Robots can learn how to find things faster by learning how different objects around the house are related, according to work from the University of Michigan. A new model provides robots with a visual search strategy that can teach them to look for a coffee pot nearby if they're already in sight of a refrigerator, in one of the paper's examples.
The work, led by Prof. Chad Jenkins and CSE Ph.D.
A common aim of roboticists is to give machines the ability to navigate in realistic settings—for example, the disordered, imperfect households we spend our days in. These settings can be chaotic, with no two exactly the same, and robots in search of specific objects they've never seen before will need to pick them out of the noise.
Other things to check out:
No-code industrial robotics programming startup Wandelbots raises $30 million – TechCrunch
Wandelbots will use the funding to help it speed the market debut of its TracePen, a hand-held, code-free device that allows human operators to quickly and easily demonstrate desired behavior for industrial robots to mimic. Programming robots to perform specific tasks typically requires massive amounts of code, as well as programmers with very specific, in-demand skill sets to accomplish.
The software that Wandelbots developed to make this possible originally sprung out of work done at the Faculty of Computer Science at the Technical University of Dresden. The startup was a finalist in our TechCrunch Disrupt Battlefield competition in 2017 , and raised a $6.8 million Series A round in 2018 led by Paua Ventures, EQT Ventures and others.
Now any US business can buy Boston Dynamics’ Spot robot for $74,500 – TechCrunch
It took Boston Dynamics a quarter of a century to release its first commercial product, so one can forgive the company for taking a few extra months to make that product more widely available. Nine months after making Spot available in limited quantities under its Early Adopter Program, the yellow and black quadruped is now available to any business that wants one.
According to the company, some 150 Spot robots were made available to businesses and research facilities in that early program. And certainly we've seen it get a lot of use globally, from construction sites to socially distancing in a Singapore park to a reoccurring gig on an Adam Savage web series.
Researchers look to robots to fight the coronavirus
LONDON (CBS) Scientists in Denmark say they've developed the world's first fully automatic robot that can test for COVID-19.
The prototype uses artificial intelligence and cameras to find the right part of the throat and swab it gently. Once completed, the robot tags and seals the swab.
Researchers say it not only keeps health care workers safe but also maintains the quality of the samples.
In Egypt, a scientist also developed a COVID-fighting robot. Developer Mahmoud el Komy says it not only swabs for the coronavirus but can take temperatures and advise people on proper health care.
This may worth something:
Autonomous robots being used to disinfect airports, protect against COVID-19
A robot, called the "Breezy One," just started working at the Albuquerque International Sunport. It operates autonomously and can decontaminate a 100,000 square foot space in about 90 minutes.
"We're working closely with chemical manufacturers who have created very effective and very safe chemicals that have been rigorously tested," said Kimberly Corbitt from Build with Robots.
"It's providing even a protective layer throughout the day, which is pretty exciting when you think about the robot leaving behind a protective layer that really helps people stay safe in these environments," said Melonee Wise with Fetch Robotics.
Global Soft Robotics Market, Forecast to 2025: A $4.9+ Billion Opportunity Assessment -
The Global Soft Robotics Market was valued at USD 645.45 million in 2019 and is expected to reach USD 4,965.06 million by 2025, at a CAGR of 40.5% over the forecast period 2020-2025.
Soft Robots have provided the end-user industries with the ability to automate over the past few years. Though soft robotics is still in its early stages, with the variety of benefits offered by soft robots compared to the traditional robots, the penetration of the soft robots is expected to grow dramatically over the forecast period.
Scientists working to make molecule-sized robots swarm together to perform tasks
Rapid progress has been made in recent years to build these tiny machines, thanks to supramolecular chemists, chemical and biomolecular engineers, and nanotechnologists, among others. But one area that still needs improvement is controlling the movements of swarms of molecular robots, so they can perform multiple tasks simultaneously.
Toward this end, researchers have made molecular robots with three key components: microtubules, single-stranded DNA, and a light-sensing chemical compound . The microtubules act as the molecular robot 's motor, converting chemical energy into mechanical work. The DNA strands act as the information processor due to its incredible ability to store data and perform multiple functions simultaneously.
Covid-19 could accelerate the robot takeover of human jobs | MIT Technology Review
Inside a Schnucks grocery store in St. Louis, Missouri, the toilet paper and baking ingredients are mostly cleared out. A rolling robot turns a corner and heads down an aisle stocked with salsa and taco shells. It comes up against a masked customer wearing shorts and sneakers; he's pushing a shopping cart carrying bread.
The robot looks something like a tower speaker on top of an autonomous home vacuum cleaner—tall and thin, with orb-like screen eyes halfway up that shift left and right. A red sign on its long head makes the introductions. "Hi, I'm Tally! I check shelf inventory!" A moment of uncertainty ensues. Tally freezes, sensing the human, and the customer pauses, seeming unsure of what to do next. Should he maneuver around the robot? Or wait for it to move along on its own?
No comments:
Post a Comment