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opinions
Can we test robocars the way we tested regular cars?
Brad Templeton, Robocars.com
30 Jun 2017
I’ve written a few times that perhaps the biggest unsolved problem in robocars is how to know we have made them safe enough. While most people think of that in terms of government certification, the...
CARNAC program researching autonomous co-piloting
Frank Tobe
26 Jun 2017
DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, is researching autonomous co-piloting so they can fly without a human pilot on board. The robotic system — called the Common Aircraft Retrofit f...
More efficient and safer: How drones are changing the workplace
Jonathan Downey
23 Jun 2017
Technology-driven automation plays a critical role in the global economy, and its visibility in our lives is growing. As technology impacts more and more jobs, individuals and enterprises find themsel...
Helping or hacking? Engineers and ethicists must work together on brain-computer interface technology
The Conversation
22 Jun 2017
A subject plays a computer game as part of a neural security experiment at the University of Washington.
Patrick Bennett, CC BY-ND
By Eran Klein, University of Washington and Katherine Pratt, Unive...
Notes and pics from Xponential in Dallas, Innorobo in Paris and ICRA in Singapore
Frank Tobe
20 Jun 2017
Conferences and trade shows, held in interesting locations around the world, can be entertaining, informative and an opportunity to explore new places, meet new people and renew acquaintances. Three r...
It’s not just self-driving cars; trains could soon be autonomous too!
Andreas Kunze
20 Jun 2017
Judging by the frequency that self-driving cars are mentioned in scientific discussions and the media, they are not only the next big thing, but might actually take over as our main means of transport...
New laissez-faire robocar rules may arise
Brad Templeton, Robocars.com
19 Jun 2017
While very few details have come out, Reuters reports that new proposed congressional bills on self-driving cars will reverse many of the provisions I critiqued in the NHTSA regulations last year....
2017 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation: A summary
Michael Milford
15 Jun 2017
It was a hectic but interesting week at the 2017 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation in Singapore. Here's a brief recap of some of my observations and experiences....
Are robots the future of precision lung surgery?
Anna Johansson
13 Jun 2017
No matter how great a surgeon is, robotic assistance can bring a higher level of precision to the operating table. The ability to remotely operate a robot that can hold precision instruments greatly i...
Uber regrouping after Levandowski firing
Frank Tobe
12 Jun 2017
Uber, the global ride-sharing transportation company, has named two replacements to recover from the recent firing of Anthony Levandowski who headed their Advanced Technologies Group, their OTTO truck...
ICRA 2017 in Singapore: Recap
Alejandro Alonso
08 Jun 2017
ICRA, the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, is an annual academic conference covering advances in robotics. It is one of the premier conferences in its field. This year, I was ...
China’s strategic plan for a robotic future is working: 500+ Chinese robot companies
Frank Tobe
07 Jun 2017
In 2015, after much research, I wrote about China having 194 robot companies and used screen shots of The Robot Report's Global Map to show where they were and a chart to show their makeup. We've just...
May 2017 fundings, acquisitions, IPOs and failures
Frank Tobe
01 Jun 2017
May 2017 had two robotics-related companies get $9.5 billion in funding and 22 others raised $249 million. Acquisitions also continued to be substantial with Toyota Motor's $260 million acquisition o...
Two stars, different fates
Frank Tobe
31 May 2017
Andy Rubin, who developed the Android operating system at Google then went on to lead Google through multiple acquisitions into robotics, has launched a new consumer products company. Anthony Levandow...
The Wolf: The Hunt Continues shows calculated precision for hacking into an network
Frank Tobe
26 May 2017
Here's a video you will want to watch. "The Wolf: The Hunt Continues" is really an ad showing how a hacker can enter a network through an unprotected printer (or robot). Christian Slater stars as th...
To err is algorithm: Algorithm fallibility and economic organisation
Juan Mateos-Garcia
18 May 2017
Algorithmic fails
Dig below the surface of some of today’s biggest tech controversies and you are likely to find an algorithm misfiring:[1]
YouTube advertising controversy: The algorithm place...
Transportation as a service (TaaS): A look ahead
Frank Tobe
15 May 2017
SoftBank Group just invested $5 billion in China's Didi Chuxing, China's biggest ride-sharing service. Last year Uber sold their China business to Didi resolving (by giving up) all the legal and antit...
An AI Primer for mechatronics
Oliver Mitchell
11 May 2017
This week I attended an “Artificial Intelligence (AI) Roundtable” of leading scientists, entrepreneurs and venture investors. As the discussion focused mainly on basic statistical techniques, I l...
What’s slowing the use of robots in the ag industry?
Frank Tobe
11 May 2017
Why are so many farm equipment manufacturers so heavily involved in the ag industry yet things are going so slowly in relation to robotics? Perhaps farmers need to first incorporate the digital era ...
Thoughts on the EU’s draft report on robotics
Alan Winfield
08 May 2017
I was asked to write a short op-ed on the European Parliament Law Committee's recommendations on civil law rules for robotics. In the end, the piece didn't get published, so I am posting it here:...
24 research reports that dissect the robotics industry
Frank Tobe
05 May 2017
After reading the press releases for this batch of 24 research reports, although they vary widely in their forecasts, they almost all agree that most segments of the robotics industry are expected to...
iRobot, KUKA and other robotic stocks exceed earnings expectations
Frank Tobe
04 May 2017
iRobot (IRBT on the NASDAQ stock exchange) jumped from $70 to $80 per share on news that iRobot's quarterly earnings were so good that the company raised their forecast for 2017 to new highs. KUKA a...
As DJI dominates camera and commercial drone sales, drone funding falls
Frank Tobe
03 May 2017
According to AgFunder's 2016 AgTech Investing Report (supported by The Robot Report's own research), 2016 drone funding fell 64% from 2015 levels. Also, the type of companies getting funded were sens...
Does AI pose a threat to society?
Alan Winfield
03 May 2017
Last week I had the pleasure of debating the question "does AI pose a threat to society?" with friends and colleagues Christian List, Maja Pantic and Samantha Payne. The event was organised by the B...
April 2017 fundings, acquisitions, IPOs and failures
Frank Tobe
02 May 2017
April 2017 had 16 robotics-related fundings totaling over $337 million - a fourth solid month for 2017 - $995 million year-to-date. Acquisitions also continued to be substantial with ABB's $2 billion...
Podcasts are the new blogs
Frank Tobe
28 Apr 2017
Most of us are familiar with the podcasts about robotics from the Robots Podcast group. For different perspectives, from the funder's point of view, here's a list of podcasts from the VC's that fund r...
Robocar news: Waymo starts pilot in Phoenix, Apple car gets more real, and the flying car takes off
Brad Templeton, Robocars.com
26 Apr 2017
Waymo (Google) has announced a pilot project in Phoenix offering a full ride service in their new minivans. Members of the public can sign up — the link is sure to be overwhelmed with applicants, bu...
Trip planning: 35 remaining 2017 robotics-related events
Frank Tobe
26 Apr 2017
Whether for research, purchasing, education or in conjuncation with a family vacation, going to and attending robotics-related conferences and trade shows can provide real personal and business benefi...
NASA spinoffs: Bringing space down to Earth
Oliver Mitchell
24 Apr 2017
In a time of “America First,” the benefits of space travel are clouded by the smoke of hyperbole. In reality, there has been over 2,000 inventions courtesy of NASA that are making our lives bette...
The changing landscape of mobility at the Automate and ProMat trade shows
Frank Tobe
20 Apr 2017
America's retailers are closing stores faster than ever while demand for warehouse workers by online retailers is higher than ever. Retailers and logistics companies have been opening facilities at...
Collaborative robotics at the Automate and ProMat trade shows
Frank Tobe
19 Apr 2017
Six to ten years ago, exhibitors at Automate were promoting bin-picking in many, many booths. Bin picking wasn't mentioned this year because it is an available option these days. For the last six ye...
Smart grasping demonstrated at Automate and ProMat trade shows
Frank Tobe
18 Apr 2017
Tactile sensing and force feedback are - and have been - problem areas for robot grasping. Humans could see, select and pick so much faster. Yet to handle the millions of different everyday items in o...
Luminar unstealths their 1.5 micron LIDAR
Brad Templeton, Robocars.com
15 Apr 2017
Luminar, a bay area startup, has revealed details on their new LIDAR. Unlike all other commercial offerings, this is a LIDAR using 1.5 micron infrared light. They hope to sell it for $1,000....
CBS News outlines jobs and robotics debate; IFR fills in gaps
Frank Tobe
13 Apr 2017
CBS News, and reporter David Pogue, displayed some new technologies threatening jobs, while the International Federation of Robotics suggested that deploying robots actually increases jobs. Are either...
March 2017 fundings, acquisitions, IPOs and failures
Frank Tobe
10 Apr 2017
March 2017 had 29 robotics-related startups get funding totaling over $222 million - another solid month for 2017 and $658 million year-to-date. Acquisitions also continued to be substantial with ...
No, Detroit is not winning the robocar race
Brad Templeton, Robocars.com
05 Apr 2017
A new report from Navigant Research includes the chart shown below, ranking various teams on the race to robocar deployment. It’s causing lots of press headlines about how Ford is the top company an...
