Quick-service restaurants are facing record labor shortages, cost and hygiene concerns, and competitive pressures to improve the customer experience. Many are looking to emerging automation to meet the demand for speed and efficiency. Miso Robotics Inc. today announced a partnership with manufacturer Lancer Worldwide to build an intelligent beverage dispenser for future commercial kitchens. While 60% to 70% of sales at certain quick-service restaurants (QSRs) came from drive-thru lanes before the COVID-19 pandemic, some chains reportedly experienced a jump to as high as 90%. However, volume increases and staff decreases have slowed total average drive-thru times by 29.8 seconds last…
Automation Spreads in Supply Chains
Among the challenges facing robotics developers working on navigation and manipulation is the need for good data for machine learning. For applications in warehouses to factories and fields, roboticists rely on simulation to accelerate testing and address potential edge cases. NVIDIA Corp. today announced the open beta of its Isaac Sim engine, which includes several new features. Isaac Sim, which is built on NVIDIA's Omniverse platform, now includes support for multiple cameras and sensors, compatibility with ROS 2, the ability to import CAD [computer-aided design] assets, and synthetic data generation and domain randomization. These features will help designers train a…
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Using Innovative Technology to Overcome Warehouse Labor Shortages
Using Innovation to Manage Peak Seasonal Demand
Toyota Research Institute today said that it has successfully developed new capabilities for robots to conduct complex tasks in home environments. The Toyota Motor Corp. unit said its researchers were able to train robots to understand and operate in complicated situations that would confuse most other robots, including recognizing and responding to transparent and reflective surfaces in a variety of circumstances. “Our goal is to build robotic capabilities that amplify, not replace, human abilities,” said Max Bajracharya, vice president of robotics at Toyota Research Institute (TRI). “Training robots to understand how to operate in home environments poses special challenges because…
AMR 101: Everything You Need to Know About Autonomous Mobile Robots
Hyundai Motor Group today announced the completion of its acquisition of a controlling interest in Boston Dynamics Inc. from SoftBank Group Corp., following the receipt of regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. The deal valued the Waltham, Mass.-based mobile robot company at $1.1 billion, and additional financial details were not disclosed. Seoul, South Korea-based Hyundai now holds an 80% stake in Boston Dynamics, while Tokyo-based SoftBank retains the remaining 20% through one of its affiliates. Hyundai reportedly spent $880 million on the acquisition. “By acquiring Boston Dynamics and securing a leading presence in the field of robotics, the group…
CNH Industrial N.V. today said it has agreed to acquire 100% of the capital stock of Raven Industries Inc. at $58 (U.S.) per share, representing a 33.6% premium to the precision agriculture company's four-week volume-weighted average stock price and $2.1 billion enterprise value. CNH Industrial said it is paying for the transaction with available cash on hand. The companies said they expect the deal to close in the fourth quarter of 2021, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including approval of Raven shareholders, and receipt of regulatory approvals. The acquisition builds upon a long partnership between London-based CNH…
RobotLAB Inc. and SoftBank Robotics America last week announced that SoftBank' Pepper and NAO humanoid robots are now available in North America exclusively through RobotLAB. The partnership also expands Pepper's educational and industrial focus areas to a broader range of applications, and it marks RobotLAB's debut as a integrator for SoftBank's Whiz cleaning robots. The companies said their collaboration builds on their long-standing partnership in advancing automation and bringing SoftBank Robotics America's (SBRA) business-to-business systems to market. San Francisco-based RobotLAB has already deployed and supported thousands of robots in the field, including Pepper and NAO. “We are pleased to expand…
Researchers at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have developed millimeter-sized robots that can be controlled using magnetic fields to perform highly maneuverable and dexterous manipulations. This could enable applications in biomedicine and manufacturing, they said this week. The team of scientists created the miniature robots by embedding magnetic microparticles into biocompatible polymers—non-toxic materials that are harmless to humans. The robots are “programmed” to execute their desired functionalities when magnetic fields are applied. The robots improve on many existing small-scale robots by optimizing their ability to move in six degrees of freedom (DoF), said Nanyang Technological University (NTU). It defined six…