Global Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Robotics

Fraunhofer developed O3dyn to explore new concepts of AMR motion and dynamics for logistics operations. | Credit: Fraunhofer IPA The Fraunhofer Institute in Germany conducts practical research in a number of important fields, including AI, cybersecurity, and medicine. One of its 76 research institutes, the Fraunhofer IML group, seeks to advance robotics and logistics. The researchers are testing the simulation capabilities of NVIDIA Isaac Sim to potentially enhance the design of robots.  Its most recent mobile robot development, O3dyn, uses technologies developed by NVIDIA for simulation and robotics to produce an indoor-outdoor autonomous mobile robot (AMR). “We’re looking at how we can go as fast and as safely as possible in logistics scenarios,” said Julian Eber, a robotics and AI researcher at Fraunhofer IML. The latest research aims to bridge the sim-to-real gap by developing and validating these AMRs in simulation. The researchers use Isaac Sim to train the AMR virtua...

Nexar uses data gathered from its dash cameras to develop its Driver Behavioral Map. | Source: Nexar Nexar , an Israeli AI computer vision company, announced the release of its Driver Behavioral Maps, which aim to make autonomous vehicles (AVs) drive more naturally. The maps make use of crowd-sourced driving data from Nexar’s dash cameras, which provide information about human driving behavior. This data is aggregated and overlaid on a high-definition base map to assist AVs in learning the local driving culture and important driving habits. “A self-driving car that drives only according to a raw map would be an immediate danger due to its robotic style of driving,” Eran Shir , co-founder and CEO of Nexar, said. “It’s not necessarily that humans drive better than robots, it’s that AVs need a lot of human data obtained by those who have driven through a particular area. Without even being aware, we make hundreds of decisions that adapt to local conditions, culture, and comfort each ...

A couple of months ago, Amazon unveiled its first-ever autonomous mobile robot (AMR) Proteus . The company first entered the mobile robot space in 2012, when it acquired Kiva Systems for $775 million . Kiva Systems offered automated guided vehicles (AGVs) that have been at work in Amazon’s warehouses since.  Proteus has a similar design to the Kiva robots. It slides under Amazon’s GoCarts, lifts them up and moves them across warehouses to employees or other robotic cells. Unlike the Kiva robots, which currently operate in caged-off spaces away from Amazon employees, Proteus is able to work freely among them.  This change means that Proteus needs to be prepared to adapt quickly to unexpected changes in its environment. John Enright, principal engineer at Amazon Robotics, recently gave some insight into how the company developed the technology behind Proteus. He explained the approach to the AMR’s navigation in the video above. “Our design focuses on safety, efficiency an...

Boston Dynamics’ Stretch robot. | Credit: Boston Dynamics NFI , a leading third-party logistics provider (3PL), is spending $10 million to deploy Boston Dynamics ‘ Stretch robot across its U.S. warehousing operations. Initially, Stretch will unload trucks and containers as a pilot program at NFI’s Savannah, GA facility in 2023. Additional deployments will take place over the next few years. Founded in 1932, NFI is one of the oldest and largest privately-held 3PL in North America. It serves customers throughout various industries and operates more than 65 million square feet of warehouse space. NFI generates more than $3.8 billion in annual revenue, employs over 16,000 associates and owns and operates a dedicated fleet of 5,100 tractors and 13,200 trailers. “At a time when companies need to evolve to meet consumer expectations, NFI has stepped in as the innovative logistics partner, contributing to our customers’ competitive edge,” said Sid Brown, CEO of NFI. “Our innovation portfo...

Sally Miller, CIO, North America, DHL Supply Chain DHL is using robotics to support numerous warehousing and logistics tasks. DHL innovates its logistics workflow and the tools and technologies deployed in DHL distribution centers around the world, as the company continually improves its efficiency. Sally Miller, DHL Supply Chain’s chief information officer for North America, recently spoke to The Robot Report about the types of robots the company uses and the innovation cycle it employs to find the most effective solutions. Sally Miller will also be a keynote speaker at RoboBusiness , which takes place in Santa Clara on Oct 19-20, 2022. The full interview with Sally was featured on a recent episode of The Robot Report Podcast, which you can listen to here . The text below has been edited for brevity and clarity. Boston Dynamics and DHL have been working closely together for the last couple of years to test the Stretch robot. The robot will be tasked with several box-moving ta...

Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana tweeted yesterday that the company would open up fully driverless, autonomous robotaxi rides in downtown Phoenix to its trusted tester program members today. The company kicked off the program yesterday when Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego hailed a trip with one of the company’s robotaxis.  Waymo is branding the rides as “rider only” trips to indicate that there is no safety driver behind the wheel of Waymo’s autonomous Jaguar I-Pace EVs. The service is currently only available to Waymo’s trusted tester service members, who sign non-disclosure agreements preventing them from posting about the rides or discussing them with journalists. Waymo said it plans to open it up to members of the public in the future. The company has been testing its technology in Phoenix since 2017. Waymo began driving in the Phoenix suburbs of Chandler, Tempe and Mesa in 2020. In May 2022, it announced it would open up rides in downtown Phoenix to its employees.  Waymo...

iRobot’s Roomba j7 robot vacuum has a front-facing camera. | Credit: iRobot iRobot has over the years discussed its approach to protecting customer data collected by its Roomba robot vacuums. And it’s doing so again as the topic has resurfaced thanks to Amazon’s pending $1.7 billion acquisition of iRobot . There haven’t been too many consumer robotics companies to write home about in recent memory. And, unfortunately, these privacy concerns have overshadowed the major success story that is iRobot. The newest Roombas use cameras to navigate around and create maps of their environments. According to iRobot , customers can opt-out of having its robots store the layout of their homes. Nevertheless, data privacy advocates worry that Roombas give Amazon more eyes into our homes and a deeper understanding of products we might be more likely to purchase. Amazon has denied this, saying “we do not use home maps for targeted advertising and have no plans to do so.” In a blog posted on Link...

The Bebot robot can clean 32,000 square feet of beach per hour. | Source: Meijer Meijer , a midwestern retailer, is using the BeBot and Pixie Drone to clean up midwestern beaches and waterways. The project is part of Meijer’s participation in the Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup Program. Meijer is collaborating with the Council of the Great Lakes Region (CGLR) on the project. The BeBot is a remote-controlled beach cleaning robot that has a cleaning capacity of 32,000 square feet per hour. The solar and battery-powered robot rakes through sand without making changes to the beach environment, collecting plastic litter and other waste. Things like bottles, cans, food wrappers and cigarette butts are gathered into a basket for disposal and recycling. The Pixie Drone is a remote-controlled water drone capable of collecting up to 200 lbs of material per use. The drone navigates through busy marinas and other waterways to collect plastic litter and other debris floating on the surface of the ...

A3 tracks robot sales for industrial robots sold in North America. | Source: A3 Robot sales in North America reached a record high for the third straight quarter, according to the Association for Advancing Automation (A3) . North American companies bought 12,305 robots in Q2 2022, a 6% increase from Q1 of 2022 , the industry’s last biggest quarter for sales. This increase in sales was driven by a resurgence in sales in the automotive industry, as well as ongoing demand for automation in logistics for e-commerce. During Q2, 59% of sales came from automotive customers.  While automotive sales have traditionally been the backbone of the industry, that trend began shifting in 2020, when non-automotive sales outpaced automotive sales for the first time . Non-automotive sales have continued to outpace automotive sales through 2021 and into 2022 until this quarter.  The remaining 41% of sales in Q2 came from non-automotive customers, particularly in the food and consumer goods ...

Launching a robotics company, as well as growing and scaling one, presents innovators with many challenges. RoboBusiness , which runs Oct. 19-20 in Santa Clara, is here to help with a Robotics Startup Bootcamp designed to provide tips of the trade to leaders of young companies. Taking place between 3-5 PM on Oct. 19, the two-part Robotics Startup Bootcamp is being organized by MassRobotics and will cover the major stages in startup formation, as well as information specific to the various departments all businesses must have. Topics include legal formation, stock options and patents, dilutive and non-dilutive investments, the path to manufacturing, best practices in accounting, and bringing on marketing, sales, & HR experts, as well as fundraising & exits. Here is a quick look at the Robotics Startup Bootcamp agenda : Introduction: Common challenges facing startups Legal: Setting up a company, IP and patents Design for manufacturing and scaling: opportunities & pitf...

Q-Span EDU Kits use a Universal Robots UR3e cobot with hardware, software and course materials to give hands-on robotic training. | Source: New Scale Robotics New Scale Robotics deployed six of its Q-Span Workstation EDU Kits at Monroe Community College’s (MCC’s) Workforce Development (FWD) Center in Rochester, NY.  The company’s Q-Span Workstation EDU Kits come with a Universal Robots UR3e collaborative robot (cobot) mounted on a sturdy mobile workstation table, metrology lab hardware, a cobot teach pendant with URCaps software to control the cobot and run metrology programs, and PC software to log measurement data for analysis. “U.S. manufacturers are seeking employees with experience in collaborative robots and a basic understanding of metrology for quality control and process improvement,” Stefan Friedrich, Marketing Manager at New Scale Robotics, said. “By adding these courses, the FWD Center continues to give job seekers a competitive edge through hands-on training with...

  Global Conferences on Artificial Intelligence and Robotics website : … https://artificial-intel ligence-conferences.sciencefather.com For Enquiries : air@sciencefather.com Theme: Exploring the Recent research and Advancements in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Artificial Intelligence conferences  organized by ScienceFather group. ScienceFather takes the privilege to invite speakers, participants, students, delegates, and exhibitors from across the globe to its Global Conference on Artificial Intelligence conferences to be held in the beautiful city of Chennai, India. Artificial Intelligence conferences are a discussion of common Inventions-related issues and additionally trade information, share proof, thoughts, and insight into advanced developments in the science inventions service system. 

This episode of The Robot Report Podcast is brought to you by Weintek USA. Let Weintek USA help solve your HMI supply headaches! 4.3″ to 15″ HMIs are IN STOCK now in the US. With advanced features, communication drivers for all common PLCs and free software, transitioning to Weintek USA solutions is simple. For more information visit www.weintekusa.com  or call 1-425-488-1100 Welcome to Episode 90 of The Robot Report Podcast , which brings conversations with robotics innovators straight to you. Join us each week for discussions with leading roboticists, innovative robotics companies and other key members of the robotics community. On this week’s podcast, Jessica Yip, co-founder and chief operating officer of Canadian startup A&K Robotics joins the podcast. She discusses A&K’s autonomous, electric pods that are being tested at airports to move passengers with mobility issues around concourses. Here’s a link to a video of the A&K autonomous mobility pod in action ....

Features of ASI’s SWARMING system include vehicle capability characterization, engage host vehicle autopilot, vehicle-to-vehicle smart stopping and swarming path builder. | Source: ASI Automotive Autonomous Solutions Inc’s ASI Automotive has developed an autonomous system, called SWARMING , that can choreograph testing of advanced driver assist technologies (ADAS) and autonomous vehicle (AV) systems.  Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) typically use simulations to test, validate and verify ADAS and AV systems. However, these simulations can sometimes fall short. Oftentimes, this leaves OEMs with an unaddressed gap in ensuring the safety of these systems before they roll out onto the road.  “We realize that testing high-speed collision anticipation and avoidance is simply too dangerous for human drivers, yet the need for this is now,” Jaren Devey, automotive development manager at ASI, said. “Our solution is to use robot drivers during these dangerous testing phases ...

The ARM Institute will complete a national survey in the summer and fall of 2022. | Source: ARM Institute The Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute is looking for manufacturers and technology providers to complete a major, national survey . The survey aims to identify tools, strategies and guidance that should be prioritized to help manufacturers implement artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) solutions for advanced manufacturing robotic systems.  The survey is being led by the ARM Institute’s Data for Artificial Intelligence Working Group (DAWG). The DAWG aims to develop tools that can decrease the technology gap for manufacturers, so that manufacturers can better understand how to obtain, assess and structure data that’s essential for enabling the use of AI for robotics in manufacturing.  Companies of all sizes looking to advance manufacturing techniques, like AI, ML and robotics, to improve quality, performance and safety, but unsure how ...

Research advancements and technological progress have combined to remove barriers to robotics innovation and commercialization, providing the robotics sector with many opportunities for startups that can deliver robotics solutions that are functional and deliver real value. While funding for robotics start-ups continues to increase, it is equally true that fundraising for a robotics startup can be challenging, more so compared to other sectors and technologies. At RoboBusiness , which takes place October 19-20 in Santa Clara, Calif., a keynote panel of leading robotics sector investment professionals will discuss venture capital (VC) and private sector investment into companies producing robots or enabling technologies. The keynote, called “Robotics Sector Fundraising and Investment – Status, Trends and Recommendations,” will also highlight companies, technologies, and applications that have found commercial success or have the potential for doing so. Macro trends in the robotics se...

(From left to right) Pieter Van Zyl, Mechatronics Engineer, and Andries Louw, co-founder, director and chief pilot, with the AirSeed Drone. | Source: AirSeed Technologies AirSeed Technologies has partnered with CAL International to design and engineer a seed pod delivery system for AirSeed’s tree-planting aerial drones.  The companies began collaborating when AirSeed, an Australian drone startup, approached CAL International, a British engineering and smart tech firm, to ask for help in refining the planting system for its drone technology.  In particular, AirSeed needed to improve the way its existing seed pod delivery system, the AirSeed drone, worked for users and how well it was manufactured. “Working with CAL, they have managed to take an existing delivery system design and turn it into a unique pod delivery mechanism,” Andrew Walker, AirSeed co-founder, said. “The design and engineering that has gone into the aerial platform from CAL also means we can produce a g...

Locus Robotics has signed what it claims to be one of the largest deployments of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) ever. The Wilmington, Mass.-based company will deploy 1,000 of its AMRs at warehouses for GEODIS over the next 24 months. GEODIS is a leading global transport and logistics provider and has used Locus’ AMRs since 2018, when it first deployed Locus’ AMRs at a site in Indiana. The global third-party logistics company (3PL) has currently deployed Locus AMRs at 14 sites around the world, serving a variety of retail and consumer brands, including warehouses in the U.S and Europe. At press time, Locus hadn’t provided how many of its AMRs GEODIS will have overall after these 1,000 are deployed. Locus told The Robot Report it doesn’t have concrete evidence this is one of the largest AMR deals ever. The claim is based on feedback from a variety of sources, including investors, potential customers, and other avenues. But the claim is likely well-founded. Private robotics compan...