When your car breaks down, you generally don’t chalk it up as a total loss and leave it for dead on the side of the road. However, that’s essentially what happens when a communications satellite fails in orbit 22,000 miles above the Earth, where thousands of such devices now float as space debris. Many of
Common sense, which gets its name because it comes so naturally to humans, is not so common among robots. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, however, are trying to change that with a computer program called the Never Ending Image Learner, or NEIL. NEIL is currently running 24 hours a day, searching the Web for images
The Internet of Things, which is helping bring robotics and various related technologies to the masses, is increasingly entering our homes. After last week’s announcement of a substantial infusion of capital at start-up SmartThings, the latest example comes from home automation company August, which today reported $8 million in Series A funding. The company’s flagship
Lincoln Electric Holdings, an Ohio-based company that specializes in arc welding products, reported today that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Robolution GmbH, a robotic arc welding systems provider located near Frankfurt, Germany. Robolution currently serves a number of automotive manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. “Robolution expands
The latest installment of the White House “We the Geeks” series of Google+ Hangouts, scheduled for later today, will feature a maker movement theme. “We the Geeks” is designed to highlight the future of science, technology and innovation in the United States. A previous edition, held in August, was all about robots. Today’s event —
The economic effects of innovations like 3-D printing and robotics aren’t always readily apparent. For instance, 3-D printing is recognized as a way for businesses to cheaply create prototypes, but it’s not widely viewed as a way to reduce expenses in school classrooms. 3-D printing company MakerBot, however, sees an opportunity. MakerBot is holding a
3-D printing has been hailed as the next big thing for a while now, but as the technology continues to improve and cost decreases, it appears to be on the cusp of breaking out in a big way. Exhibit A — a newly released research report by MarketsandMarkets predicts the segment will expand at an
Prioria Robotics reported today that it has been awarded several contracts totaling $4.5 million by the U.S. Army Rapid Equipping Force. The company also noted that as part of the multi-system order, its Maveric unmanned aircraft system completed certification by the Army Test and Evaluation Command. “The U.S. Army has shifted its focus to smaller,
In another first for robot-kind, a UR5 robot arm from Universal Robots will ring the NASDAQ closing bell on Tuesday to mark the launch of the Robo-Stox Global Robotics and Automation Index exchange-traded fund. It’s the first time a non-human has been given the task. Of course, these days “ringing” the closing bell actually means
The Federal Aviation Administration today released its first annual “roadmap” outlining efforts to integrate unmanned aircraft systems into the nation’s airspace. The document is available for download here: Integration of Civil Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the National Airspace System (NAS) Roadmap The FAA says its main goal for integration is to establish requirements that
