Global Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Robotics

Portescap’s R22T gearhead. | Source: Portescap Portescap introduced the new R22T gearhead, the latest addition to its existing 22mm gearbox portfolio. As a mid-torque gearhead, the R22T fills the gap between Portescap’s light-torque R22 and high-torque R22HT gearheads. It is also fully compatible with Portescap’s brush DC and brushless DC slotless motors. This gearbox features a .87 in (22 mm) diameter, a full metal design, and delivers continuous torque up to 1.5 Nm. The standout feature of the R22T is its lower heat generation, staying an average of 20% cooler at desired working points than competitive solutions. This results in improved energy utilization, decreased energy wastage, and an extended lifespan. The R22T is an excellent choice for applications that require mid-range performance in a powerful, compact package, such as those in Robotics, Industrial Power Tools, and Aerospace and Defense. Specific examples include Control Actuation Systems (CAS), window shade actuatio...

RoboBusiness , which runs Oct. 18-19 in Santa Clara, doesn’t just cater to established robotics companies. This industry event features a plethora of startups looking to make their mark on the world. RoboBusiness provides a variety of opportunities for robotics startups to learn, network, and continue to scale their business. Here are 6 reasons why robotics startups must attend this event. Startup Bootcamp RoboBusiness partnered with MassRobotics on a startup bootcamp that covers the major stages in a startup’s formation. Topics include legal formation, stock options and patents, investment strategy, the path to manufacturing, best practices in accounting, and bringing on marketing, sales and HR experts, as well as fundraising and exits. Learn more about the boot camp by viewing the RoboBusiness agenda . Connect with investors Leading robotics industry investors will be at RoboBusiness to learn about the current state of robotics and share insights about how to attract fundi...

Last week, the city of Salinas, California played host to the 2023 FIRA USA agricultural robotics show. The exhibition showcased over 25 innovative agricultural robotics solutions and associated technology vendors.  The focal point of this year’s show was undoubtedly the captivating in-field demonstrations, showcasing a variety of autonomous solutions operating on real plants. In a strategic move to enhance the overall experience, this year’s highly anticipated event was rescheduled from its previous October date to the month of September. The primary objective behind this decision was to facilitate the live in-field demonstrations. Based on my own experience, this decision proved to be a resounding success for the vendors involved. However, the unfortunate side effect of putting the show at the end of the growing season was that the event was lightly attended by actual farmers, who had to stay home to harvest their crops. I talked to multiple vendors who were disappointed by ...

Socially and emotionally intelligent robots pose an incredible opportunity not only for the market but for our loved ones young and old. Embodied has built an advanced social interface that enables human-like interaction: changes in the intonation of voice, smiling, reading body language and eye contact, and more without long, awkward pauses or the need for the use of constant wake words. Moxie the robot has helped neurodivergent and neurotypical children with social, emotional, and cognitive development. This includes specific content modules and conversations around making mistakes, reading, emotional regulation and recognition, making friends, and more. It has the ability to recognize progress and understanding of topics and can prompt children when it detects the child could benefit from further development in an area. Moxie is also able to respond with eye contact and gesticulate with its arms, making for a more believable, personal experience. This framework is being applied ...

ABB Robotics released its new modular OptiFact   software platform, which streamlines data collection, visualization, and analysis in automated production facilities. The platform enables users to collect, manage, and analyze data from hundreds of factory devices, including ABB robots, to determine key performance indicators including cycle time and overall equipment efficiency (OEE). By speeding up diagnostics and decision-making, OptiFact increases the production line uptime with less engineering effort, ensuring production can keep pace with customer demand.  “Across industries, we see a dramatic increase in the digitalization of manufacturing as companies seek to increase the flexibility, efficiency, and sustainability of their operations in the face of changing consumer behaviors and long-term global skilled labor shortages,” Marc Segura, President of ABB Robotics, said. “At ABB Robotics, we are enabling this shift with software products that businesses need to acceler...

Marc Raibert (left), a Spot quadruped (center) and Dr. Kate Darling. | Credit: The AI Institute The AI Institute, an organization that aims to solve the most important and fundamental problems in robotics and AI, hired Dr. Kate Darling to lead its study of ethics and societal impact. In this role, Darling will lead a team of researchers to explore key societal questions related to the development of intelligent machines. The rapid advance of robotics and AI has created challenges with regard to public perception, technical literacy, government policy and media coverage. Scientific data are needed to ground conversations, as well as guide the development of the technology. Darling’s team will explore immediate as well as long-term questions on the implementation and use of robotics, impact on the workplace, infrastructure and other topics. The team will perform studies and experiments designed to generate data needed for others to make informed ethics and policy decisions, and will ...

Interroll , a global market leader in material handling solutions, today introduced an expansion to the light conveyor platform (LCP) designed to facilitate the handling of lightweight goods with autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). This innovative offering combines Interrolls’ decades of experience in traditional conveyor systems with leading-edge AMR technology from Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR) , empowering customers worldwide to streamline internal logistics while serving as a flexible bridge between fixed conveyor systems and production lines. MiR’s AMRs are versatile robot platforms capable of accommodating myriad top modules and other accessories to enhance their functionality. Interroll’s LCP AMR top module is the newest certified application in the MIR Go partner program, the largest ecosystem of AMR applications with more than 160 top modules that seamlessly connect to the mobile robots. Problem Interroll’s facility in Ticino Switzerland, specializing in techno-polymer injec...

According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) World Robotics report recorded 553,052 industrial robot installations in factories around the world – a growth rate of 5% in 2022, year-on-year. By region, 73% of all newly deployed robots were installed in Asia, 15% in Europe and 10% in the Americas. “The world record of 500,000 units was exceeded for the second year in succession,” said Marina Bill, President of the International Federation of Robotics. “In 2023 the industrial robot market is expected to grow by 7% to more than 590,000 units worldwide.” In 2021, according to the IFR, 517,385 new industrial robots were installed in factories around the world. That was the record at the time and represented 31% year-over-year in 2021. Asia, Europe and the Americas China is by far the world´s largest market. In 2022, annual installations of 290,258 units replaced the previous record of 2021 by growth of 5%. This latest gain is remarkable since it even tops the 2021 res...

Dexterity AI announced a collaboration with FedEx Corp to leverage AI-powered robotic technology to load boxes into trucks and trailers. Dexterity’s propriety mobile robot design, called DexR, navigates autonomously to the back of trailers and uses its two robotic arms to load boxes from a powered conveyor system into the truck.  Truck loading is one of the most challenging and labor-intensive tasks in parcel hubs. Manual loading of trailers is taxing, and previous technology approaches have not been able to handle the complex decision-making required to stack the wide range of shipments, like those encountered in the FedEx network. At FedEx, robotic systems need to be able to handle packages that vary in size, shape, weight, and packaging material.  “Our culture of innovation is driven by a desire to help our team members and customers succeed,” Rebecca Yeung, corporate vice president of Operations Science and Advanced Technologies for FedEx, said. “Based on feedback from...

Dobot Robotics , a manufacturer of collaborative robot arms, opened its U.S. office in Dallas, marking a major milestone in its global expansion strategy. The company is also launching the new CRA series of collaborative robot arms (cobots) and the associated VX500 Smart Camera in the U.S. market. The cross-sector products expand its range of cobots for companies in dozens of industries, including electronics, automotive, metal processing, and so on. “The Dallas office functions as the headquarters for Dobot’s North American operations, encompassing a showroom, training center, logistics hub, and service center. Leveraging our U.S. subsidiary, we are committed to enhancing support for our local partners and customers, delivering top-notch products and services, and continually strengthening our presence in North America,” Alla Huang, General Manager of Dobot USA, said. Inside the CRA cobot series The new CRA series is made up of seven models with a minimum payload of 3 kilograms (a...

A team of researchers at the University of Washington has developed robotic, shape-changing smart speakers that can deploy themselves to divide rooms into speech zones and track the positions of individual speakers.  Using deep learning algorithms, the system is able to allow users to mute certain areas or separate simultaneous conversations, even if two people near each other have similar voices. The robots, each about one inch in diameter, can deploy from, and return to, a charging station on their own, similar to a Roomba.  Unlike previous research on robot swarms, which have required using overhead or on-device cameras, projectors, or special surfaces, the UW team’s system is able to accurately distribute a robot swarm using only sound.  The team’s prototype is made up of seven small robots that spread themselves across tables of various sizes. As they move from their charger, each robot emits a high-frequency sound. The robots use this frequency and other sensor...

In this episode of IntuitiveTalks , Tony Jarc, Sr. Director of Digital & Machine Learning at Intuitive, walks us through the evolving landscape of surgical robotics, highlighting the transformative potential of AI and machine learning in enhancing surgical procedures, providing real-time guidance to ensure the best possible patient outcomes. Jarc also introduces Case Insights enabled by the My Intuitive hub, a digital tool designed to offer surgeons valuable post-operative feedback. But the platform’s potential goes beyond the data. Jarc also underscores the significance of collaborating with surgeons from the early stages of product development to ensure its useability and effectiveness. As surgical robotics continue to advance, Jarc’s insights provide a glimpse into how technology and human expertise can work in tandem for improved surgical procedures. Listen now to learn more about how Intuitive is not just embracing the intersection of AI and surgical robotics but using it t...

The Robot Report Podcast · TRI using generative AI to teach robots; Four Growers on developing harvesting robots This week’s episode focuses heavily on the agricultural robotics industry. Cohost Mike Oitzman shares his insights from FIRA USA ag-robotics event in Salinas CA. At FIRA, the leading ag robotics companies demonstrated their solutions in live demos where the vehicles operated in real fields with real plants. For our featured interview this week, we sit down with Brandon Contino, CEO and co-founder of Four Growers , a startup building robots to harvest foods grown in greenhouses. Brandon talks about the technical and business challenges related to the robot and how focusing on greenhouses helps product evolution. Episode timeline 13:43     FIRA USA update with Mike Oitzman 27:40     Interview with Brandon Contino News of the week Agility Robotics announces new “Robofab” 75K sq ft manufacturing facility in Corvalis OR. The facility will eventua...

Boxbot’s system dynamically adapts the space required for each payload. | Source: Boxbot Boxbot , a company that develops three-dimensional conveyor systems that transform package handling, has raised $12 million in Series A funding. This brings the company’s total funding raised to date to $29.5 million.  Boxbot’s package handling system brings together intelligent software with a novel hardware platform designed for high-throughput operations. The company plans to use the new funding to accelerate the company’s mission of enabling carriers to provide more efficient delivery experiences and bolster the team’s engineering and business operations.  “Carriers have expanded their network capacities aggressively during the hypergrowth phase of e-commerce preceding and throughout COVID,” Boxbot founder and CEO Austin Oehlerking said. “The next phase will be about using automation to enable volume growth through higher productivity, especially as the lasting impact of labor sho...

FERNRIDE plans to use its latest funding to amplify its position as a leader in autonomous trucking. | Source: FERNRIDE FERNRIDE , a Germany-based autonomous trucking startup, has brought in an additional $19 million in its Series A funding round. This brings that round to a total of $50 million, just a few months after the round’s first $31 million was announced .  This latest round of funding will further cement FERNRIDE’s position as a leader in autonomous, electric trucking by accelerating the company’s growth. The company plans to use the funding to amplify its position as a category leader in autonomous trucking. Fernride’s end-to-end system has integrated its autonomous yard trucks into the production operations of Volkswagen, DB Schenker, BSH, and HHLA over the past 12 months. FERNRIDE aims to allow its customers to have a seamless transition towards automation. Autonomous driving technology has come a long way in recent years, but there are still edge cases and circum...

Waabi announced a strategic partnership with Uber Freight to accelerate the deployment of AI-powered autonomous trucks at scale. Waabi provides carriers with the services and infrastructure to deploy, maintain, and manage their autonomous assets seamlessly.  The strategic agreement pairs Waabi’s core technology, its Waabi Driver, with Uber Freight’s vast logistics platform and marketplace technology to deliver a turnkey driver-as-a-service system. Waabi hopes its unique system will empower carriers to dynamically and effectively deploy the Waabi Driver while also unlocking critical capacity for shippers and driving value throughout the supply chain.  Over the next 10 years, Waabi and Uber Freight plan to deploy Waabi Drivers with billions of miles of capacity alongside carrier partners on the Uber Freight network. The companies hope the technology will have a meaningful impact on shippers and carriers over the long term.  The autonomous commercial loads, which starte...

Starting a robotics company, as well as growing and scaling, has many challenges. These can include taking a robot from prototype to production, raising funding, navigating government regulations, reaching their target audience, and more.  The Robotics Startup Boot Camp at RoboBusiness , which takes place in Santa Clara, CA on October 18-19, will provide “tips of the trade” and include discussions around the many common challenges that can make or break a company along the way. Topics will include legal formation, dilutive and non-dilutive investments, IP and patents, path to manufacturing, accounting, when to bring on marketing, sales, & HR experts, and fundraising & exits. The BootCamp will feature five speakers that will share their first-hand experience working with startups: Drew Fortin is the Founder and CEO of Lever Talent. Fortin is a people-first, values-driven leader with over 20 years of growth strategy and team-building experience across retail, marketing ...

Versius surgical robotics systems. | Source: CMR Surgical CMR Surgical  announced today that it raised a funding round worth $165 million (£133 million) and hit a milestone with its surgical robot. The Cambridge, U.K.–based company develops the Versius surgical robotic system. Versius is a small-scale system with collaborative arms and bedside units for direct patient access. It also features freedom of port placement to best suit the needs of each patient.  CMR Surgical features on our list of surgical robotics companies you need to know. According to a news release, the latest round of funding for CMR Surgical was increased due to strong internal demand. All major existing investors, including Ally Bridge Group, Cambridge Innovation Capital, Escala Capital, LGT and its affiliate Lightrock, RPMI Railpen, SoftBank Vision Fund 2 and Tencent and Watrium all led the round. CMR Surgical earmarked the funds to drive continued product innovation, including new technologic...

Diligent Robotics’ Moxi can deliver medications, patient supplies and lab samples, fetch items from central supply and distribute PPE. | Source: Diligent Robotics Diligent Robotics closed a $25 million funding round for its Moxi autonomous mobile robot (AMR). The company plans to use the funding to fuel system-wide expansions of Moxi across hospitals nationwide, enhance product development and triple its market reach.  Canaan led the round, which also included participation from returning investors True Ventures, DNX Ventures, and Next Coast Ventures. Northwestern Medicine Innovation joined as a strategic investor in the round. Rich Boyle from Canaan is joining Diligent’s board of directors.  Diligent’s Moxi is an AMR that works across health systems to improve operational efficiency of hospital care teams so they have more time for patient care and can practice at the top of their license.  “The incredible demand we’ve seen for Moxi is a testament to the clear val...