Archive 23.06.2021

Without GPS, autonomous systems get lost easily. Now a new algorithm developed at Caltech allows autonomous systems to recognize where they are simply by looking at the terrain around them—and for the first time, the technology works regardless of seasonal changes to that terrain.

Farming robots that can move autonomously in an open field or greenhouse promise a cleaner, safer agricultural future. But there are also potential downsides, from the loss of much-needed jobs to the safety of those working alongside the robots.

The team at Amazon-owned Zoox has released an in-depth safety report detailing the safety features engineers have built into the company's autonomous vehicle, a robo-taxi, and have published it online.

Paperless automation saves space, money, and boosts security. The ease of transferring information while promoting the environmentally sound choices makes this process logical for all manufacturers, particularly food manufacturers.

Imagine flexible surgical instruments that can twist and turn in all directions like miniature octopus arms, or how about large and powerful robot tentacles that can work closely and safely with human workers on production lines. A new generation of robotic tools are beginning to be realized thanks to a combination of strong 'muscles' and sensitive 'nerves' created from smart polymeric materials. A research team led by the smart materials experts Professor Stefan Seelecke and Junior Professor Gianluca Rizzello at Saarland University is exploring fundamental aspects of this exciting field of soft robotics.

Toyota Research Institute (TRI) has announced on its press blog that engineers with the company have developed new capabilities for its line of domestic robots. The new capabilities include recognizing and manipulating transparent objects and wiping down counters and tables. In the video accompanying the announcement, a robot grabs a smartphone off a table and uses it to take a selfie video as it carries on with cleaning a kitchen.

The technological change in the automotive industry, among others, is also affecting the Zimmer Group - the automation specialist from Germany is well prepared.

Humans and robots may be sharing some of the same goals and manufacturing spaces soon as autonomy and robot technology continue to advance. Researchers at Texas A&M University are analyzing how they can work in unison to allow for one party to step up where the other may temporarily lack.

Humans and robots may be sharing some of the same goals and manufacturing spaces soon as autonomy and robot technology continue to advance. Researchers at Texas A&M University are analyzing how they can work in unison to allow for one party to step up where the other may temporarily lack.

With Boston Dynamics, the Group will create a robotics value chain, from robot component manufacturing to smart logistics solutions

How the brain lets us perceive and navigate the world is one of the most fascinating aspects of cognition. When orienting ourselves, we constantly combine information from all six senses in a seemingly effortless way—a feature that even the most advanced AI systems struggle to replicate.

Cardiac surgeons may be able to better plan operations and improve their surgical field view with the help of a robot. Controlled through a virtual reality parallel system as a digital twin, the robot can accurately image a patient through ultrasound without the hand cramping or radiation exposure that hinder human operators. The international research team published their method in IEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica.

For five years, the EPSRC UK Robotics and Autonomous Systems (UK-RAS) Network have been holding the UK Robotics Week. This year’s edition kicked off on the 19th of June as the UK Festival of Robotics with the aim of boosting public engagement in robotics and intelligent systems. The festival features online events, special competitions, and interactive activities for robot enthusiasts of all ages. Among them, we chose to recommend you the Robot Lab Live session that will take place online on Wednesday the 23rd of June, 4pm – 6pm (BST).

Robot Lab Live is a virtual robotics showcase featuring 16 of the UK’s top robotics research groups. Each team will show-off their cutting-edge robots and autonomous systems simultaneously to live audiences on YouTube. You can flick between different demos running during the two-hour livestream, ask questions and interact with the research teams in the chat. Here’s the link to watch the livestream.

Apart from Robot Lab Live, there are other interactive (and online!) events that we find of particular interest:

• Mosaix with Swarm Robot Tiles (Tuesday the 22nd of June, 4pm – 6pm BST): In this event, you will be able to remotely control your own Tile at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory to create collective art with other users. Tiles are small, 4-inch screens-on-wheels that users can draw on, colour, and move. ‘Mosaix’ emerges from the interactions between swarms of robot ‘Tiles’.
• Tech Tag (Thursday the 24th of June, 5pm – 7pm BST): Control one of our robots at Harwell campus in Oxford as they play a high-tech version of the schoolyard classic – tag. Visit this website to join one of the four robot teams (blue, purple, red or yellow) and vote for where your robot should go next to avoid being tagged. If you’re it – try to catch one of the other robots as quickly as you can! With live commentary from science communicator and presenter, Sam Langford.
• CSI Robot (Friday the 25th of June, 3pm – 4pm BST): Would you like to try being an accident investigator, finding out the cause of incidents involving humans and social robots? Then join us for this fun, interactive session!

To find out about more events, please visit this website.

The Geek+ RoboShuttle™ bin-to-person picking solution can achieve high-density storage by using the innovative Geek+ C200 narrow aisle design while maintaining high operating and storage efficiency. The robot uses the Geek+ intelligent system, with AI algorithms covering order analysis and robot scheduling to make entire warehouse operations more flexible, scalable, and productive. The RoboShuttle™ can be connected to a variety of automation equipment such as conveyor lines and other robots, which is convenient for integration and customized project deployment.

Preparing food often involves some amount of nuance and reacting on the fly to different variables. This unpredictability is why kitchen robots haven’t seen much use. That is, until now.