Bots in Society

Cruise, the self-driving unit of GM, will introduce its robotaxi rides in Phoenix and Austin within 90 days, Crusie CEO Kyle Vogt said during Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference. 

Researchers at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) have developed a wearable assistive robot that can detect and prevent a fall before it happens, reducing the user’s risk of sustaining injuries.

Knightscope, developer of security robots, has launched its Automatic Criminal Detection Capability (ACDCTM) feature, a real-time and extensive criminal data intelligence solution, ACDCTM utilizes the facial recognition technology on K1 ASRs and a legal open-source database of over 75 million criminal law enforcement files to detect and alert users to a person previously convicted of a crime or possible threats on their property.

Motional and Lyft announced the launch of Motional’s new all-electric IONIQ 5-based robotaxi, an autonomous vehicle (AV) designed for fully driverless ride-hail operation, on the Lyft network in Las Vegas. The launch is the next milestone in the lead-up to Motional and Lyft’s fully driverless service, planning to begin in 2023 and scaling to multiple U.S. cities.

A team led by scientists Dr. Maximilian Kückelhaus and Prof. Tobias Hirsch from the Centre for Musculoskeletal Medicine at the University of Münster has carried out the first completely robot-supported microsurgical operations on humans. The physicians used an innovative operating method in which a new type of operations robot, designed especially for microsurgery, is networked with a robotic microscope.

Brazilian twins who were joined at the head have been separated by surgeons using virtual reality. Three-year-olds Bernardo and Arthur Lima underwent surgeries in Rio de Janeiro, with a connection to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. The doctors have trained for months, using virtual reality projections of the twins based on CT and MRI scans.

Shenzen, a city in the south of China with a population of 17.5 million people, has officially allowed autonomous vehicles on the road. This is, however, based on strict rules regarding vehicles and safety.

Deenova announced the second generation of its all-in-1 robot, able to automatically repack in unit dose, all medication forms: oral solids and liquids such as ampoules, syringes, vials and all types of patches sachet and suppositories.

Ganymed Robotics, developer of computer vision software and robotics technologies for orthopedic surgeons, announced it has raised €21 million in the oversubscribed first close of its Series B funding. The round was led by Cathay Health, with participation of Credit Mutuel Innovation, Kurma Partners, BNP Paribas Développement and internationally renowned surgeons.

Europe has 5 million kilometres of powerlines. Inspecting these powerlines by helicopter is a costly, and not really sustainable, business. Long range-drones could be a solution for these kinds of inspections. At ERF last week FuVEX was showing a drone that could extend the legal range from line-of-sght(500 meter) to 20 kilometres. For this video Rocking Robots spoke to Carlos Matilla: “The key is to do it safely.’