Marco van der Hoeven

Gartner predicts that by 2023, more than one-in-ten workers will seek to trick artificial intelligence (AI) systems used to measure employee behaviour and productivity. Such systems have seen a significant uptick in use in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Later this week the Bank of the Future/Automation in Banking will be the theme of The Banking Scene Afterwork-seminar. One of the presenters is Sidney Madison Prescott, VP Global Intelligent Automation initiative at music streaming powerhouse Spotify. Recently she also spoke about her experiences in automation and RPA at the UiPath reboot Work Festival.

Robots from Blue Ocean-daughter UVD Robots have helped disinfect One Buc Place, the facility of the Tampa Bay Bucccaneers, winners of the Super Bowl. The robots were deployed by Tampa-based company ip Program Infection Prevention in cooperation with Tampa General Hospital.

Army-funded researchers discovered how to make materials capable of self-propulsion, allowing materials to move without motors or hands.

Through 2023, demand for robotic goods-to-person (G2P) systems will quadruple to help enforce social distancing in warehouses, according to Gartner. With G2P systems, the robots deliver the goods to a person who remains in one place.

SME has named Twenty women making their mark in robotics & automation. The international group of remarkable women on the list  represent a comprehensive cross section of technologies in robotics and automation. The list was developed by U.S.-based SME in consultation with several leaders across the robotics and automation industries. SME is a nonprofit association of professionals, educators and students committed to promoting and supporting the manufacturing industry.

The pandemic has caused a renewed interest in robotics according to HowToRobot.com. Two suppliers on the platform, Gibotech and OnRobot, have felt the increasing demand from customers.

Boston Dynamics has announced an expanded product line for its mobile robot Spot. The new products include a self-charging Enterprise Spot, web-based remote operations software, Scout, and the Spot Arm. These additions extend Spot’s ability to perform autonomous, remote inspections and data collection, and enable the robot to perform manual tasks.

AutoX, a Chinese provider of fully autonomous vehicles, has opened its Robotaxi service to the general public in Shenzhen. This means the autonomous cars will be transporting passengers without a safety driver. Last year competitor Waymo was the first to make their taxi available to the general public.

The average robot density in the manufacturing industry hit a new global record of 113 units per 10,000 employees. By regions, Western Europe (225 units) and the Nordic European countries (204 units) have the most automated production, followed by North America (153 units) and South East Asia (119 units).