Bots & Bullets

Army and Arizona State University researchers identified a set of approaches to help scientists assess how well autonomous systems and humans communicate.

Sarcos Robotics, developer of robots that augment humans to enhance productivity and safety, announced that it will become publicly listed through a merger transaction with Rotor Acquisition Corp., a publicly-traded special purpose acquisition company.

Stratom, developer of autonomous ground vehicles and robotic systems for logistics and operational applications, has been awarded a contract with the U.S. Army’s DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC) to develop an autonomous ground vehicle refueling (AGVR) prototype system to integrate onto a Palletized Load System (PLS) flat rack for autonomous convoy operations.

Robotic Assistance Devices will integrate EAGL Gunshot Detection Technology into all its security devices. A Gunshot Detection System is defined as a system that can recognize as well as identify the location of gunfire or other weapon fire. This detection can be done using an array of acoustic sensors.

Knightscope, developer of fully autonomous security robots, claims another crime fighting win for its technology. An article in the Las Vegas Review-Journal a complex routinely ranked among the top three northeast Las Vegas apartment complexes for 911 calls prior to deploying a K5 security robot they named Westy, “say we’re not even in the top 10,” complex manager Carmen Batiz said. “It has deterred a lot of crime and vandalism.”

The robot density in the US automotive industry hit a new record of 1,287 installed units per 10,000 employees. The United States ranks seventh worldwide. The density is similar to Germany (1,311 units) and Japan (1,248 units). China is in twelfth place with 938 units. This is according to the latest World Robotics statistics, issued by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).

Aerospace and technology company Paramount Group and Sarcos Robotics, provider of mobile robotic defense systems announced that the companies have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to bring robotic systems to government and industrial customers in the Middle East and Africa.

The Army of the future will involve humans and autonomous machines working together to accomplish the mission. According to Army researchers, this vision will only succeed if artificial intelligence is perceived to be ethical.

Annual installations of industrial robots more than tripled within ten years (2010-2019) reaching 381 thousand units in factories around the world. The International Federation of Robotics shows top 5 trends shaping industries around the globe. “The mission to combine traditional production with ´go digital strategies´ puts robots in a pole position,” says Dr Susanne Bieller, General Secretary of the IFR.

According to Russian press agency TASS the Moscow police force uses a facial recognition system to detect participants in demonstrations against the government. The system is said to detected those who had been put on a database for their repeated participation in ‘unauthorized events’.