, it is also an important investment in the province's growing technology sector and results in increased job growth and upskilling opportunities for Amazon employees.

"Collaborative jobs between robots and humans as full-fledged teammates have the potential to not just increase quality, make jobs safer and faster but to enable humans to be more creative, and innovative, and to cooperatively solve many of humanity's greatest challenges," said Dr. Alex Ramirez-Serrano, Professor of the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at the University of Calgary.

Interested parties can learn more about Amazon Robotics and the growth opportunities it brings to Alberta at an upcoming webinar hosted by Inventures, one of Western Canada's most prominent tech startup conferences. Registration link coming soon.

Job creation, career growth and economic benefitAll operational employees receive hours of safety training and ongoing career coaching. Employees at the Parkland County facility will have access to continuing education opportunities through Amazon's upskilling programs like Career Choice, where the company pre-pays up to 95 per cent of tuition for courses related to in-demand fields. Full-time employees will also receive competitive benefits including hourly wages starting at $16 in the province, medical, vision and dental coverage, a group RRSP plan, stock awards, and performance-based bonuses starting on day one.

Amazon employs more than 3,600 employees full- and part-time operations employees in the Prairie provinces and has invested more than $600M in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. To learn more about the economic benefits Amazon Canada is creating, read the company's Economic Report.

Engaging the Alberta community in the world of roboticsTo celebrate, Amazon and the LEGO Group will donate 200 robotics kits to local community groups in the Parkland County area where the new robotics fulfillment centre will be located. Over the next month, groups such as Boys and Girls Club, Alberta Parenting for the Future Association, Parkland Village School and Stoney Plain Public Library will receive a shipment of build-your-own kits and their program participants can begin building, coding, and learning about robotics. Amazon wants to inspire the local Parkland County community to engage in the world of robotics and gain access to a new and exciting pastime to mark the occasion.

For more information about current job openings in Alberta, visit http://www.amazondelivers.jobs.

About AmazonAmazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Amazon strives to be Earth's Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth's Best Employer, and Earth's Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.

SOURCE Amazon Canada

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View original content: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2021/28/c6508.html

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Amazon Expands in Alberta with the Province's First Amazon Robotics Fulfillment Center, Creates More Than 1,000 New Full- and Part-Time Jobs - Yahoo...

The Green Industrys labor crisis is driving an increased need for autonomous robotic solutions. Scythe Roboticsis answering that demand with the introduction of an all-electric, fully autonomous mower for commercial grade use.

This new technology also meets the call for more sustainable solutions which will empower the commercial landscape industry to further curtail the release of fossil fuel and noise emissions.

To date, commercial landscape contractors havent had a technology partner who enables them to keep up with demand and to operate emissions-free.We are that partner, said Jack Morrison, co-founder and CEO of Scythe, in a company press release.

Our autonomous mower gives them the ability to grow their business, while staying green. Its designed from the ground up to be an order of magnitude more reliable, more productive, and safer than any existing machine by incorporating state of the art autonomy with a rugged, all-electric design, Morrison added.

According to Fred Haskett, veteran landscape consultant with The Harvest Group and Scythe advisor, this will be a gamechanger for the industry.

Mowing sits at the center of a green industry labor crisis, he says. In full-service landscape management companies, mowing operations account for up to 40 percent of labor utilization.

Green Industry veteran Fred Haskett is an advisor for Scythe.Scythe Robotics

The Scythe autonomous mower features eight HDR cameras and a suite of other sensors which will enable it to operate safely and respond to the presence of humans, animals, and other potential obstacles in its path. The machine also captures valuable property and mower performance data which will help landscape contractors to improve workflow, identify upsell opportunities, schedule more efficiently, and manage labor costs.

Haskett says that the fact that this mower is not a retrofit, but rather built from the ground, up, as a commercial mower is a differentiator. Haskett was brought on as an advisor three years ago and says that the robotics company has been listening closely that entire time as to what the industry needs.

Scythe saw a need but came from outside of our industry, Haskett explains. I came on board to connect them to landscape professionals so that they could better understand their wants and needs. They were robotics experts but needed to better understand pattern cutting, quality of cut, deck size, how robust to build the deck, and many other industry specifics that would allow them to build a mower that met landscapers demands.

Haskett says that Scythe has connected with all of the members of his peer groupswhich are made up of landscaping companies from 2 to 50 million. And theyve sat with them and listened.

Its been a very detailed process, he says. But the end result is a mower that is going to fulfill industry needs.

Scythe also announced its $13.8M in Series A funding, led by Inspired Capital with participation from existing investors True Ventures, Zigg Capital, and Lemnos, brining the companys total funding to $18.6M. According to the company, the new investment will be used to grow their existing operations in Texas, Florida, and Colorado, expand with new customers, and accelerate development of future products that they expect to continue to impact efficiency and productivity, despite labor challenges.

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Scythe Robotics delivers robotic solution to the industry labor crisis - Total Landscape Care

In 2013, Google started a pioneering and ostentatious effort to manufacture robots. With time, its target has become self-effacing but with time the technology is also subtly more advanced. Since 2013, the internet company has depleted tens of millions of dollars in buying six robotics start-ups in Japan and in the United States. The project consisted of two teams that are majoring in machines that moved and looked like humans. Andy Rubin, the Vice President of engineering who was behind the effort of creating such projects named it Replicant in a nod to Googles great ambition. Also, the name was used in a science-fiction movie called Blade Runner.

However, with the passing time over the next few years, Google sold off the companies that have been acquired by it or shut them down. The Japanese conglomerate SoftBank bought the best-known project named Boston Dynamics from Google.

In recent years, with the advancement of modern technology, Google accumulated and reassessed its target on the mechanics of complex robots. For the last few years, Google has been remodeling its program focusing on robots that are much more manageable and simpler than human-shaped machines.

Vincent Vanhoucke, who previously helped Google in building Google Brain that researches artificial intelligence is now leading the new robotics at Google. This new effort is called robotics at Google. It includes many of the engineers and researchers who worked under Mr. Rubin. Its new model will be able to learn skills independently using machine learning without human intervention, like traversing in a warehouse that is filled with unexpected objects. The machines may not impressive or attractive as the earlier humanoid robots but this more advanced technology incorporated inside them gives them more perspective in the real world.

In the warehouse and on factory floors, Robots are already in use but they can only operate certain specific tasks only like turning screws or picking up objects. Taking the help of machine learning Google wants the machines with which it is working to learn on their own.

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Google Made a Come Back in The World of Robotics - Analytics Insight

The University of Washington Husky Robotics team runs its Hindsight rover through the paces at the 2021 Virtual University Rover Challenge. (UW Photo / Andy Freeberg)

The University of Washingtons Husky Robotics team was the top-performing U.S. team and third in the world in the 2021 University Rover Challenge earlier this month.

The competition, which involved 13 teams from five countries, consisted of teams designing and building Mars rovers that could perform a variety of tasks.

Normally staged in the Utah desert to mimic a Mars environment, the challenge was remote this year due to COVID-19, and the UW team used a university recreation field to put its Hindsight rover through its paces while following instructions from judges.

Teams competed in three missions: Equipment Servicing mission, Autonomous Navigation mission and Extreme Retrieval and Delivery mission. A perfect score of 100 in that final mission including successfully navigating a 30-degree incline and 3-foot drop helped Husky Robotics to its impressive overall finish.

It was an engineering challenge to get this one-meter drop to work, Dylan Klavins, chassis lead for Husky Robotics, said in a UW News story. We figured out the kinematics of the fall shortly before competition and had our dedicated team prepare this sort of spoiler-looking roll bar out of whatever we had on hand. When we drove off the ramp we had to brace for broken electronics and an imminent rebuild of the arm, yet our solution managed to easily break the fall.

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University of Washingtons Husky Robotics is top U.S. team at Rover Challenge - GeekWire