Italy’s robot and automation industry is making its mark as one of the European leaders. With a total of 655 robot and automation companies, the Italian industry is the largest in Europe by number of businesses, ahead of France and Germany. This is established in a new market report from automation marketplace HowToRobot made in collaboration with the Italian Packaging Machinery Manufacturers’ Association, UCIMA.

Today Matthijs Smakman will defend his doctoral thesis titled “Robots in Education: The Morally Responsible Deployment of Robot Assistants”. Conducted under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Elly Konijn, his empirically grounded research represents a significant milestone in achieving a morally responsible integration of social robots as educational assistants in primary schools. Previous studies have already indicated that the utilization of social robots yields better outcomes compared to traditional educational technologies.

AI experts, journalists and policymakers are raising concerns about the risks associated with advanced artificial intelligence (AI). In an effort to overcome the difficulties in discussing some of the most severe risks posed by AI, a group of prominent figures from the AI industry has issued a succinct statement. This statement aims to promote discussion and increase awareness of the experts and public figures who take the risks of advanced AI seriously.

Waymo and Uber Technologies have announced a new strategic partnership aimed at making Waymo’s autonomous driving technology available to a wider audience through the Uber platform. The collaboration will initially launch in Phoenix.

Miniaturization is progressing rapidly in just any field and the trend towards the creation of ever smaller units is also prevalent in the world of robot technology. In the future, minuscule robots used in medical and pharmaceutical applications might be able to transport medication to targeted sites in the body. A team of researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) has taken a new approach to the issue by analyzing a group of robots and how they behave as collectives of motile units based on the model of active Brownian particles.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has chosen 21 startups to participate in the Generative AI Accelerator program. This program offers startups in Generative AI access to training, mentorship, and resources to help grow their businesses. The program takes place at the AWS Startup Loft in San Francisco and will conclude on July 27th.

Figure, an AI robotics company specializing in the development of general-purpose humanoid robots, has raised $70 million in a Series A funding round. This substantial funding will be utilized to accelerate the advancement of Figure 01, the company’s autonomous humanoid robot, establish Figure’s AI data pipeline for autonomous operations, and drive forward with commercialization efforts.

Industrial robot supplier, TM Robotics, distribution partner of Shibaura Machine, will launch the full THE SCARA robot range to the European market at Automatica 2023. Held from 27 to 30 June in Münich, Germany, Automatica is a significant event for Europe’s robot launches. TM Robotics will exhibit under the Shibaura Machine name in hall B5, stand 406.

Roberta Nelson Shea, Universal Robot’s Global Technical Compliance Officer, has received the the world’s most prestigious robotics prize, the Joseph F. Engelberger Robotics Award, often described as the Nobel Prize of robotics. She received the award at a ceremony at the Automate Show in Detroit.

In a move to promote responsible development, adoption, and usage of artificial intelligence (AI) systems, the Biden administration has released a comprehensive set of initiatives and recommendations. The White House aims to foster a culture of responsible AI technology usage and practice within the United States through a national strategic plan and education objectives.