Fetch Robotics, which just demoâd their Fetch and Freight robot system at ICRA in May, announced receiving $20 million from SoftBank, OâReilly AlphaTech and Shasta Ventures. The Series A round of funding brings their total funding to date to $23 million. SoftBank was the lead investor in the round. SoftBank, a Tokyo-based phone and Internet service…
You Won’t Believe How Many Great White Sharks a Drone Sees Off Shore of California Beach
Within 10 minutes of launching its new shark-hunting drone, lifeguards at a California beach stumble upon a number of great white sharks just off the shoreline.
Obsolete!
It has been roughly 50 years since Dick Morely created the first programmable controller, and while the demise of the PLC has been predicted many times, it is still here with us. As the control industry has evolved in the “age of electronics” PLCs have changed dramatically. One of the subtle problems of electronics is […]
Adept Technology Sells $8M in Shares, Gets Distributors
Adept Technology raised money for working capital and announced distributors for its industrial robots.
Complexity and Cost
The next generation of design is going to be something remarkable. Consider the impact of part fabrication in which complexity has no impact on cost. In fact, the more complex part the part construction the less it will cost. Why? Because the cost of a 3D printed part is almost exclusively based on the weight […]
Surgical device maker Transenterix raises $50 million from IPO
Transenterix raised $50 million from an IPO and market switch which transferred their stock from the over-the-counter market to the special small-cap MKT Exchange on the NYSE. The maker of the SurgiBot System to enhance laparoscopic surgery through robotic assistance, a system that is presently awaiting FDA approval, plans to use the funds to ramp…
Ocado Designs SecondHands To Be the Equal of Humans
The U.K.-based ‘Amazon of food’ ambitions include co-robots that can aid humans and then apply lessons independently.
5 mechanical considerations for electrical engineers
Edited by Paul J. Heney, Editorial Director Trying to size and space the electrical components before the mechanics are defined can lead to wasted time and rework. High-performance mechatronic systems require a complex interplay of electrical and mechanical systems to accomplish increasingly demanding tasks. The problem? Mechanical engineers and electrical engineers are often educated within […]
Google Ambulance Drones Want to Save You in Emergencies
Google has been granted a patent for a fleet of drones that will deliver medical supplies such as first aid kits, defibrillators or EpiPens to people in emergency situations.
Why So Many Robots Struggled with the DARPA Challenge
The DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals highlight some of the potential issues of human-robot collaboration.
7 Things We Learned After the DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals
The DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals have come and gone. Here are some of the most important takeaways from the ultimate robot competition.
14 Epic Fails from the DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals
A robot uprising seems like science fiction after seeing these falls and fails from the DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals.
DJI Matrice 100 Drone: A Developer-Friendly Quadcopter That Avoids Obstacles
DJI’s Matrice 100 drone is designed for developers to help test new sensors, processors and other tech. DJI also introduced its Guidance obstacle avoidance system.
DRC-Hubo Humanoid Dominates DARPA Finals
The DRC-Hubo robot from Team KAIST was much faster than the other robots at the DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals, completing the eight tasks in a time of 44 minutes, 28 seconds to win the $2 million grand prize.
Cars and Printing – Part 2
The cost analysis of most 3D printing processes is based on the direct material cost, usually in dollars per pound. By making machine costs low and eliminating tooling costs the barrier to entry in many markets is reduced to a tiny fraction of other processes. Which is entirely intentional and why 3D printing gets so […]
A gentleman made of modular components
Friendly and likeable; invisible when not needed; on call around the clock: the butler of the future is called Care-O-bot 4, developed by the Frauenhofer IPA in Stuttgart, and Schunk, and it was recently showcased at Hannover Messe. The modular design of Care-O-bot 4 allows diverse configurations and applications. “Its high degree of standardization makes […]
What’s hot in robotics? Four trends to watch
Four diverse trends are having a big effect on the robotics industry worldwide, and the global media and financial gurus are paying attention to the process. 1. BROAD RECOGNITION There is broad recognition within the business world of the value of robotics and that growing awareness is spreading to the media and financial community. Efficiency,…
Boeing’s Mid-Air Charging Lets Drones Fly Forever
Boeing has been granted a patent that allows drones to recharge while flying by connecting a tether to a ground-based power station.
MIT Algorithm Improves Collaboration of Delivery Drones
MIT tests a new system that combines simple control programs to enable fleets of drones to collaborate in unprecedented ways.
Amazon Picks a Robotics Challenge Winner
Team RBO from the Technical University of Berlin won the Amazon Picking Challenge by a wide margin, but is more automation worth the costs?
Toymaker Sphero Gets $45M, Thanks to ‘Star Wars’ Cameo
Boulder, Colo.-based Sphero’s rolling robot has an innovative design, gaining fan and investor interest.
Korean team wins DARPA Robotic Challenge
The DARPA Robotic Challenge Finals, a 3-day affair which just concluded at the Pomona Fairgrounds, is a far bigger event than I imagined. 24 teams participated and 3 won the $3,500,000 prize money. Team KAIST from South Korea won. Dr. Gil Pratt headed the 2-1/2 year challenge and staged the event at the fairgrounds. The overall…