Amazon announces 2 new ways it's using robots to assist employees and deliver for customers

We're thrilled to see how our technology is affecting Amazon's operations, from our newest robotic arms, Sparrow and Cardinal, to our first mobile robot that can operate on its own, Proteus. Currently, over 750,000 robots collaborate with human workers to complete extremely repetitive activities, freeing up human resources to better serve consumers.

We are very happy to announce that, in the midst of all of these endeavors, we have recently introduced a new robotic system to assist in fulfilling customer orders for holiday shopping this year. This new technology is called Sequoia, and it's currently in use at one of our fulfillment sites in Houston, Texas. 

Sequoia will help us delight consumers with better speed and increased accuracy for delivery estimates while also enhancing worker safety at our facilities by reinventing how we store and manage inventory at our sites. We can now identify and store goods at our fulfillment facilities up to 75% faster than we could before thanks to Sequoia. This helps vendors and buyers alike as we can put products for sale on Amazon.com more quickly. Sequoia also speeds up the order processing time through a fulfillment center by up to 25% after an order is placed, increasing the quantity of goods we can ship same-day or next-day and improving our shipment predictability.

Sequoia combines several robot technologies, including mobile robots, gantry systems, robotic arms, and a new ergonomic staff workstation, to containerize our inventory into totes, building on a number of research and development initiatives. The way the system operates is that mobile robots move containerized merchandise straight to a gantry, which is a tall structure with a platform that holds equipment that may be used to replenish totes or assign items to an employee for customers' orders to be picked out.

Workers get these totes at a recently created ergonomic workplace that enables them to complete all tasks in their power zone, which is the area between mid-thigh and mid-chest height. Employees will no longer need to frequently bend over or stoop to pick up orders from customers thanks to this method, supporting our

Finesse deploys Robotic Process Automation at Nesto

 

A global corporation called Nesto runs a network of supermarkets and hypermarkets. The company has grown a network of more than 100 retail locations around the GCC and India since its founding in 2004. The company credits its quick expansion to its unwavering commitment to giving clients access to premium goods from well-known brands at affordable costs.

The emergence of digital technology and e-commerce disruptors has caused supermarkets and hypermarkets to rethink their business strategies. The Nesto Group has made significant investments in its digital transformation and will continue to do so, always keeping its customers in mind. They have teamed up with Finesse, the top GCC enabler of digital transformation, to help them with automating core business operations usingAutomated robotic process (RPA).
Access to offers and promotions is a major concern for Nesto Group's clients. It is tedious and repetitive work for the marketing staff to manually design midweek and weekend promotions and upload the corresponding flyers into their internal program for more than 40 retailers.

Employees at the group invested a lot of time creating, uploading, and fixing promotional activities into their internal tool for 40+ outlets before approaching Finesse.

It is a tedious, time-consuming, and error-prone process to create or update a promotional activity. In the several stores where the deal was present, an incorrect input would cause confusion and consumer turnover.

The answer

Nesto Group and Finesse decided to make advantage of Automation Anywhere's RPA bot technology to automate this procedure. Once in place, the digital bot would replicate the work of a human by weekly developing and posting weekday or weekend promotions into the internal application.

The outcome

Every step of the promotion entry process into the internal tool has now been automated using the RPA technology offered by Finesse and Automation Anywhere. The adoption has increased productivity of the workers involved in this initiative by over 80% while saving over 12 hours of physical labor per week.

While the Nesto Group's marketing team's human labor was undoubtedly directly decreased by this RPA implementation, operational efficiency were also increased.

benefiting the Group while consistently giving its clients a better experience.

"We are grateful to Nesto Group for trusting us and partnering with us to automate their processes using Automation Anywhere's RPA bots," stated Eljo J. P., CBO & Director of Finesse. Automation is the next phase of the digital transformation, and it has successfully benefited customers, as has been demonstrated. Customers can gain an almost infinite number of advantages using RPA. To guarantee that the initiative's objectives are realized, our team will keep up its close collaboration with Nesto.

By automating monotonous processes and allowing employees to concentrate on more high-value activities, RPA has helped Nesto/WIG increase efficiency and lower expenses. We must constantly maintain

Robotic Process Automation: Is Your Job at Risk?

 The development of software robots that mimic human behavior is made simple by robotic process automation (RPA). Like people, software robots are capable of reading screens, generating keystrokes, navigating systems, locating and extracting data, and a host of other predefined tasks. Software robots can work continually, unpaid and with no perks, in contrast to humans.

According to David Zhao, general director of IT consulting firm Coda Strategy, RPA offers an effective solution to automate monotonous processes, freeing humans to concentrate on more creative work. Therefore, the most vulnerable IT occupations are those that need straightforward, recurring operations.

According to Wayne Butterfield, a partner of ISG Automation, a division of the technology research and advising firm ISG, any repetitive IT task that follows a rigorous set of processes is vulnerable to RPA. He points out that most IT positions don't match this mold, which is good news. "Even jobs on the IT service desk still, in the main, require a conversation or perhaps the interpretation of a written ticket," explains Butterfield. This means that in addition to existing technology,

Enterprise Automation Inroads

Approximately 7,800 jobs might be replaced by AI, according to a May announcement from IBM, with many of those employees moving to RPA. Large IT service providers have been eliminating tens of thousands of manual, repetitive task-based jobs for years, according to Zhao.

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NASA Sponsors Inaugural Magnolia Regional FIRST Robotics Competition March 15-18

Organizers are preparing to host 30-plus teams for an inaugural FIRST Robotics Magnolia Regional Competition in Laurel, Mississippi, on March 15-18, thanks, in large part, to NASA’s Stennis Space Center, a lead sponsor for the event and a driving force in its launch.

Through the competition, NASA Stennis is joining with NASA’s Robotics Alliance Project and co-sponsor Mississippi Power to bring to life all aspects of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in the Magnolia state. It particularly hopes to lead students from rural areas to pursue STEM studies and careers as NASA continues in its mission to inspire the world through discovery. The new regional event is a critical milestone to enhance engagement with robotics programs and the K-12 community across the southeast region of the U.S.

“It is important to be able to model and provide examples to students who geographically do not get exposed to STEM activities,” said NASA Stennis Office of STEM Engagement Director Kelly Martin-Rivers. “If it is something that you do not see around you, it is hard to understand how to get there. One importance of having a robotics regional and setting it in central Mississippi is to provide that access, opportunity, and visibility to an area of students that have not had a strong STEM connection.”

The FIRST (For the Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Magnolia Regional Competition is scheduled at the Magnolia Center in Laurel, Mississippi. The event is free, open to the public, and offers students the opportunity to use STEM skills through teamwork and the excitement of competition.

The regional competition will feature two teams from Mexico, along with more than 30 high school teams from states, including Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Texas, and Tennessee. It also will serve as a championship-qualifying event to send several teams to the world championship competition in Houston, Texas, in April.

The NASA Stennis workforce is helping to facilitate the Laurel event by providing judges and volunteers throughout the four days of activities. Additionally, nine of the teams scheduled to compete are considered NASA Stennis house teams, which means they have an ongoing relationship with NASA Stennis and a NASA engineer as their team mentor.



This includes five teams from Mississippi: Team Fusion 364 from Gulfport; Chahta Warriors from Choctaw Central; Team Chaos from Picayune Memorial and Pearl River Central; Delta Overload from Gentry High School in Indianola; and Alpha Omega from Our Lady Academy in Bay St. Louis.

Other teams scheduled to compete from Mississippi include: Siege Robotics from Vicksburg; Team Tempest from Biloxi; Team Hero from Petal; Team Storm from Gulfport; and JXN United from Jackson.

High school teams sponsored by NASA Stennis from Louisiana include: Team Combustion from Northshore; The S.S. Prometheus from Mandeville; Tiger Robotics from Slidell; and Power Struck Girls from Academy of Our Lady in Marrero.

Other teams scheduled to compete from Louisiana include: Tigerbots from Boutte; FHS Robodawgs from Covington; Wildcat Robotics from Destrehan; MAGNAtech from West Monroe; Team Phenomena 3616 from Lafayette; Bulabots from Baton Rouge; Voodoo Voltage from New Orleans; Ramageddon Robotics from Lafayette; Denham Venom from Denham Springs; Trinity Force from St. Rose; and SWLA Tech Pirates from Lake Charles.

In FIRST Robotics, high school teams receive identical parts kits and competition guidelines. They use the kits to design and build robots to compete in achieving competition goals. For house teams, NASA Stennis engineers help students prepare for the competition. Students learn engineering and problem-solving skills that can be applied to the competition and real-world situations in the future. The teams each create an identity, raise funds to meet goals, and work to promote STEM in their community.

The 2023 season challenge, “Charged Up” challenges teams to reimagine the future of sustainable energy. The theme calls teams to explore ways to unlock the power of engineering to transform renewable energy and power a better future. For the regional competition, teams will build and program industrial-sized robots to play an action-packed game on a themed field.

The goal is to have the Magnolia Regional expose more students in rural areas to STEM and become an annual FIRST Robotics Competition, much like the Bayou Regional event in Louisiana, which NASA Stennis has supported since its inception. The Bayou Regional is scheduled for March 30-April 1 at the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner, Louisiana.

info :https://www.nasa.gov/centers/stennis/news/releases/2023/NASA-Sponsors-Inaugural-Magnolia-Regional-FIRST-Robotics-Competition

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Computer Science Professor Awarded NSF CAREER Grant for Robotics Research

sst. Prof. Reza Ahmadzadeh of the Miner School of Computer and Information Sciences envisions a world where robots can help people live more comfortably and safely, and he’s working to develop the methods to make that happen.

“In my career, I hope to get to a place where we use robots in our everyday lives,” he says.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) recognized Ahmadzadeh’s potential and awarded him a prestigious faculty early-career development CAREER grant. The nearly $500,000 grant will fund Ahmadzadeh’s project on robot learning of complex tasks over the next five years.

“This NSF CAREER award speaks volumes about Asst. Prof. Reza Ahmadzadeh’s ability to generate great ideas in the interdisciplinary field of robotics,” Kennedy College of Sciences Dean Noureddine Melikechi says.

Since his time as a Ph.D. student in robotics, cognition and interaction technologies at the University of Genoa in Italy, Ahmadzadeh has focused his research on robots learning from human demonstration. This can be accomplished through kinesthetic teaching, where a person holds the robot and moves it around, or through the robot “watching” the person via feeds from a virtual reality headset, joystick or camera.

The information gathered from the human demonstration is then sent to algorithms programmed within the robot. Existing algorithms work well for getting robots to replicate simple tasks, such as picking up an object, “but human life is not just made of simple tasks,” Ahmadzadeh says.

For his NSF CAREER project, he will be developing new algorithms for robots to learn complex tasks.

The prospective breakthroughs from this project could help automate difficult and dangerous duties in the workplace, freeing up employees’ time to pursue more creative or higher-value projects. It could also help older adults remain in their homes longer by assisting them with daily chores.

“The results of Reza’s funded research will have a great impact on how people work with robot systems in the future,” says Holly Yanco, chair of the Miner School.

For instance, the algorithms developed could give robots the ability to load a dishwasher or change a light bulb.




“If a robot is sent into a human’s home now, they will not be useful with complex tasks,” Ahmadzadeh says. “The robot could learn to hand a person a light bulb, but it wouldn’t be able to change it.”

Ahmadzadeh plans to review studies in human movement to see if algorithms used for primitive skills in robots can be improved. He then will seek new approaches that allow robots to string together a library of reusable skills to accomplish complex tasks.

Ahmadzadeh will also build algorithms that let a robot discover the new skills needed to finish a job.

“If a human shows a robot how to make coffee, the robot may know how to pick up a mug and place it, but not how to press the button on the machine,” he says. “The robot would be able to grab that skill and put it in its library to be used again later.”

Ahmadzadeh will create methods to refine the robot’s skills so it can complete a task no matter the environment. For example, if a robot is capable of opening a door, but it comes across a door with a different handle, it needs to be able to hone its skills to complete the same task.

“A human would give another demonstration, and the robot would realize that this is the same skill but applied to a new situation, so it would refine what it already knows,” he says.

Undergraduate and graduate students will be assisting Ahmadzadeh with the research, which will lead to a revamping of his Robot Learning course. Students will also get exposure to robot learning during one-day workshops that Ahmadzadeh plans to hold throughout the duration of the project. The workshops will run as part of SoarCS, a summer program for incoming first-year computer science students.

“We will teach the students the basics of robot learning algorithms, then present them with code where they can implement simple functions,” he says. “With me and the graduate students supervising, they will run the algorithm on the actual robots.”

info:https://www.uml.edu/news/stories/2023/reza-ahmadzadeh-nsf-career-award.aspx

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Consumer Robotics: How Artificial Intelligence Is Changing The Game

 

The future of consumer robotics is bright and full of possibilities. As technology advances, robots are becoming more and more integrated into our daily lives, performing tasks that were once considered the exclusive domain of humans. From vacuum cleaners and lawnmowers to personal assistants and healthcare workers, robots are increasingly becoming a common sight in homes and businesses worldwide.


One area where consumer robotics will soon be making a huge impact is in the home. With the rise of smart homes and the Internet of Things (IoT), robots can interact with other devices and systems in the home to automate tasks and make life easier for homeowners. For example, a robotic vacuum cleaner could automatically be programmed to clean the house every day. At the same time, a smart thermostat could adjust the temperature based on the homeowner's preferences.

When Consumer Robots Get A Brain

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the field of consumer robotics by enabling robots to perform tasks more efficiently, accurately and independently. With its ability to process large amounts of data and make decisions based on that data, AI is being used to enhance consumer robots' capabilities in various ways.


One of the primary ways that AI is being used in consumer robotics is to improve the ability of robots to interact with their environment and perform tasks. A robot vacuum cleaner equipped with AI will be able to learn the layout of a home over time, allowing it to clean more effectively and efficiently, becoming more personalized over time.

AI is also being used to improve consumer robots' communication and social skills. For example, AI can be used to enable robots to recognize and respond to human emotions, as well as to engage in conversation and interact with people in more natural and human-like ways. This can be useful in applications such as personal assistants or home healthcare robots, where the ability to communicate and interact with people is critical.
The Future Of Play
Robotics can be used in smart toys to provide children with an interactive and engaging learning experience. These toys often incorporate sensors, motors and other electronic components that allow them to move, respond to stimuli and perform various tasks.

more info : https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2023/01/27/consumer-robotics-how-artificial-intelligence-is-changing-the-game/?sh=6abddd205b93

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"Robotic vacuum cleaner market in India grows 24% YoY in H1 22, says report"

The adoption of robotic vacuum cleaners continues to grow in India even after the return to normal. The market for robotic vacuum cleaners grew 24% year-on-year (YoY) in terms of shipments during the first six months of calendar year 2022, said market researcher Counterpoint in its latest report, published Thursday. Analysts at Counterpoint attributed the growth to growing product awareness among consumers and increase in demand from hybrid workers. Counterpoint didn’t disclose the exact number of units shipped.Though robotic vacuum cleaners can cost close to ₹1 lakh, Counterpoint report shows that devices in the ₹16,000- ₹24,000 price band were most popular, followed by those in the ₹10,000- ₹16,000 price band.



“The market which gained momentum due to the covid-19 pandemic is also finding itself relevant in current times. People are returning to offices and realizing that robot vacuum cleaners are among the best options available to help them with their household cleaning," said Varun Gupta, research analyst at Counterpoint.

In terms of market share, Xiaomi was the leading brand accounting for 30% of shipments at a 45% YoY growth rate. Mop-P was the most shipped robotic vacuum cleaner by Xiaomi.

Eureka Forbes, which was one of the first brands to launch robotic vacuum cleaners in India, shipped the second-highest number of units. It accounted for 22% market share and grew at 40% YoY.

iRobot, which was acquired by Amazon last month, slipped to the fourth position with an 8% market share as its shipments fell 38% YoY. ILIFE has moved to the third spot with 10% of the market. Eufy and Milgrao with 8% and 6% market share, respectively, were the other remaining brands in the top five during H1 2022, according to the report.

For more info : https://www.livemint.com/news/india/robotic-vacuum-cleaner-market-in-india-grows-24-yoy-in-h1-22-says-report-11663920323015.html

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Amazon’s robots are getting closer to replacing human hands

In 2019, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos predicted that within a decade, robotic systems will be advanced enough to grasp items with the dexterity of a human hand. Three years later, Amazon looks to be making progress toward that goal.

A recent video published on the company’s science blog features a new “pinch-grasping” robot system that could one day do a lot of the work that humans in Amazon warehouses do today. Or, potentially, help workers do their jobs more easily.

The topic of warehouse automation is more relevant than ever in the retail and e-commerce industries, especially for Amazon, which is the largest online retailer and the second-largest private sector employer in the US. Recode reported in June that research conducted inside Amazon predicted that the company could run out of workers to hire in the US by 2024 if it did not execute a series of sweeping changes, including increasing automation in its warehouses.

At the same time, the company is facing the prospect of US workers starting to unionize after the victory by the Amazon Labor Union in the historic Staten Island vote, and another upcoming union election in October in Upstate New York. Labor activists have long speculated that Amazon might ramp up automation efforts in response to unionization activity.

In a statement provided by an Amazon spokesman, the company’s director of Robotics AI, Siddhartha Srinivasa, said: “[W]e have an incredible opportunity to help advance the science of robotic manipulation in ways that meaningfully benefit our employees and our customers. Our investments in robotics and technology are helping make jobs in our facilities better, easier, and safer, as well as creating new career opportunities for our people.”

For more info : https://www.vox.com/recode/2022/9/27/23373588/amazon-warehouse-robots-manipulation-picker-stower

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THE NORMALIZATION OF HUMANOID ROBOTS IN OUR DAILY LIFE

Today, the development of humanoid robots is increasing rapidly in our daily life

Humans are always exploring new and innovative ways, which makes them the most advanced and intelligent creatures of nature. From an artificial intelligence system to research and development in robotics, all are the creations of humans’ intelligent minds. And now it has entered the race of making Humanoid robots. Today, the development of humanoids is increasing rapidly, and they are occupying a larger percentage of robotics research space.

Humanoid is a robot with a body shape built to resemble the human body. Typically, this kind of robot has a torso with a head, two arms and two legs that can walk like humans. However, it isn’t necessary that they look convincingly like a real person as some humanoids have a helmet instead of a face such as ASIMO, a humanoid robot created by Honda in 2000.

The concept of humanoid robots has been with us for several decades, when Ron Wensley in 1927, developed a robot, named Herbert Televox. This was the first-ever humanoid robot, which could lift the receiver to take a telephone call and control simple processes by operating switches according to the signals it received. Though the robot lacked the ability to speak and only could listen with a sensitive microphone placed close to the telephone receiver and had able to respond to actions based on sound and pitch.

The modern concept of humanoids began to develop with the advent of the industrial revolution that enabled the use of complex mechanics. They are now used as a research tool in several scientific areas.

They are being designed by most robotic manufacturing companies for various purposes, including serving as crucial instruments in scientific research; better understanding of human cognitive abilities; simulating human behavior, and can be used to perform human tasks like a receptionist. Humanoids can also serve very well as personal assistants where they can assist the elderly and sick people.

They are even these days being leveraged for entertaining purposes where they can sing, play music, and interact with the audience. Recently, CloudMinds, known for intelligent robot-systems, has developed a smart robot rental program that serves intelligent cloud service humanoid robots. The robot is particularly designed for entertainment at trade shows, weddings, special events, conferences, and offices.

Humanoids can also be leveraged for perilous and dicey tasks such as space exploration. For instance, ISRO’s Vyom Mitra, a female humanoid robot, that is designed for the organization’s Gaganyaan unmanned mission. And the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning to send it before sending out humans in 2022.

Humanoids are also used extensively in the military as most countries’ military forces are exploring and experimenting with robots. For instance, Boston Dynamics’ 6 feet, 2 inches humanoid robot, named Atlas. The robot is designed for high mobility and can negotiate outdoor, and rough terrain.

FM : 

One Man’s Dream of Fusing A.I. With Common Sense

David Ferrucci, who led the team that built IBM’s famed Watson computer, was elated when it beat the best-ever human “Jeopardy!” players in 2011, in a televised triumph for artificial intelligence.

But Dr. Ferrucci understood Watson’s limitations. The system could mine oceans of text, identify word patterns and predict likely answers at lightning speed. Yet the technology had no semblance of understanding, no human-style common sense, no path of reasoning to explain why it reached a decision.

Eleven years later, despite enormous advances, the most powerful A.I. systems still have those limitations.

Today, Dr. Ferrucci is the chief executive of Elemental Cognition, a start-up that seeks to address A.I.’s shortcomings. “To me, the Watson project was always a small part of a bigger story of where we want to go with A.I.,” he said.

The ultimate goal, in Dr. Ferrucci’s view, is that A.I. becomes a trusted “thought partner,” a skilled collaborator at work and at home, making suggestions and explaining them.

Elemental Cognition, founded in 2015, is taking measured steps toward that goal with a promising, though unproven, hybrid approach. Its system combines the latest developments in machine learning with a page from the A.I.’s past, software modeled after human reasoning.

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A First Small Step Toward a Lego-Size Humanoid Robot

When we think of bipedal humanoid robots, we tend to think of robots that aren’t

just human-shaped, but also human-sized.
When we think of bipedal humanoid robots, we tend to think of robots that aren’t just human-shaped, but also human-sized. There are exceptions, of course—among them, a subcategory of smaller humanoids that includes research and hobby humanoids that aren’t really intended to do anything practical. But at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) last week, roboticists from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) are asked an interesting question: What happens if you try to scale down a bipedal robot? Like, way down? This line from the paper asking this question sums it up: “Our goal with this project is to make miniature walking robots, as small as a LEGO Minifigure (1-centimeter leg) or smaller.”

The current robot, while small (its legs are 15-cm long), is obviously much bigger than a Lego minifig. But that’s okay, because it’s not supposed to be quite as tiny as the group's ultimate ambition would have it. At least not yet. It’s a platform that the CMU researchers are using to figure out how to proceed. They’re still assessing what it’s going to take to shrink bipedal walking robots to the point where they could ride in Matchbox cars. At very small scales, robots run into all kinds of issues, including space and actuation efficiency. These crop up mainly because it’s simply not possible to cram the same number of batteries and motors that go into bigger bots into something that tiny. So, in order to make a tiny robot that can usefully walk, designers have to get creative.


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HUMANOID ROBOT SOPHIA ARRIVES IN KERALA

Social humanoid robot Sophia arrived in Kerala amid its journeys all over the world. 

Sophia, which is considered to be the best humanoid robot, reach.............

Thiruvananthapuram: Social humanoid robot Sophia arrived in Kerala amid its journeys all over the world. Sophia, which is considered to be the best h...

Read more at: https://english.mathrubhumi.com/features/technology/humanoid-robot-sophia-arrives-kerala-college-of-engineering-thiruvananthapuram-tech-fest-2022-1.7641400

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Warehouse Automation is Creating Bigger Opportunities In Logistic Sector

 #dprg

E-commerce businesses are becoming increasingly popular, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic. To meet the rising demand for e-commerce volumes, the e-commerce industry along with the logistic companies are shifting to automation.

There is a mutual growth between the eCommerce businesses and logistic industries, and it is a common trait.

Automation is nothing new for the logistic industry. Even the use of steam engines during the industrial revolution can be labelled as automation to a large extent.

However, with the advancement in technology, a new form of automation has emerged in the form of robotic pickers and packers.

Also, automation is being employed in different areas of the logistic industry. One such automation is warehousing automation which has extremely high potential, especially for logistic companies like VRL and DTDC.

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Festo and MassRobotics leading healthcare robotics innovation

The Festo-MassRobotics Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst program celebrates the milestones achieved by the program’s four selected global startups at the Healthcare Robotics Engineering Forum. Key life sciences and robotics speakers to lead the event.



The successful Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst program came to an end on April 7th, 2022. The concluding ceremony will be held at the Healthcare Robotics Engineering Forum, Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, on May 11, 2022. The event includes an impressive lineup of speakers: ​​Fady Saad, Co-founder & Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at MassRobotics; Alfons Riek, Vice President of Technology and Innovation at Festo; Kendalle Burlin O’Connell, President & Chief Operating Officer at MassBio; Kenn Turner, President and CEO at Mass Life Sciences Center; and Brian Johnson, President at MassMedic. All four selected startup companies, Kinarm (Canada), Assistive Technology Development Inc. (United States), Eureka Robotics (Singapore), and Bionomous (Switzerland ) will, in turn, promote their companies, along with their products and service offerings. They will also be demonstrating their technologies on the event’s expo floor.

In October 2021, MassRobotics, Festo, and other key players in healthcare robotics, launched a Startup Catalyst Program to advance healthcare robotics companies around the world, by providing the networking opportunities, guidance, and resources they need to grow and succeed. The aim of the program was to connect healthcare robotics startups with customers, investors, suppliers, marketing, and overall support. The program focused on startups in the areas of clinical care, public safety, laboratory, supply chain automation, out-of-hospital care, quality of life, as well as continuity of work and education, and training and support for healthcare professionals.

More than 30 companies applied from all over the world, and the selection committee invited four to join in the program. The participating startups completed impressive milestones:Eureka Robotics develops and commercializes cutting-edge robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to automate high-accuracy, high-agility tasks. Eureka is currently completing fundraising rounds in Japan through connections provided by program mentors. Eureka was introduced to MassRobotics partner, Mitsubishi Electric, and signed a global partnership with Mitsubishi as a platinum partner. The program helped the company’s leadership to explore attractive applications in surgical lenses manufacturing technology, which is an extension to its focus on traditional manufacturing.
Bionomous provides laboratory equipment to automate the screening, sorting, and pipetting of miniature biological entities for more ethical and faster research in life science. CEO Frank Bonnet reports that with the aid of the Catalyst Program, Bionomous was able to run a pilot program in the US, leading to the company’s first sales outside Europe. This convinced Bionomous to expand into the US market and set up offices in the MassRobotics space in Boston. Bonnet emphasized the importance of the program’s mentors, who connected them to key industry leaders to open possibilities for future partnerships.
Assistive Technology Development Inc. is an American startup dedicated to at-home physical therapy solutions that are operable at a low cost and always accessible to rural patients and those who need closer monitoring for recovery. The company came into the program with three goals: 1) begin its first pilot study in a clinical setting; 2) downsize the actuation unit to a wearable form, and 3) raise capital. CEO Todd Roberts reports that with help from the program, the company has completed the first two milestones and is making progress on the third. It will begin phase I of a pilot study with UCHealth, a not-for-profit health care system, headquartered in Aurora, Colorado, on April 25th, allowing the company to present preliminary results at the keynote event at the Healthcare Conference. The study will assess the early clinical efficacy and collect patient and clinician feedback. Assistive’s actuation unit has been downsized by 70%, from a large, wall-powered, benchtop system to a wearable, battery-powered system that will enable the company to complete the pilot. Finally, Assistive is in the process of raising capital and has begun diligence with two firms.
Kinarm uses robotic arms to provide an objective assessment method to identify, measure, and track cognitive motor or sensory impairments resulting from injury or disease. Kinarm worked with assigned mentors from the robotics ecosystem who provided introductions to industry leaders who responded with “jaw-dropping, you-can-do-that?” exclamations, reports ​​Anne Vivian-Scott, CEO. Vivian-Scott was also introduced to experienced healthcare robotics leaders who will collaboratively aid Kinarm as the company scales its solutions. Vivian-Scott adds, “What we gained was not specific knowledge that can be encoded into our product, but direction. Quite frankly, most other programs are not ‘sufficiently vested’ in the participant’s business/opportunity to be able to offer such feedback.”

“I am grateful to Festo’s pioneering work to support our efforts to find global disrupting applications and startups in such a human-care field like healthcare, including life science, biotech, and medical devices,” said Fady Saad of MassRobotics.


“I am impressed with the quality of applications we received, and the unique structure of the program that allowed us to select such innovative companies and match them with world-class advisors,” said Festo’s Alfons Riek. “Certainly, we are excited about the networking opportunities opened to these companies and to presenting them to the world as great examples of the power of utilizing robotics in healthcare.”

MI: 

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A Day in The Life of Robotics Engineer Madi Babaiasl

For as long as I can remember, I was always interested in science. I liked math and physics in high school. When I wanted to go to university, I wanted to choose a major that involved math and physics, and also could solve real-world problems. The marriage between these two is engineering. First, I chose electrical engineering as my major. However, I wanted to study something that I could actually see, so I went and worked in robotics, which is more tangible. I was really interested in that because I could solve numerous problems through that knowledge, including my father’s hand tremors.

I hold a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering with a focus on control engineering, a master’s degree in Mechatronics Engineering, both from the University of Tabriz in Iran, and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on medical robotics from Washington State University. During my bachelor’s degree, I had several internships where I learned about instrumentation, controller programming, mechatronics, and different sensors and actuators used in various industries. I also did several volunteer projects that I am proud of, including service to SWE and the Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers (IEEE). I was an eMentor for the IEEE “TryEngineering Together” outreach program and worked with middle school students to familiarize them with the engineering design process, which was a valuable experience for me.

I became fascinated by medical robotics during my Master’s. During that time, my dad suffered from hand tremors. His job involved working with highly delicate electronics on computer motherboards. This required him to have stable hands. I thought we could develop a device that could stop these tremors. I started this project with my team. We developed a device that could suppress tremors through placing electromyography (EMG) electrodes on muscles and correcting the signals that caused the tremor. This project was really important for me since I wanted to help my dad overcome his tremors and be better at his job.

During my robotics career, I worked on a variety of projects that I believe impacted society in general. My engineering work during my master’s led to new designs in improving medical assist robots for those that suffer from strokes or Parkinson’s disease. My Ph.D. research developed a new method for steerable needle insertion, namely water-jet steerable needles. The steerable needle can turn inside the patient and get to difficult-to-reach places in the body to administer drugs or perform medical operations.  In addition, I was able to solve a fundamental physics problem of how soft tissue interacts with waterjet cutting. My research and robotics work led to several journal and conference articles, accumulating more than 230 citations from the scientific community and a patent.

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Robotics. What is Robotics? What are Robots? Types & Uses of Robots.

Robotics Technology

Robotics is an interdisciplinary sector of science and engineering dedicated to the design, construction and use of mechanical robots. Our guide will give you a concrete grasp of robotics, including different types of robots and how they're being applied across industries.
What Is Robotics?

Robotics is the intersection of science, engineering and technology that produces machines, called robots, that substitute for (or replicate) human actions. Pop culture has always been fascinated with robots. R2-D2. Optimus Prime. WALL-E. These over-exaggerated, humanoid concepts of robots usually seem like a caricature of the real thing...or are they more forward thinking than we realize? Robots are gaining intellectual and mechanical capabilities that don’t put the possibility of a R2-D2-like machine out of reach in the future.

As technology progresses, so too does the scope of what is considered robotics. In 2005, 90% of all robots could be found assembling cars in automotive factories. These robots consist mainly of mechanical arms tasked with welding or screwing on certain parts of a car. Today, we’re seeing an evolved and expanded definition of robotics that includes the development, creation and use of bots that explore Earth’s harshest conditions, robots that assist law-enforcement and even robots that assist in almost every facet of healthcare.

While the overall world of robotics is expanding, a robot has some consistent characteristics:
Robots all consist of some sort of mechanical construction. The mechanical aspect of a robot helps it complete tasks in the environment for which it’s designed. For example, the Mars 2020 Rover’s wheels are individually motorized and made of titanium tubing that help it firmly grip the harsh terrain of the red planet.
Robots need electrical components that control and power the machinery. Essentially, an electric current (a battery, for example) is needed to power a large majority of robots.
Robots contain at least some level of computer programming. Without a set of code telling it what to do, a robot would just be another piece of simple machinery. Inserting a program into a robot gives it the ability to know when and how to carry out a task.

We’re really bound to see the promise of the robotics industry sooner, rather than later, as artificial intelligence and software also continue to progress. In the near future, thanks to advances in these technologies, robots will continue getting smarter, more flexible and more energy efficient. They’ll also continue to be a main focal point in smart factories, where they’ll take on more difficult challenges and help to secure global supply chains.

Though relatively young, the robotics industry is filled with an admirable promise of progress that science fiction could once only dream about. From the deepest depths of our oceans to thousands of miles in outer space, robots will be found performing tasks that humans couldn’t dream of achieving alone.

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Humanoid robot Sophia to participate in Dubai internal auditors' conference

 

Highlight :

* Her appearance is part of the conference's efforts to highlight the role of AI in the future of the auditing industry

* Sophia, modeled after British actress Audrey Hepburn, Egyptian queen Nefertiti

and its inventor's wife, Amanda Hanson, was given Saudi citizenship in October 2017.



Sophia, the world's first robot to be granted citizenship, will be in Dubai on March 8 for the Annual Regional Audit Conference. The social humanoid will participate in a discussion about the future of artificial intelligence.

According to the UAE Internal Auditors Association, Sophia's participation is part of the conference's efforts to highlight the role of AI

in the future of the auditing industry. Sophia was created by Hong Kong-based Hanson Robotics.

"The organisers facilitated Sophia's presence at the smart conference as a symbol of the future of artificial intelligence," according to the association.

Various industries are increasingly embracing AI applications that significantly streamline and automate processes, whether autonomously or with the assistance of humans.

Investing in AI improves audit quality and lowers fees, according to a study conducted by the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business.

It does, however, acknowledge that technology will eventually displace human auditors, though the impact on labor will take several years to manifest.

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Robotics Research

Overview

The field of robotics has been undergoing a major change from manufacturing applications to entertainment, home, rehabilitation, search and rescue, and service applications. Although robots seem to possess fantastic skills in science fiction and movies, most people would be surprised to learn how much remains to be accomplished to provide today's robots with the ability to do relatively simple tasks. Autonomous robots are only able to complete very simple tasks within limited environmental conditions. Humans can be incorporated to teleoperate or supervise robots, but as the robot complexity increases so does the human's workload. Robotics requires research in many areas that include hybrid systems, embedded systems, sensory fusion, distributed artificial intelligence, computer vision, machine learning, human-machine interaction, localization, planning, navigation, etc. This large field provides ample research problems.

The Engineering School's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science houses the Center for Intelligent Systems (CIS) that encompasses both the Cognitive Robotics Lab (CRL) and the Intelligent Robotics Lab (IRL). In addition to CIS, the department also includes six addition laboratories that conduct robotics research: the Computational Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory (CCN), the Embedded Computing Systems Laboratory (ECS), the Embedded and Hybrid Systems Laboratory (EHS), the Human-Machine Teaming Laboratory (HMT), the Modeling and Analysis of Complex Systems (MACS) group, and the Robotics and Autonomous Systems Laboratory (RAS). Each individual laboratory provides a specific robotics research focus. The broad research areas include: biologically inspired robotic control (CCNL), cognitive robotics (CRL),
embedded systems (ECS, EHS), human-robotic interaction (HMT, IRL, RAS), humanoid robotics (CRL), planning (MACS), sensor networks (EHS),
hybrid robotic systems (EHS, MACS), mobile robot navigation (IRL), multiple robot coordination and cooperation (HMT), real-time systems (EHS), and rehabilitation robotics (RAS).

Topics

Biologically inspired robot control
Decision-Theoretic planning and control
Humanoid robots
Human-robot interaction
Hybrid and Distributed Control
Knowledge sharing among robots
Mobile robot navigation
Mobile sensor networks
Modeling, simulation and diagnosis
Multiple robot coordination and cooperation
Personal and service robots
Range-free perception-based navigation
Rehabilitation robotics
Sensory EgoSphere
Stochastic hybrid systems for multiple robot teams
Vision, image and signal processing systems

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Golden opportunity: Savvy business alliances propel the robotics sector

The fulfillment economy has exploded during the pandemic, as has competition among automation technology providers, whose robotic technology is becoming critical during widespread labor shortages and ballooning demand.

That's the good news. The bad news, if you're a robotics firm with a great product and opportunity as far as the horizon is that scaling hardware distribution, whether via direct sales or as-a-service, is extremely complex, typically takes massive capital outlays, and is fraught with the perils of miscalculation. What's an emerging robotics firm to do?

One model that's becoming increasingly important for savvy businesses is to partner with an existing brand with a broad reach and pre-existing infrastructure. Examples include Kinova teaming up with Northrop Grumman to help distribute a small manipulator to existing customers and Robotiq partnering with Universal Robots on off-the-shelf robotic tooling.

In the latest example, 6 River Systems, LLC, a leading fulfillment solutions provider, just announced a new initiative to support warehouse efficiencies by teaming up with Ricoh USA. Under the arrangement, RICOH's service solutions business unit will augment 6 River Systems' existing service team for its collaborative robots – called "Chucks," solving for a crucial weakness in any young enterprise technology company's bid to scale: giving customers an ample support network.

"The demand for our automated retail solution is significant, especially with retailers continually looking for ways to get their products into consumers' hands faster via seamless experiences," says Eran Frenkel, Vice President of Technical Operations, 6 River Systems. "By partnering with Ricoh, we're able to focus on making our solutions more widely available, which ultimately helps our customers quickly and efficiently meet their fulfillment goals."

Like other fulfillment automation providers, 6RS is on a bit of a tear during the pandemic. The company has provided solutions for major fulfillers and brands like Crocs, which implemented 6RS' wall-to-wall fulfillment solution, including its collaborative mobile robot Chuck. As I wrote last year, Crocs has seen a 182% pick rate improvement with the 6RS system, illustrating a key reason fulfillers are turning to automation in such numbers. This increase in throughput was especially critical during the holiday peak season.

In general, robots have become essential to scaling, and the solutions can now be brought online with unprecedented speed and minimal downtime. Not surprisingly as according to Statista, the global warehouse automation market is predicted to increase from $15 billion in 2019 to $30 billion by 2026.

But the warehouse automation sector, while maturing rapidly in the Amazon Prime era, is still nascent, with many of the players less than a decade old. That's a short time to build a massive global or even national distribution and support infrastructure. Collaborating seems like a key to efficiently do just that.

"Our collaboration with 6 River Systems is a prime example of how our stable and trusted infrastructure – coupled with a team of more than 10,000 service delivery professionals supporting and maintaining more than one million devices across the U.S. – helps solve our customers' problems," says Jim Kirby, Vice President, Service Advantage, Ricoh USA, Inc. "Together, we are addressing some of the biggest challenges and opportunities in retail today including supply chain operational efficiency such as retail and warehouse automation. By expertly assisting with service and support for companies like 6 River Systems, we are helping them maintain focus on what matters most – innovation that solves supply chain hurdles and moves business forward."

It's a great example of how smart robotics firms are taking advantage of the growth opportunities of 2022 and beyond through effective collaborations designed to scale at speed.

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Serve Robotics Becomes First Autonomous Vehicle Company to Commercially Launch Level 4 Self-Driving Robots

Long-Awaited Industry Milestone Enables Next-Generation Robotic Fleet to Navigate City Sidewalks More Safely and Efficiently

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Serve Robotics, the leading autonomous sidewalk delivery company, today announced the deployment of its next-generation delivery robots, becoming the first autonomous vehicle company to complete commercial deliveries at Level 4 autonomy. This milestone means Serve Robotics' latest generation of robots are able to operate routinely without human intervention, and can rely on their onboard capabilities to ensure safe operation. This industry first is the result of nearly five years of work by the Serve Robotics team and represents a major step forward for the autonomous vehicle industry, significantly lowering the barriers for autonomous delivery at scale.


Serve Robotics recently completed the first-ever delivery to occur at Level 4 autonomy, navigating fully autonomously in designated areas. The company's robots are equipped with an extensive array of technologies that ensure the highest degree of safety by utilizing multiple layers of redundant systems for critical navigation functions. This includes multiple sensor modalities—active sensors such as lidar and ultrasonics, as well as passive sensors such as cameras—to navigate safely on busy city sidewalks. Serve Robotics' achievement required development of a wide range of market-leading capabilities, such as automatic emergency braking, vehicle collision avoidance, and fail-safe mechanical braking.


"I'm proud that Serve Robotics has achieved Level 4 autonomy, which further enhances public safety by significantly reducing the potential for human error. This milestone begins to unlock the full potential of robotic delivery," said Serve Robotics co-founder and CEO, Dr. Ali Kashani. "This technical and commercial milestone is an achievement for the entire AV industry, and accelerates our mission to make delivery more accessible and sustainable."

Serve's technical breakthrough was possible with help from key technology partners, including NVIDIA and Ouster. The NVIDIA Jetson platform, designed for robots and other autonomous machines, powers the AI computing necessary for Serve robots to understand their complex environment in real time. Ouster's lidar sensors provide small, lightweight, power-efficient sensing technology that enables the robots' reliable self-driving capabilities.

"Serve Robotics' accomplishment represents a breakthrough for commercial deployment of AV technology for sidewalk delivery," said Murali Gopalakrishna, Head of Product Management, Autonomous Machines and GM for Robotics at NVIDIA. "We look forward to Serve continuing to leverage the NVIDIA Jetson edge AI and Isaac robotics platforms to further advance their technological lead."

"Serve Robotics has achieved a major breakthrough for the AV industry and for sidewalk delivery," said Angus Pacala, CEO of Ouster. "Ouster is pleased to partner with Serve as they continue to scale and bring lidar-powered Level 4 autonomy to doorsteps across the U.S."

Serve Robotics has completed tens of thousands of deliveries in LA. Its fleet of next-generation robots will power the company's expansion into additional geographies as it rolls out delivery service for Uber Eats and other partners in 2022.

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