With aims of bringing more human-like reasoning to autonomous vehicles, MIT researchers have created a system that uses only simple maps and visual data to enable driverless cars to navigate routes in new, complex environments. Human drivers are exceptionally good at navigating roads they haven’t driven on before, using observation and simple tools. We simply…
Self-driving car startup Aurora acquires Blackmore for Doppler lidar tech
Which is better for self-driving cars — multiple sensors including lidar, or cameras? Aurora Innovation is betting on Doppler lidar innovator Blackmore Sensors and Analytics.
Ford package delivery tests combine autonomous vehicles, bipedal robots
Ever since it introduced its first bipedal robot, Cassie, in early 2017, Agility Robotics has said package delivery is an ideal application. We now have our first look at how the Albany, Oregon-based company envisions its bipedal robots assisting last-mile delivery. Agility and Ford Motor Company are developing a last-mile delivery solution that combines Ford’s autonomous…
3D Printed antenna may meet the needs of the 5G network
XJet Ltd. announced at RAPID + TCT that the University of Delaware (UDEL) has installed an XJet Carmel 1400 AM System and is using it to develop cutting-edge antenna technology called ‘Passive Beam Steering,’ for several applications, including the 5G network. The XJet Carmel 1400 AM System, using NanoParticle Jetting (NPJ) technology, solves a crucial […]
Cruise Co-Founder, President, CTO Kyle Vogt to keynote Robotics Summit & Expo
Business-to-Business publisher WTWH Media announced that Kyle Vogt, Co-Founder, President and Chief Technology Officer of Cruise, will deliver a keynote presentation at the Robotics Summit & Expo. The Robotics Summit, an international event focused on the technical issues involved with the design, development, manufacture and delivery of commercial-class robots, takes place June 5-6 at the…
Laird Thermal Systems Peltier coolers keep machine vision systems cool
Machine vision technology is enabling sophisticated object detection, recognition and collision avoidance systems for next-generation autonomous vehicles, drones and robotics. Using temperature-sensitive imaging sensors and cameras, machine vision systems require active cooling to deliver optimal image resolution independent of the operating environment. The HiTemp ET Series Peltier thermoelectric module from Laird Thermal Systems is designed…
Growing the robotics industry requires partnerships, says MassRobotics at ESC
At the Embedded Systems Conference, a MassRobotics co-founder explained where developers and investors should look for successful commercial robots.
Anki shutdown reinforces difficulties of robot toy market
The shock ripped through the industry, on almost every social media platform techies were bemoaning the loss of Anki. As a former robo-toy maker, I read the epitaph months earlier in the title of Lara Sorokanich’s Medium post, “Anki’s AI Robot Is a Delightful (and Expensive) Desk Toy.” When asked this week to comment, I…
Dow addresses EMI shielding challenges with conductive silicone adhesive
Today at the Battery Show Europe 2019 (Hall 1, Stand 349) Dow introduced its new DOWSIL EC-6601 Electrically Conductive Adhesive — a next-generation material engineered for reliable performance and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) in demanding electrical and electronics applications in the transportation, communications. and consumer markets. This novel adhesive combines strong electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding capabilities…
GM Cruise raises $1.15B for self-driving cars
Cruise, the San Francisco-based autonomous vehicle division of General Motors (GM), raised another $1.15 billion in funding, which increased Cruise’s valuation to $19 billion. The investors in the round include T. Rowe Price Associates, Honda, Softbank Vision Fund and GM. Cruise says it has raised $7.25 billion in capital in the last year. In October 2018,…
SwRI system tests GPS spoofing of autonomous vehicles
Southwest Research Institute has developed a cyber security system to test for vulnerabilities in automated vehicles and other technologies that use GPS receivers for positioning, navigation and timing. “This is a legal way for us to improve the cyber resilience of autonomous vehicles by demonstrating a transmission of spoofed or manipulated GPS signals to allow…
Robotics investments recap: April 2019
Despite a few high-profile failures, robotics investments kept going strong in April 2019, with funding flowing to companies working on self-driving cars, supply chain automation, and robots in healthcare.
Nano Dimension claims it can shorten development times for IoT devices by up to 90%
Nano Dimension Ltd., a leading 3D additive manufacturing provider for electronics, announced that it has created a fully functional, 3D printed communication device at a faster speed than has been achieved with traditionally made devices. This additively manufactured IoT enables companies and research institutions to create and test their ‘smart’ products and other prototypes quickly […]
Researchers back Tesla’s non-LiDAR approach to self-driving cars
If you haven’t heard, Tesla CEO Elon Musk is not a LiDAR fan. Most companies working on autonomous vehicles – including Ford, GM Cruise, Uber and Waymo – think LiDAR is an essential part of the sensor suite. But not Tesla. Its vehicles don’t have LiDAR and rely on radar, GPS, maps and other…
Future Hypersonics Could Be Artificially Intelligent
A test launch for a hypersonic weapon — a long-range missile that flies a mile per second and faster — takes weeks of planning. So, while the U.S. and other states are racing to deploy hypersonic technologies, it remains uncertain how useful the systems will be against urgent, mobile or evolving threats. Sandia National Laboratories,…
Uber ATG gets $1B to accelerate toward self-driving car production
Uber’s Advanced Technology Group unit is partnering with Toyota, DENSO, and SoftBank to accelerate development and commercialization of self-driving cars. This deal is the latest in a well-funded race.
Affectiva raises $26M for human perception AI
Affectiva, a Boston-based developer of emotional AI and human perception AI, closed $26 million in funding. This brings the company’s total amount of capital funding raised to $53 million. The round was led by Aptiv PLC, Trend Forward Capital, Motley Fool Ventures and CAC. Affectiva says it will use the funding will enable Affectiva to…
Humatics, Vecna Robotics partner to improve logistics robot navigation
WALTHAM, Mass. — Humatics Corp., which makes microlocation products and software, today announced a partnership with logistics systems provider Vecna Robotics. Humatics’ KinetIQ 300 microlocation system will be integrated into Vecna’s self-driving vehicles, enabling them to navigate outdoors and in areas of warehouses that were previously considered difficult, such as loading docks, said the companies.…
Musashi AI consortium aims to quickly apply AI to Industry 4.0
Musashi AI is a new consortium combining AI and manufacturing expertise to accelerate the development of Industry 4.0 products.
OnScale raises $10M from Intel Capital, Gradient Ventures for cloud-based simulation
OnScale, an emerging leader in cloud-enabled engineering simulation software, announced $10 million in Series A funding led by Intel Capital and Gradient Ventures, Google’s AI-focused venture capital fund. Additional investors include Thornton Tomasetti, Stage 2 Capital, Cultivation Capital, and CampbellKlein. OnScale, which has grown considerably since emerging from stealth in early 2018, will use the…
OnScale raises $10 Million from Intel Capital and Gradient Ventures
OnScale, an emerging leader in Cloud-enabled engineering simulation software, announces $10M in Series A funding led by Intel Capital and Gradient Ventures, Google’s AI-focused venture capital fund. Additional investors include Thornton Tomasetti, Stage 2 Capital, Cultivation Capital, and CampbellKlein. OnScale, which has grown considerably since emerging from stealth in early 2018, will use the new […]
Robotics investments recap: March 2019
Investments in robots, autonomous vehicles, and related systems totaled at least $1.3 billion in March 2019, down from $4.3 billion in February. On the other hand, automation companies reported $7.8 billion in mergers and acquisitions last month. While that may represent a slowdown, note that many businesses did not specify the amounts involved in their…
Neural network helps autonomous car learn to handle the unknown
Researchers at Stanford University have developed a new way of controlling autonomous cars that integrates prior driving experiences – a system that will help the cars perform more safely in extreme and unknown circumstances. Tested at the limits of friction on a racetrack using Niki, Stanford’s autonomous Volkswagen GTI, and Shelley, Stanford’s autonomous Audi TTS,…
Daimler Trucks picks up self-driving software firm Torc Robotics
Lyft’s $2.2 billion IPO is getting a lot of attention, but it’s far from the only news in transportation today. Daimler Trucks and Buses Holding Inc., a unit of German automaker Daimler AG, has acquired a majority share in Torc Robotics Inc., which develops software for autonomous vehicles. “With the ever-rising demand for road transportation,…
Machine vision market grows 10% in North America
North American sales of machine vision components and systems that provide vision intelligence to robots and other machines reached $2.874 billion in 2018, an increase of 9.2% over 2017 and a new record for the market. According to statistics from the AIA, the industry trade group and part of the Association for Advancing Automation (A3),…