Check out 10 top rising cloud robotics start-ups

Cloud robotics is an area of robotics that attempts to entreat cloud technologies such as cloud computing, cloud storage, and other internet technologies. It is not an easy task to run a cloud robotics start-ups. But it is amazing to see the rising number of start-ups specializing in cloud robotics. These start-ups are seen to work on innovative technologies.

Here is the list of 10 cloud robotics start-ups that are working on the innovation of technologies and products.

Graphcore

It was founded in 2016. The company is situated in the United Kingdom. The company’s IPU accelerators and popular software together make the fastest and most ductile platform for current and future machine intelligence applications, which lowers the cost of AI in the cloud and datacentre, improves performance and efficiency by between 10x to 100x. Graphcore systems shine at both training and reasoning. The highly collateral computational resources along with graph software tools and libraries enable researchers to explore machine intelligence across a much wider front than current solutions. This technology lets recent success in deep learning evolve rapidly towards useful, general artificial intelligence.

Arctoris

The company was founded in 2016 and is situated in the United Kingdom. Arctoris serves academic research groups and biotech companies, enabling scientists to directly configure a broad range of cancer research experiments online, and collects their results and detailed methods report instantly. It is not only effective for screening but is created for fundamental research, surrounding a wide range of techniques to cover cellular and molecular biology. Arctoris enables researchers and entrepreneurs to create and implement cutting-edge cellular and molecular biology research experiments and offers a complete system to recognize, analyze and visualize research data.

INVOLI

The company was founded in 2017, Switzerland. INVOLI serves in building infrastructure that enables drone revolution, ensuring their safe consolidation into today’s aviation world and avoiding collisions with aircraft. It offers an online platform, which collects data from a network of scaled-down control towers gathering maximum information on the position of every flying object in the sky, manually or automatically. Its technology enables everybody to see the air traffic encompassing them and take the most appropriate measures. Thus, what INVOLI brings to the aviation world is intelligent air traffic instruments and automatic collision avoidance tools, allowing low-risk flight plans and avoidance strategies and thus creating a safer, smarter sky for all.

Salty Cloud, PBC (Public Benefit Company)

It was founded in March 2017 in, USA. The company offers next-generation security automation technology to assist organizations around the globe to protect their cyber adversaries. Today, the company provides three security & risk automation tools to the public. It continues to find ways to provide free versions of its tools for educational institutions, state & local governments, and non-profits. One such offering is Dorkbot, the web vulnerability scanning service.

Bright Machines

It was founded in 2018 in, USA. The company aims at making manufacturing smarter and more efficient. It merges intelligent software with flexible factory robots and machine learning to help the customers deliver the next-generation products

Soar Robotics

The company offers independent operations at scale for urban and industrial applications with seamless connectivity and cloud intelligence. It uses hyper-realistic visual and physical simulation environments to safely test hardware by recreating real-life scenarios in virtual worlds. It helps in executing custom applications for proprietary use cases.

Freedom Robotics

It was founded in 2018, headquartered in San Francisco. Freedom Robotics integrates development and management tools in its cloud-based robotics management software (RMS) to help in prototype, creating, operating, and scaling robot fleets.

Covariant

It was founded in 2017, headquartered in Berkeley, Calif.

Covariant is creating AI called the “Covariant Brain” to make robots smarter. Covariant is competing directly with other cloud robotics start-ups such as Kindred and RightHand Robotics. Its technique is to use a variety of AI methods to train its robots, including reinforcement learning. It merges that with an off-the-shelf robot arm, a suction gripper, and a simple 2D camera system.

Aitomation – Workflow Automation

This company leverages robots (physically and virtually) for automating specific tasks. It utilizes the power of cloud computing and process automation to create and modify cloud robotic solutions. The company develops software robotics solutions, lean strategies, artificial intelligence (AI), and low-code applications, as well as cloud services. It allows the automation of long workflows and processes that run across multiple systems and organizational extremities.

RosHub – Robotic Fleet Management

It is a US-based start-up. It develops connectivity solutions for robot fleets. The company is also involved in prototyping, testing, and applying robotic solutions in unstructured public spaces. It allows the link of an open-source ROS (robotics operating system) that is combined efficiently with the support of existing tools and APIs.

The post TOP 10 CLOUD ROBOTICS START-UPS TO KEEP AN EYE ON appeared first on Artificial Intelligence.

In 2013, Google started a pioneering and ostentatious effort to manufacture robots. With time, its target has become self-effacing but with time the technology is also subtly more advanced. Since 2013, the internet company has depleted tens of millions of dollars in buying six robotics start-ups in Japan and in the United States. The project consisted of two teams that are majoring in machines that moved and looked like humans. Andy Rubin, the Vice President of engineering who was behind the effort of creating such projects named it Replicant in a nod to Google’s great ambition. Also, the name was used in a science-fiction movie called ‘Blade Runner’.

However, with the passing time over the next few years, Google sold off the companies that have been acquired by it or shut them down. The Japanese conglomerate SoftBank bought the best-known project named Boston Dynamics from Google.

In recent years, with the advancement of modern technology, Google accumulated and reassessed its target on the mechanics of complex robots. For the last few years, Google has been remodeling its program focusing on robots that are much more manageable and simpler than human-shaped machines.

Vincent Vanhoucke, who previously helped Google in building Google Brain that researches artificial intelligence is now leading the new robotics at Google. This new effort is called robotics at Google. It includes many of the engineers and researchers who worked under Mr. Rubin. Its new model will be able to learn skills independently using machine learning without human intervention, like traversing in a warehouse that is filled with unexpected objects. The machines may not impressive or attractive as the earlier humanoid robots but this more advanced technology incorporated inside them gives them more perspective in the real world.

In the warehouse and on factory floors, Robots are already in use but they can only operate certain specific tasks only like turning screws or picking up objects. Taking the help of machine learning Google wants the machines with which it is working to learn on their own.

The post GOOGLE MADE A COME BACK IN THE WORLD OF ROBOTICS appeared first on Artificial Intelligence.

Ken Goldberg thinks artificial intelligence will enable surgical robots to achieve their best function — not replacing surgeons but augmenting their work by reducing the monotony of specific subtasks like suturing.

The William S. Floyd Jr. Distinguished Chair in Engineering at UC Berkeley, Goldberg and his research team have continued to advance the field.

The group — which includes postdoctoral researchers Minho Hwang and Jeffrey Ichnowski and PhD student Brijen Thananjeyan — has demonstrated how a deep neural network plus 3D-printed depth-sensing markers can train a da Vinci surgical robot to automatically perform peg transfer slightly faster and more accurately than an experienced surgical resident.

They also published a paper in Science Robotics last November about new AI software that allows robots to learn how to rapidly plan smooth motions that increase speed and reduce wear in factories, warehouses…and operating rooms.

Their work encompasses so much more, too. (Here’s a list of published research.)

Goldberg recently consulted with his research team to provide some insights to Medical Design & Outsourcing and MassDevice about where the surgical robotics space could advance in coming years:

MDO: You’ve spoken before of an emerging generation of surgical robots. Tell us more.

Goldberg: Many of the early patents on surgical-assist robots are expiring, so there are several new companies entering the market. For example, Johnson and Johnson purchased Auris, and Medtronic purchased Mazor in the past 2 years. Many new companies that are emerging in Asia — including China and Korea — are also developing a new generation of surgical-assist robots at lower cost and working to introduce some supervised autonomy.

Rather than replacing human surgeons, an emerging new generation of robots will assist surgeons by performing tedious subtasks such as suturing and debridement to improve consistency, reduce fatigue and open the door to long-distance tele-surgery.  Advances in AI can be applied to data collected from surgical systems such as Intuitive’s da Vinci to learn underlying control policies for subtasks including cutting, suturing, palpation, dissection, retraction and debridement.

MDO: How can artificial intelligence advance robot-assisted surgery? Give us an example.

Goldberg: We were recently able to automate peg transfer, a common training procedure for minimally invasive surgery, with 99.4% accuracy (357/360 trials) [on a da Vinci Research Kit] — even when the robot tools are switched. This task is challenging because it requires high accuracy, and the cables that drive surgical robots’ joints stretch during motion, which can significantly reduce their accuracy.[We’ve learned] to correct errors at key points in the task visually by using demonstrations from a human teleoperator.

We also present an alternate approach to this task in two papers, one published and one preprint. These approaches use fiducial markers and depth-sensing with deep learning to learn a model of how the robot moves as a function of its past motions, which is a complex function of its cabling properties. Using this learned model for control, we achieve 94-100% accuracy on bilateral and unilateral versions of the task, respectively. Using a trajectory optimization procedure, we are able to roughly match or outperform a human surgeon in terms of speed as well.

MDO:  TransEnterix executives see AI as an edge when it comes to competing better with its Senhance system. What do you think of their Intelligent Surgical Unit?

Goldberg: Learning how to position and move the surgical camera without manual adjustment is a very interesting problem.  It is tedious for the surgeon to do this herself, so it would be helpful if a robot could anticipate, for example, as a suture advances beyond the field of view and track the camera to move accordingly.  This is also subtle because erroneous camera motions could be frustrating for surgeons.

MDO: Overall, what are you most excited about in the robot-assisted surgery space?

Goldberg: I’m hopeful that we can develop systems that can learn to perform specific subtasks such as suturing or debridement faster and more accurately than human surgeons, thus relieving human surgeons of tedium, allowing them to focus on more nuanced aspects of surgery and also to reduce time in the operating room.

This research field is growing rapidly: There are now 30 labs worldwide doing experiments with a research version of the Intuitive surgical-assistant robot, and new hardware and algorithms are being published every month.

The post Could artificial intelligence boost surgical robotics to new heights? appeared first on Artificial Intelligence.

I’m writing this just before New Year’s Day, and like many of you I’m hoping to reach my one remaining goal for 2020, which is to be alive in 2021. I’m looking forward to putting 2020 behind, and while the pandemic has been painful, it has caused things to accelerate in several areas impressively rapidly. Two of those areas are robotics and artificial intelligence, which we’ll see adapted broadly this decade with a considerable bump in 2021.

Let’s talk about all of that this week, and we’ll close with my first product of the week in 2021, the Somnofy AI Sleep Monitor.

Robots, robots, and more robots will increasingly surround us in 2021.

We ended 2020 watching the Boston Dynamics robots do choreography. This showcased just how incredibly capable these things are becoming and making some of us wonder if we should be looking for Skynet.

However, rather than anticipating robots that will either kill or protect us, much of what we’ll see is delivery and food prep.

One of the big things that happened late in 2020 was that the FAA cleared the way for drone delivery, allowing drones to fly over populated areas and at night. Initially, drone delivery will mostly deploy in rural areas where it makes sense given the lack of high-density housing such apartment complexes that don’t lend themselves to drone delivery. Still, for some of us, drones delivering packages will be common by the end of this year. For folks in New York and Las Vegas, Walmart will be delivered by air to you shortly.

We aren’t just talking about flying drones either, as drones with wheels are coming off their 2019 trials and going into production. California is the first state with large delivery autonomous vehicles. However, I expect, primarily because we are still mostly home during the days now — so we are around to unload the things — that this will spread far and wide, again mostly in rural areas, by year’s end.

But this won’t just be for the delivery because restaurants are becoming automated as well, since machines don’t catch or spread diseases and can operate 24/7. It strikes me that we could have gone back to the automat concept to separate customers from those preparing and serving the food. Still, the automated restaurant appears to be blending industrial robots for food preparation and delivery.

Automation deals with two problems: the lack of people that want to work in fast-food restaurants (virtually all of them in my area have a help wanted sign) and keeping the place open during a pandemic.

Finally, we are short hundreds of thousands of truckers, and one of the ways to address this is to put autonomous tractor-trailer rigs onto the major highways for long-haul routes. This outcome is iffy because the unions are fighting this. Still, given the massive shortage of drivers, shipping companies’ only path is to replace the drivers, which means it won’t be long until semi-trucks no longer have drivers.

AI Domination

Another place we are going to see a ton of deployments is AI. From temperature monitors at entrances to transportation, offices, hospitals, and restaurants that alert and sometimes prevent entry for those running a bit hot, to radically improved digital assistants, we are going to be surrounded by AI.

One of the exciting efforts that started in 2020 was Nvidia’s Broadcast app and its Omniverse Machinima.

These showcase how an AI can significantly enhance your next video conference. Think of GPU-centric capabilities using technology like deepfakes to give you a desirable looking virtual office that looks more realistic than the backgrounds we currently have, the elimination of background noise, and even the ability to take years off your age and dress you virtually so you appear more professional on screen.

In the following years, I expect this ability to dynamically clothe you will advance so you will appear to be dressed in culturally acceptable ways for each country you are broadcasting. I expect we’ll also have issues that the movie “Lost in Space” showcased when Will Robinson replaced his teacher’s image complaining about his behavior with a cartoon ape. I can think of several ways this capability could end badly for someone.

With your digital assistant integrating with products like the Cisco Webex Desk Hub blending your office and smartphone and backing it up with an office-focused digital assistant, we’ll have Alexa-like capabilities in our homes and offices.

These won’t be like Siri but are increasingly backed by mature AI technologies like IBM’s Watson to provide far more profound insights and better answers to your business questions. It will be easier to find out who is responsible for something, whom you need approvals from, whom you should be collaborating with, and get far more timely alerts if you are doing something that could land you in trouble.

Finally, the AI-driven health monitors that we wear are due for a substantial upgrade. Think more accurate blood pressure, insulin, and heart monitors tied directly to EMTs and medical services so that you get the medical help you need more quickly and more accurately. This advancement should be the beginning of embedded technology and form a bridge to advanced prosthetics. These advancements include improved brain interfaces, which will also lay a foundation for future man-machine interfaces.

Wrapping Up

I’m only touching on a few of the advancements we’ll see in 2021, but at the heart of most of these are now-maturing advancements in man-machine interfaces, more capable AI systems, and increasingly prevalent robots and autonomous vehicles.

Oh, flying cars, flying suits, and flying motorcycles are also moving into production in 2021.

These emerging technologies should make 2021 a fascinating year — though it will likely take much of the decade to make all of this new technology acceptable to most of us.

The Somnofy Sleep Monitor

If you are like me, getting a good night’s sleep during this pandemic is problematic. One of the best products I’ve so far found is the AI-driven Somnofy Sleep Monitor.

Unlike other products I’ve tried, there is little setup, and you don’t have to find the right place under your mattress to put some screwy sensor that often doesn’t work. The Somnofy Sleep Monitor uses non-contact sensors and a deep learning AI to monitor and report on the quality of your sleep, your sleep time, sleep efficiency, and help you eliminate the things that are preventing you from getting a good night’s sleep.

The Somnofy measures sleep quality, respiratory rate, sleep stages, the air quality in your room, ambient light, light spectrum (blue light inhibits sleep), ambient noise, and room temperature to provide a detailed report quality of your sleeping.

It also monitors your vital signs to alert you if you have a breathing problem before the issue becomes critical. Created in Norway, one of the countries that takes personal health more seriously than most, Somnofy will even provide you with techniques like guided breathing to help you fall asleep. However, it will not monitor two people in the same bed without getting a second unit as it focuses on the person closest to the monitor.

Finally, the unit has a smart alarm function that waits until you are in light sleep to wake you up, so you feel more refreshed upon rising. Since the Somnofy sleep monitor is an example of one of the new applied AI capabilities coming to market (I gave it to my wife for Christmas), it is my first product of the week in 2021. 

The post 2021: The Year of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence appeared first on Artificial Intelligence.

Artificial intelligence and robotics are bringing drastic changes in the technological fields. Things we only imagined twenty years back have now become a reality. From automated systems at a manufacturing plant to self-serving robots in a restaurant, technology has evolved, driving humans together. In Today’s world, AI and robots serve people as problem-solvers, companions, and first-responders. Basically, when you chat online with a business on their website thinking that you are talking to their customer representative, you are actually talking to a chatbot. Technology has evolved for good, and it is not going to stop here. 

AI and robotics are getting used in multiple fields

When we talk about AI and robotics, they are not specific to a certain industry. Their adaptability has made them the favorites in all the industries and sectors you can name or think of. From gaming to defense, healthcare, automotive, fitness, education, retail, manufacturing, and whatnot. Online gambling, for example, is a billion-dollar industry, and online gambling platforms like True Blue Casino have already started using AI-based algorithms that control the outcome of the gameplay. 

So, it is safe to say that machines and computers will positively manage most of our dealings. It is just the start. AI, machine learning, and robotics are bound to progress further in the coming years before they become commonplace. Data has played a crucial role in the development of these systems because data has enabled these machines to learn on their own. With that being said, let’s discuss the applications of AI and robotics and how they are going to shape our future. 

Where AI and Robots are used Today? 

AI and robots are a powerful combination for automating tasks. In recent times, artificial intelligence has become a significantly common presence in robotic solutions, bringing in learning capabilities and flexibility in previously rigid applications. While still being nascent, both technologies work well when combined. 

1. Virtual Assistant and Chatbots 

Virtual assistants and chatbots propel the world with astounding automation levels, driving costs down, and productivity. Virtual assistants are a manifestation of AI and machine learning through the simulation of conversation with humans. Virtual assistants and chatbots are designed to obey automated rules using capabilities called Natural Language Processing (NLP). The recent advancements in technology have significantly improved their performance. From Siri to Google Assistant and Alexa, they are the glorified versions of virtual assistants. 

From answering the basic questions like Today’s date and weather to performing some complex tasks like “Hey Siri! Set up an alarm for 8 AM,” these virtual assistants will slowly replace your human assistants. The best part is that they amalgamate very well with machines in your home. With the likes of IoT (Internet of Things), you can command your virtual assistant to turn on the light or AC or music in your house.

2. Agriculture and Farming 

Believe it or not, robotics and AI are your next best bet for sustainable agriculture. With the food supply chain facing a crisis, courtesy of centuries of environmental abuse, over-farming, labor shortages, and population growth, it is threatening our most basic needs. AI and automation are believed to provide relief from the effects of an aging agricultural workforce. With the likes of autonomous drones, self-driving agricultural machines, etc., farmers can spend more time focusing on creating sustainable harvests and less time watching the path in front of them. 

Deere is a well-known agriculture equipment manufacturer that is popular for its self-driving machinery. Also, it expanded its agricultural arsenal with the introduction of an automated weed sprayer. It uses next-gen technology with advanced robotics, machine learning, and computer vision to distinguish between crop and weed. Also, Big Data is helping farmers to deliver better crops. Big Data has given rise to prescription agriculture that uses web-based tools for creating maps or prescriptions, telling farmers how much fertilizer they need to apply to certain crops and areas. 

3. Autonomous Flying 

Autonomous flying uses computer vision technology for hovering in the air while avoiding obstacles and moving in a straight path. With the introduction of artificial intelligence, these flying machines are getting smarter. From aerial view monitoring to security surveillance, video recording, rescue missions, and more, drones and unmanned aerial vehicles are revolutionizing and replacing many job roles. The application of computer vision in autonomous flying includes obstacle detection, collision avoidance, self-navigation, and object tracking. 

Machine learning can bring some drastic changes to how autonomous flying vehicles function. While object tracking UAVs capture real-time data, it also uses an on-board intelligence system that enables it to make human-independent decisions based on the real-time data. 

These drones can be used in urban management and smart cities for advanced surveillance, quick facial recognition, or tracing unwanted objects. They are also highly beneficial in agriculture and farming as they can monitor crops, check the soil fertility, assess soil, and help crop production. Other applications may include: 

• Scanning or mapping terrain of buildings in real estate; 
• In the military to bombard or combat enemies in the war; 
• For human tracking and face recognition. 

4. Retail, Shopping and Fashion 

The retail sector is reaping the benefits of AI and machine learning for some time now. Artificial intelligence is helping retailers better understand their target market through data analysis. Since data is the new currency of this digital world, it can make or break a business. Keeping this in mind, retailers are using predictive analytics to help forecast customer behavior based on sales data. E-commerce sites are using recommendations based on the customer’s regional search trends, location, and search history. Moreover, shopping sites like Amazon offer its customers product recommendations based on past sales data. 

AI also helps retailers enhance their online store by customizing messages they send to their prospective customers. Content generation is a tedious process, but with AI’s Natural Language Generation (NLG), retailers can send targeted messages and offers to customers. 

Robots have been introduced to manage the inventory and sales floor, giving ultimate precision and cutting high costs. And when it comes to fashion, AI is slowly taking over the supply chain and fashion store. From sorting of dresses to sewing, these mundane tasks are performed by AI-induced systems with better accuracy and faster speed. Robots can easily stitch fabrics with precision and can also detect flaws in the material, ensuring quality assurance. 

5. Security and Surveillance 

The robots developed Today use artificial intelligence, long-range sensors, high-definition cameras, and fast computer processing, all of which makes for a pretty decent security system for different needs. Experts believe that robots can easily guard a designated area. There are robots in the making that uses mapping software for creating a geo-fenced perimeter. 

They are designed to monitor the grounds and inside of the building. These security robots are intelligently designed and use differential GPS that can easily find objects within a few centimeters. So, when it is moving, it knows exactly where it is. They can record and store data on a daily basis with their security camera. The foundation of an AI-based security system is a self-monitoring system that features an HD camera. 

The latest AI-powered security robots use facial recognition to store the identities of people visiting a particular house or building and create a catalog of individuals who are regular visitors or those who are known. 

6. Sports Analytics and Activities 

The sports industry is embracing artificial intelligence and robots to make games more exciting and fairer. Sports are more than just games for millions of people. For some, it is an emotion. Above all, it is a billion-dollar industry. With so much at stake, organizations and associations across the globe are trying their best to gain a competitive advantage and keep the fans happy using robotics technology and artificial intelligence. 

AI is helping players improve their fitness and help teams discover new talents. In some sports, robot referees are already a thing, while smart machines are assisting spectators in finding their seats at the stadium. For those who don’t want to visit the jam packed stadium to have fun, their fan experience is retained and redefined using VR headsets. Artificial intelligence is also helping clubs and teams come up with strategies based on previous data. 

The following are some of the interventions that are being implemented in the sports industry: 

• Smart apps and Virtual Reality tech are driving fan engagement; 
• Tech-powered refereeing is soon going to become a reality; 
• Smart algorithms are developing new games; 
• AI is helping team management and support staff to find new star players;
• AI is assisting clubs and teams to protect the wellbeing of their players. 

7. Manufacturing and Production 

The evolution of the manufacturing and production industry is seen with the implementation of robotics and AI. The primary reason for the introduction of AI in the manufacturing industry is to cover for the lack of workforce, simplify the whole production process, and improve efficiency. Earlier, it used to take a whole team’s effort to manage one task system. Now since bots have taken over, it has helped manufacturers boost production speed. 

AI is helping the industry by making product decisions instant and smarter. This is an era of customized products, and AI is helping manufacturers gather useful customer data, which is used to make product-based decisions. Also, it has helped the companies to reduce the overall cost of production. AI and robotics is the future of manufacturing. To get a better understanding of how essential are robotics and AI in the manufacturing industry, have a look at their use cases: 

• Demand-based production; 
• Automatic control; 
• Damage control and quick maintenance; 
• Product design and redesign.

8. Gaming 

Robotics and AI have influenced the way computer games are designed and played. AI is helping game developers to create characters and generate their behavior to imitate humans. The primary goal of artificial intelligence in games is collecting and processing data obtained from players. Above all, it has enabled game developers to create games based on their needs and expectations. 

Also, online gambling has benefited a lot from artificial intelligence. It studies the expectations and preferences of the gambler for example in top 10 online casinos Australia, giving them maximum satisfaction from the comfort of their home. The adaptability and learning nature of the algorithm of AI allows for creating realistic and natural game environments. 

Last but not least, AI-based games have tremendous graphics. It needs a team of hundreds of developers to create such stunning graphics, but thanks to AI, the whole process is automated. This not only saves time, money, and resources as well. 

Conclusion 

Artificial intelligence and robotics are the driving force of the future. In the next decade, you will surely see some stunning technological revelations based on AI. AI is all about data, and when properly implemented, it will use the given data to our benefit, automating most of the processes and making our lives easier. 

The post HOW ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND ROBOTS ARE CHANGING THE WORLD? USE CASES OF AI AND ROBOTICS appeared first on Artificial Intelligence.

Manufacturing firms around the world have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by accelerating their investments in disruptive digital technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics and cloud platforms, a new study has found.

Most manufacturers were caught off-guard the COVID-19 pandemic began spreading across the world, and the vast majority of them were forced to shut down their operation temporarily. Worse, they found themselves severely hampered by reduced orders and an inability to provide a safe workplace when they finally reopened.

But the industry has bounced back quickly as manufacturers around the world responded by stepping up their investments in some game-changing tech.

That’s according to a new report from Google LLC, which found the key to the manufacturing industry’s transformation has been their embrace of “digital enablers and disruptive technologies.”

In a blog post, Dominik Wee, managing director for manufacturing and industrial at Google Cloud, said Google’s survey of more than 1,000 senior manufacturing executives in seven countries shows that more than 40% of manufacturing firms responded to the pandemic by stepping up their use of public cloud platforms, data, analytics and digital productivity tools. The number varies by country, though: In the U.S., for example, 64% of manufacturers increased their use of digital technologies.

Google found that 46% of manufacturing firms were hit by lower productivity because of the COVID-19 pandemic, with 44% reporting lower sales and 39% complaining about increased lead times, possibly from supply chain disruptions. Some 35% of manufacturers also reported reduced customer demand, while labor shortages were a problem for 34% of respondents.

Manufacturers responded to these challenges in several ways. Seventy-seven percent said they were forced to re-evaluate their operating model strategies in light of the pandemic because of their inability to collaborate effectively with value chain partners and employees. They also cited a lack of technology needed to operate without large numbers of onsite workers.

Ultimately, disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics proved to be the answer to many of the challenges COVID-19 throw up, Wee said. Some 76% of manufacturers responded by increasing their use of cloud, AI, data analytics, robotics, 3D printing and additive manufacturing, “internet of things” and augmented and virtual reality to transform their business operations.

As a result, 82% of manufacturers say they’re now in a position where they believe they can navigate any future pandemics. Wee said this sentiment is likely the result of of a large part of the industry switching to new product areas such as manufacturing personal protective equipment, as well as their increased investment in digital factories.

The sustained nature of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted supply chains in ways never seen before, said Bob Parker, International Data Corp.’s senior vice president of enterprise applications, data intelligence, services and industry research.

“As a result, we’re seeing an urgency from manufacturers to quickly put the right technological levers in place, sooner rather than later,” Parker said. “While there may have only been initial conversations about digital transformation in the past, we’re now seeing a rapid acceleration of critical tools and technologies being adopted within the industry.”

The post Manufacturers navigate COVID-19 with AI, cloud and robotics, says Google study appeared first on Artificial Intelligence.

SEATTLE – Cascadia Capital said it is launching one of the nation’s first emerging growth investment banking practice groups dedicated to Robotics, Automation, and Artificial Intelligence (RAAI).

Cascadia said its new RAAI group is well-positioned to provide the nuanced M&A and capital raising guidance business owners and entrepreneurs in this sector need as RAAI technology continues to upend critical industries, resulting in permanent market shifts.

The RAAI group is built on the firm’s history of advising companies in the RAAI space through its long-standing Industrials, Energy & Applied Technology, Healthcare, Consumer, and Food & Ag practice groups.

The practice is led by Cascadia Chairman & CEO Michael Butler and Managing Directors Jamie Boyd and Firdaus Pohowalla, with support from Vice Presidents Yee Lee and Jason Lippenberger, Associate Tarek Elmasry, and Analysts Scott Whiting and Mikaela Slade.

“We have been active in the RAAI space for several years with growing excitement and felt that the time was right to formally pull together the firm’s expertise in a way that maximizes the service we deliver to our clients,” Butler said.

“Our bankers have established a deep understanding of the underlying technologies and end markets while simultaneously developing unparalleled relationships with strategic buyers and investors.”

The firm’s most recent RAAI clients include Lucidyne Technologies, Inc., a world-leading manufacturer of AI-enabled computer vision systems; Vexcel Imaging, a leader in digital mapping and drones; and Qi2, a developer of advanced robotic sensor systems for the oilfield. In addition, Cascadia has active engagements with several other current clients in the sector.

The core areas of focus under the RAAI banner include Robotics, Mobility Tech, Manufacturing Automation, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Data Management, and Analytics, Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality, and Internet of Things.

The post Investment Banking Practice Aimed at Robotics, Automation, AI Launched appeared first on Artificial Intelligence.

SEATTLE  – Cascadia Capital said it is launching one of the nation’s first emerging growth investment banking practice groups dedicated to Robotics, Automation, and Artificial Intelligence (RAAI).

Cascadia said its new RAAI group is well-positioned to provide the nuanced M&A and capital raising guidance business owners and entrepreneurs in this sector need as RAAI technology continues to upend critical industries, resulting in permanent market shifts.

The RAAI group is built on the firm’s history of advising companies in the RAAI space through its long-standing Industrials, Energy & Applied Technology, Healthcare, Consumer, and Food & Ag practice groups.

The practice is led by Cascadia Chairman & CEO Michael Butler and Managing Directors Jamie Boyd and Firdaus Pohowalla, with support from Vice Presidents Yee Lee and Jason Lippenberger, Associate Tarek Elmasry, and Analysts Scott Whiting and Mikaela Slade.

“We have been active in the RAAI space for several years with growing excitement and felt that the time was right to formally pull together the firm’s expertise in a way that maximizes the service we deliver to our clients,” Butler said.

“Our bankers have established a deep understanding of the underlying technologies and end markets while simultaneously developing unparalleled relationships with strategic buyers and investors.”

The firm’s most recent RAAI clients include Lucidyne Technologies, Inc., a world-leading manufacturer of AI-enabled computer vision systems; Vexcel Imaging, a leader in digital mapping and drones; and Qi2, a developer of advanced robotic sensor systems for the oilfield. In addition, Cascadia has active engagements with several other current clients in the sector.

The core areas of focus under the RAAI banner include Robotics, Mobility Tech, Manufacturing Automation, Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Data Management, and Analytics, Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality, and Internet of Things.

The post Investment Banking Practice Aimed at Robotics, Automation, AI Launched appeared first on Artificial Intelligence.

Technology is often at the core of continuous improvement initiatives, and readily enhances capabilities to measure performance, manage and execute tasks, and improve operations. The 6 River Systems platform complements Expeditors’ core technology strategy of focusing on investments that deliver value to our customers and our operations, writes Lor Melvin, global director of distribution services, Expeditors on the company’s blog.

All areas of a supply chain are touched by technology, but none more so than in today’s modern warehouse. Order fulfillment is often complex and labor-intensive, requiring warehouse operations managers to push the boundaries of continuous improvement. This is more important than ever, as growing direct-to-consumer initiatives, continued labor scarcity, and Covid-19 are forcing industries to recalibrate their supply chain. The impact on warehousing and fulfillment operations is particularly immense, including:

• More pick and pack operations and shorter order-to-ship windows, with an extreme focus on order accuracy and the end customer experience.
• An ever-increasing assortment of products companies are offering their customers.
• Warehouse labor costs directly related to the time it takes to pick and pack order, with travel time being the largest component.
• Growing SKU proliferation, challenging speed, and order profitability.

A primary goal of warehouses is to be as efficient as possible and efficient warehouse management is achieved through optimized oversight and control of labour and space. With this in mind, Expeditors’ Solutions Engineering team took on a continuous improvement initiative to advance the picking efficiency of a high SKU, high order count operation with automation.

Warehouse automation requires significant attention to all customers and processes active in a site. As our model is to operate in a multi-client environment, we are acutely aware that optimizing one customer’s space may adversely affect spaces shared by others. After evaluating several options and technology providers, we chose to partner with 6 River Systems to deploy machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) enabled robots to improve the entire picking process.

6 River Systems is the creator of collaborative robots they call “Chucks”. The robots use AI to guide warehouse workers on the most efficient picking paths and enable the fulfillment of more than one order at a time, reducing overall order assembly times and improving accuracy.

The robotics and SaaS-based platform deployed aligns with our existing warehouse management system features, while also offering new pick-to-light processes, optimised carton selection, in-process quality control activities, and enhanced labour management.

We believe operational excellence necessitates the studious deployment of our people, processes, and technology. It is even better when all of these items work in harmony with each other. To everyone’s delight, operating the robots has become the preferred task of many warehouse workers. Improved ergonomics, modern touch screen interfaces, and simplified processes attracted many of the new employees seeking to interact with the latest tools available in warehouse automation.

Lor Melvin joined Expeditors more than 17 years ago and in his current role he oversees the solution design and business development strategies for the distribution and warehousing product.

The post Robotics technology in the modern warehouse appeared first on Artificial Intelligence.

The use of robots in factories is now the norm, but the same cannot be said in the home, where movement patterns are less predictable. As society ages this could change. 

The UN has predicted that by 2050 over 1.5 billion people will be over 65, more than doubling from the figure today. With this in mind, the Toyota Research Institute (TRI) in California has been quietly working away to develop helper robots to enable older people to stay independent for longer. The company is currently building a mock home at its Los Altos HQ complete with a kitchen, dining area and bathroom. Items can be moved around to test ideas on different interior lay outs. 

The philosophy is based on what the scientists call Intelligence Amplification (IA), using the tech to aid the humans by amplifying their ability. It’s based on the Japanese idea of Ikigai, defined as every person’s life should have meaning and purpose. Gill Pratt, CEO of TRI explained, “Studies of Ikigai teach us that we feel most fulfilled when our lives incorporate work that we love and that helps society. To enable more people to achieve their Ikigai, TRI is pursuing new forms of ‘automation with a human touch’ (called Jidoka in the Toyota Production System) to develop capabilities that amplify, rather than replace, human ability with the goal of bringing deep happiness and fulfilment to all people.”

Max Bajracharya, VP of Robotics added, “TRI robotics research is focused on the home because it is in that environment that robots can provide the greatest assistance in achieving human fulfilment. It is also one of the most complex environments for robots to master. Our work is focused on two key challenges: teaching robots from human behaviour and using simulation to both train and validate robot behaviours. Collectively, we think of this idea as fleet learning, where when one machine learns something, they all learn something. We believe this is going to be the key to making robots in human environments practical.”

Several interesting ideas are being trialled, including a ceiling-mounted ‘gantry robot’ which would swoop down to load a dishwasher, wipe surfaces or clear clutter. It would simply fold away when not in use. Also soft grippers have been examined, which could also have industrial uses. 

Where emotions come in to this

The team has also considered what is beneficial and what may not be. Steffi Paepcke, a TRI User Experience Team Lead said, “We rely heavily on observational research techniques such as contextual inquiries. Before Covid-19, we went to Japan to work with our research partners to visit the homes of older adults and observe them going about their daily lives, making note of friction points, challenges and opportunities. We observed that cooking is a beloved activity for many, though it can get more strenuous over time. Sharing meals and feeding loved ones also can serve as a focal point for social connection, so giving elderly people a fully automated cooking robot or pre-cooked meals might be physically beneficial but emotionally detrimental.”

The researchers hope the project will translate into consumer products one day.

The post How robots will help in the house of the future appeared first on Artificial Intelligence.