Toyota Research Institute’s VP of robotics research explains how TRI is working on algorithmic techniques and simulation to improve manipulation for human-assist robots, eventually in the home.
Conic Systems adds Lifetime Series zero backlash gearing
Conic Systems has developed the new Lifetime (LT) Series, precision, zero backlash harmonic gearboxes designed for high performance direct replacement of traditional high ratio planetary gearheads. The LT Series is available in metric sizes and NEMA 17, 23, 34 and 42 frames. The LT Series’ zero backlash characteristic is maintained for life and its high…
NeuroBlade emerges from stealth with Series A for AI acceleration chip
Israeli startup NeuroBlade has raised $23 million for its AI acceleration chip, which its founders say can run voice recognition and other applications more efficiently and accurately.
Reward learning framework combines demos, preferences to train robots
Told to optimize for speed while racing down a track in a computer game, a car pushes the pedal to the metal … and proceeds to spin in a tight little circle. Nothing in the instructions told the car to drive straight, and so it improvised. This example – funny in a computer game but…
Call for presentations open for Healthcare Robotics Engineering Forum
The Healthcare Robotics Engineering Forum, which is produced by WTWH Media and The Robot Report, is looking for speakers to share their expertise on the design, development, and manufacture of commercial healthcare robotics systems.
KIST researchers teach robot to trap a ball without coding
Using surface electromyograms, or human muscle signals, researchers at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology were able to get a robot to trap a ball like a soccer player. KIST’s team did this without numerical calculation or programming.
Computer vision researchers use special light sources to see around corners
Computer vision researchers have demonstrated they can use special light sources and sensors to see around corners or through gauzy filters, enabling them to reconstruct the shapes of unseen objects. The researchers from Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Toronto and University College London said this technique enables them to reconstruct images in great detail,…
PTC announces initiatives for its AR business
PTC announced initiatives to fuel its AR business and strengthen the Vuforia Augmented Reality (AR) platform. These initiatives include enhanced 3D AR model targets, leveraging Azure Spatial Anchor Services, a collaboration with Matterport to further the PTC enterprise reach into factories and other spaces, and the acquisition of an AR services agency, TWNKLS. “AR redefines […]
MIT algorithm helps robots quickly find objects hidden in dense point clouds
A new MIT-developed technique enables robots to quickly identify objects hidden in a 3D cloud of data, reminiscent of how some people can make sense of a densely patterned “Magic Eye” image if they observe it in just the right way. Robots typically “see” their environment through sensors that collect and translate a visual scene…
Facebook PyRobot goes open source to speed robotics, AI research
PyRobot, which abstracts robotics controls, was developed by Facebook with Carnegie Mellon University. Facebook among the companies making code open source to accelerate robotics development.
WTWH Media Announces Healthcare Robotics Engineering Forum
Inaugural conference and expo addressing healthcare robotics engineering challenges co-locates with DeviceTalks, a leading technical and business development event for the medical device sector. Business-to-Business publisher WTWH Media has announced the launch of the Healthcare Robotics Engineering Forum, an international conference and expo focused on easing, speeding and improving the design, development and manufacture of…
Robotics industry veteran Amy Villeneuve joins Humatics’ board of directors
Amy Villeneuve, helped Kiva Systems grow and led its integration as Amazon Robotics. She will help Humatics brings its microlocation technology for mobile robots in order fulfillment to commercialization.
How 4D radar could impact autonomous vehicles
Coke vs. Pepsi. Nike vs. Adidas. Great product innovation does not come without a debate, even more so when products or companies in question are closely aligned. As the discussion for the future of the autonomous vehicle sensors continues to evolve, discussions surrounding technologies become more intense. A recent stand-out was during Tesla’s Autonomy Day…
Photonic chip could run optical neural networks 10 million times more efficiently
MIT researchers have developed a novel “photonic” chip that uses light instead of electricity — and consumes relatively little power in the process. The chip could be used to process massive neural networks millions of times more efficiently than today’s classical computers do. Neural networks are machine-learning models that are widely used for such tasks…
MIT algorithm helps robots better predict human movement
In 2018, researchers at MIT and the auto manufacturer BMW were testing ways in which humans and robots might work in close proximity to assemble car parts. In a replica of a factory floor setting, the team rigged up a robot on rails, designed to deliver parts between work stations. Meanwhile, human workers crossed its…
Medtronic offers hints about upcoming surgical robot
Medtronic, which has made no secret of its surgical robotics ambitions, partnered with visualization company Karl Storz SE & Co. as it works on its own robot-assisted surgery platform.
MassRobotics, SICK partner to assist robotics startups
SICK, Inc., a manufacturer of sensor solutions for industrial applications, has partnered with MassRobotics. With this partnership, local and global robotics startups and corporations will have better access to sensor and safety solutions from SICK. MassRobotics is a nonprofit organization located in Boston. MassRobotics is the strategic partner of the Robotics Summit & Expo, which…
Sense Photonics raises $26M to expand depth perception for robots, self-driving cars
Sense Photonics has raised Series A funding for its modular, solid-state flash lidar systems, which operate like a camera and are scalable for industrial automation and autonomous vehicles.
Innovative fingers hold promise for assistive robotics, prosthetics
A Canadian researcher has developed soft robotic fingers that use 3D printing to “tune” the rigidity of the fingers to make them both strong and sensitive.
Cornell’s “Pseudo-LiDAR” Advances Vision-Based, 3D Object Recognition for Autonomous Driving
Cornell researchers develop a novel method employing low-cost, stereo cameras that allow autonomous vehicles to detect 3D objects with a range and accuracy approaching that of LiDAR. A group of Cornell researchers have published a paper demonstrating a new approach to object detection that shows potential to significantly reduce the cost of self-driving vehicle hardware.…
Harvard’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering receives $131M gift from founder
Harvard graduate Hansjörg Wyss has given another major donation to support the Wyss Institute’s mission of developing and commercializing robotics and healthcare technologies.
Roboats, autonomous boats from MIT and AMS Institute, can connect for different applications
MIT and the Advanced Metropolitan Solutions Institute in Amsterdam have developed “roboats,” autonomous boats that can connect for a variety of uses. Researchers are scaling up their designs to be more stable.
Markforged 3D Printers produce parts for the 2019 BattleBots World Championship
Markforged, a leading provider of metal and carbon fiber 3D printers, announced that four of its 3D printers will be featured on BattleBots, a television series premiering on June 7th on the Discovery Channel and June 12th on the Science Channel. As the only 3D printer company hosted by BattleBots during filming, Markforged produced more […]
Virtalis uses HOOPS Exchange to create rich data
Tech Soft 3D, a leading provider of software development toolkits to engineering software companies, announced that Virtalis is using HOOPS Exchange to create rich data sets that fuel enterprise data models that serve as the visualization backbone for multiple types of applications across the enterprise. Virtalis is a pioneer in the AR/VR industry and provider […]
Neurala teams with Badger Technologies on vision AI for robotics
AI company Neurala is working with grocery robot provider Badger Technologies to make mobile robots more efficient with machine vision.