Pieter Werner

Relay Robotics, leading manufacturer of autonomous service robots to the hospitality industry, introduced its newest hotel robot, Relay2, at the NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference. This announcement comes at a key economic time. More than 402,000 jobs remain unfilled in leisure and hospitality, leaving 87% of hotels short-staffed, according to the recent AHLA Survey on hotel staff shortages.

The qualities that make a knitted sweater comfortable and easy to wear are the same things that might allow robots to better interact with humans. RobotSweater, developed by a research team from Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute, is a machine-knitted textile “skin” that can sense contact and pressure.

Simplifai, provider of AI automation solutions, has announced the release of Simplifai InsuranceGPT, a generative AI tool specifically built for the insurance industry. This custom-built generative AI tool automates claims management while prioritizing data security and privacy.

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.

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.

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.

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.