Library of actions: Implementing a generic robot execution framework by using manipulation action semantics (ABSTRACT)

August 13, 2019

Source: The International Journal of Robotics Research Authors: Mohamad Javad Aein, Eren Erdal Aksoy, Florentin Wörgötter Publication: First published May 29, 2019 When a robot has to imitate an observed action sequence, it must first understand the inherent characteristic features of the individual actions. Such features need to reflect the semantics of the action with a high degree of invariance between different demonstrations of the same action. At the same …Read More

Boston Dynamics Enters Warehouse Robots Market, Acquires Kinema Systems

July 30, 2019

Source: Spectrum IEEE / by Erico Guizzo The company, famous for agile machines like Atlas and Spot, wants to unleash robots in the warehouse If you haven’t seen the latest Boston Dynamics video, released last week, it shows an upgraded version of the company’s Handle robot moving boxes in a warehouse. Handle is a mobile manipulator that integrates both legs and wheels, and the new version features a swinging “tail” that serves as a …Read More

Sensor-packed glove learns signatures of the human grasp (ABSTRACT)

July 17, 2019

Source: Science Daily Wearing a sensor-packed glove while handling a variety of objects, MIT researchers have compiled a massive dataset that enables an AI system to recognize objects through touch alone. The information could be leveraged to help robots identify and manipulate objects, and may aid in prosthetics design.

Amazon Uses 800 Robots to Run This Warehouse

June 25, 2019

Source: IEEE Spectrum / by Evan Ackerman Amazon is adding even more robots to its already massive robotic workforce At Amazon’s re:MARS conference in Las Vegas today, who else but Amazon is introducing two new robots designed to make its fulfillment centers even more fulfilling. Xanthus (named after a mythological horse that could very briefly talk but let’s not read too much into that) is a completely redesigned drive unit, one of the …Read More

Pneumatic robotics meets artificial intelligence

May 6, 2019

Source: Festo Whether its grabbing, holding or turning, touching, typing or pressing – in everyday life, we use our hands as a matter of course for the most diverse tasks. In that regard, the human hand, with its unique combination of power, dexterity and fine motor skills, is a true miracle tool of nature. What could be more natural than equipping robots in collaborative workspaces with a gripper that is modelled after this model …Read More

Google Teaches Robot to Toss Bananas Better Than You Do

April 25, 2019

Source: Spectrum IEEE / By Evan Ackerman TossingBot, developed by Google and Princeton, can teach itself to throw arbitrary objects with better accuracy than most humans. As anyone who’s ever tried to learn how to throw something properly can attest to, it takes a lot of practice to be able to get it right. Once you have it down, though, it makes you much more efficient at a variety of …Read More

Boston Dynamics’ Handle robot brings mobile manipulation to logistics

April 9, 2019

Source: The Robot Report / by Steve Crowe Holy mobile manipulation, Batman! Boston Dynamics just released a new video of its reimagined Handle robot. The Waltham, Mass.-based company is now calling Handle a “mobile manipulation robot designed for logistics. Handle autonomously performs mixed SKU pallet building and depalletizing after initialization and localizing against the pallets.” Handle uses an on-board vision system to track the marked pallets for navigation and finds …Read More

Robot hand is soft and strong

March 26, 2019

Source: MIT News / by Rachel Gordon Gripper device inspired by “origami magic ball” can grasp wide array of delicate and heavy objects. Fifty years ago, the first industrial robot arm (called Unimate) assembled a simple breakfast of toast, coffee, and champagne. While it might have looked like a seamless feat, every movement and placement was coded with careful consideration. Even with today’s more intelligent and adaptive robots, this task remains …Read More

What is the business case for cobots in the supply chain?

March 14, 2019

Source: Supply Chain Dive / by Edwin Lopez In Influencers Roundtable, we bring together voices from consulting firms to share how they perceive various emerging technologies. The answers below have been edited for clarity and length. No talk of automation is complete without a mention of its apparent nemesis: labor. “We believe new productivity enhancing tools from accounting box, legal system analytics and predictive AI etc. will allow us to …Read More

Festo’s Agile Robot Handles Objects Effortlessly

March 6, 2019

Source: ValueWalk / by Danica Simic Many video games and sci-fi shows and movies offer a glimpse into a future in which we’re served by robot nannies, maids and chefs. A study conducted at MIT previously demonstrated that AI-powered robots can make pizza, and now engineers at Festo have designed an agile robot arm which can effortlessly handle objects and even learn how to do it better. Festo’s agile robot arm is equipped with a …Read More

technology watch