Obsolete systems can be a liability, or they can be an opportunity to make improvements. Aging production equipment often has a history of increasing downtime that makes it obvious that there is an issue. Sometimes other business performance factors can lead to the decision to make improvements. More production from the same facility at a […]
As Google cars roll out, Deere reminds us of thousands of their self-driving tractors
Google is sending 25 new self-driving cars onto the streets of Mountain View, CA but John Deere reminds us that they already have tens of thousands of self-driving tractors in service around the world. John Deere has been selling self-driving kits for their tractors for over 15 years. Their latest version, called AutoTrac, allows the…
How to Turn Apple Watch Packaging into a Drone
A DIYer builds a flyable drone out of the packaging for an Apple Watch. Here’s how.
10 Jobs Robots Will Never Replace
Here are 10 jobs that have less than a 1 percent chance of ever being replaced by robots, according to researchers.
Controversy Ensues as Google Self-Driving Cars Hit California Roads
Let the controversy begin as two self-driving cars reportedly had a near-collision in Silicon Valley. Or did they?
Poll: How to Make Consumer Drones Safer?
Drones can’t continue to fly near commercial airplanes and obstruct firefighters. So what’s the answer? Is there an answer?
Here’s a Perfect Example of Why We Need More Consumer Drone Regulation
While trying to contain the wildfires in California, firefighters are seeing more consumer drones hovering over active fires.
3-D Printed Metal Bridge to Span Dutch Canal
MX3D is leading an interdisciplinary effort in the Netherlands that is working on the hardware and software needed for automated construction.
Drone Experts: Consumer Drone Safety Act Would Stifle Innovation
Drone experts react to the Consumer Drone Safety Act, saying that adding “technology restrictions doesn’t make sense,” that drones would become too expensive and companies would go out of business.
GE, Boeing Use 3-D Printing for Durable Aircraft Parts
Falling prices, more materials, and greater understanding of the technology’s potential value are helping 3-D printing move into manufacturing.
Summer reading – fact, fiction and debatable
Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War, Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future, and Spare Parts: Four Undocumented Teenagers, One Ugly Robot, and the Battle for the American Dream are new books that have recently come to market. You may find some or all of them of interest. Ghost Fleet: A…
Meet the ‘World’s Most Lifelike’ Robot Hand
The bebionic small hand copies the capabilities of a real hand with 14 different precision grips.
The Age of Industrial Controls
At the dawn of the Age of Industrial Controls computers were programmed with punch cards in Fortran and programs were run in batch process. Computer hardware was the size of a small building and the heat generated required substantial air conditioning in order for the machine to operate. Massive, complex, expensive hardware that required a […]
Series of research reports evaluate robotics industry
Businesses, analysts and investors often need and are willing to pay for more facts than they can gather from their sales and R&D departments: detailed comparative reviews of the landscape of a particular industry segment in which they have an interest. The research industry attempts to provide that data which, in the case service robotics…
In the future, robots will be ubiquitous
“The most profound technologies are those that disappear. They weave themselves into the fabric of everyday life until they are indistinguishable from it. Computers have already achieved that kind of ubiquity. In the future, robots will, too.” This is just one of the notable quotes from the July/August issue of Foreign Affairs magazine. Four articles…
6 Robots That Make Great Father’s Day Gifts
Don’t get Dad another tie or “World’s Greatest Dad” coffee mug. Here’s a list of awesome robot gifts for Father’s Day.
Can Self-Driving Cars Redefine Old Age?
Approximately 35,000 seniors in England have difficulty walking a short distance, but they’re restricted to using public transportation making any journey difficult.
Foxconn and Alibaba invest in SoftBank Robotics as Pepper goes on sale in Japan
In a strategic move sure to have long-term ramifications, Foxconn and Alibaba each invested $118 million for a combined 40% share of the new SoftBank Robotic Holdings Group, an entity which holds Aldebaran, Pepper and the Pepper SDK software group. Starting June 20, Pepper robots will go on sale to businesses and consumers in Japan.…
Near Misses Lead to More Drone Legislation
Why Uber’s Self-Driving Cars Will be Here Sooner Than you Think
The California Labor Commission ruled that an Uber driver should be classified as an employee, giving the startup some incentive to focus even more on self-driving cars.
5 Takeaways from Amazon’s Congressional Meeting on Drones
Amazon met with Congress to discuss regulatory and technological issues surrounding its Prime Air drone delivery service. Here are five key takeaways from the meeting.
NASA Centennial Challenges Push Robotics
NASA promotes robotics for space exploration, but are the rewards and potential uses sufficient?