The field for this month’s DARPA Robotics Challenge Trials is now set, with four self-funded teams — who built their own hardware and software for the competition — rounding out the line-up. Previously, we learned about the seven teams that survived the Virtual Robotics Challenge and received an ATLAS robot as well as the six
Following Sunday’s announcement on “60 Minutes” that Amazon is considering a fleet of package-delivery drones — which was met with more than a few raised eyebrows — the New York Times revealed today that Google has purchased no less than seven robotics companies this year, causing some to speculate that the search giant could eventually
Last month, we wrote about a design challenge MakerBot hosted on its Thingiverse website asking users to create 3D-printed math manipulatives for use in the classroom. The idea was that these educational tools, which are typically fairly expensive, could be made more widely available through 3D printing. MakerBot says it received more than 160 entries, which
Last night on “60 Minutes,” Amazon founder Jeff Bezos shared his vision for a future where unmanned octocopters deliver the company’s packages — a notion he admitted “looks like science fiction” but which he said could be a reality in as little as four or five years. That bold prediction caught the attention of both the
AeroVironment yesterday reported second quarter revenue of $64.9 million, down 19 percent from $80.3 million during the same period last year. However, the company also noted that its funded backlog — or unfilled orders for which funding has been appropriated to the company under contract — was $133.8 million, a big jump from $59.4 million as of April 30.
Before Snoopy, SpongeBob, and, of course, Santa ride down 6th Avenue in New York as part of the the 87th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, some budding roboticists and their creations will actually kick things off. That’s because this year, teams from the FIRST Robotics Competition have the honor of leading the parade to its
One of the advantages of humanoid robots is that — in theory — they can make use of existing infrastructure and tools that were designed for humans. That premise will be put to the test in a big way at the DARPA Robotics Challenge, where a variety of robots will be asked to perform human-like
3D printing company Stratasys reported today that it has brought suit for patent infringement against Afinia, the company behind the Afinia H-Series 3D printer. Stratasys alleges four of its patents were infringed on, the most recent of which was issued in January 2013. The complaint cites patents related to “part porosity, liquefier structure, temperature control
Military demand for unmanned ground vehicles will likely decrease in the short term, due to fiscal and military realities, but as UGV capabilities expand during the next decade, so will their use, according to a report released last week by London-based business information provider Visiongain. The report, “Military Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) Market 2013-2023,” predicts
One of the ways Motorola, which was acquired by Google last year, is attempting to set itself apart in the crowded mobile marketplace is by giving users an unprecedented ability to customize their phones, and they’re doing it with a technology tailor made for highly custom manufacturing: 3-D printing. 3D Systems, a leader in the
