Robotics
Customers prefer better-trained store staff than robots
Research among 1,000 UK customers by Hughes shows that despite all the headlines about cute robots such as Softbank’s Pepper, the technology is not in fact high on the list of expectations. Only four percent of customers expect to see such technology in stores within 12 months and of those who have used or experienced it, almost seven-in-ten (69%) said it had been a below-par experience. By Hughes Europe
The latest prototypes for animal-friendly machines
Semi-autonomous and autonomous machines and robots can become moral machines using annotated decision trees containing ethical assumptions or justifications for interactions with animals. Machine ethics is a young, dynamic discipline, which primarily targets people, not animals. However, it is important that animals are kept from harm when encountering these machines since animals cannot make informed decisions or react as humans would.
Contamination-free automation
Humans shed and re-grow outer skin cells every 27 days, equating to around 1,000 new skins in an average human’s lifetime. Even in a clean room environment, a worker will shed 600,000 particles of skin per hour. With this flakiness in mind, Nigel Smith, managing director of Toshiba Machine partner, TM Robotics, explained how clean room robots can eradicate the risk of human contamination.
Drone training professionals award first NVQ diplomas
RUSTA awarded Amy Cheeseman and Sophie Harwood, of Waldeck Consulting, with ProQual NVQ Level four diplomas on Friday. The pair were the ambassadors for Waldeck completing their original UAV course in April 2017.
Danish robot equipment company acquires robotics firm
Purple Robotics, which developed an innovative vacuum gripper within one year , has been acquired by OnRobot. The acquisition takes place a mere two months after the OnRobot merger of three robotics companies from the USA, Hungary, and Denmark to create one global player with a strong focus on the market for industrial robot accessories.
Teachers and students praise educational robot
MATATALAB has announced that after a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign, Matatalab educational robot sets are all shipped out with free upgraded packages for all Kickstarter backers. The Reddot design award-winning Matatalab robot was a success on Kickstarter, securing 110% of its required funding within 24 hours. These free upgrades are Matatalab’s way of repaying the confidence and trust of Kickstarter supporters.
ERICA has now been upgraded with 'attentive listening' ability
We've all tried talking with devices, and in some cases they talk back. But, it's a far cry from having a conversation with a real person. Now a research team from Kyoto University, Osaka University, and the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute, or ATR, have significantly upgraded the interaction system for conversational android ERICA, giving her even greater dialogue skills.
DroneShield product suite accepted to GSA Schedule
DroneShield has announced that its full product suite has been approved for placement on, and placed on, the GSA Schedule. The GSA (General Services Administration) is an agency of the United States government that supplies products for US government offices and operates the Federal Acquisition Service (the FAS). As part of this effort, it maintains the GSA Schedule, which other US government agencies can use to buy goods and services.
Automation made easy with robolink Apiro modular
The new modular motion system from igus, robolink Apiro, which enables design engineers to develop low cost automation systems, has been announced. Consisting of three lubrication-free worm gears for standard movement, inverted movement and linear movement, the system can be configured to perform simple linear motion to complex humanoid and animatronic robotic tasks.
Mobile robots put manufacturing on the move
An Autonomously Guided Vehicle (AGV) equipped with a robot arm has been developed by Mitsubishi Electric and Mirage, making it possible to deploy the same robot at multiple workstations. The system has been designed to give flexibility to assembly lines and boost plant productivity.