International

Gartner has highlighted five technologies that will transform the digital future of organisations. They include digital humans, satellite communications, tiny ambient IoT, secure computation and autonomic robots. Autonomic Drones and Robots Will Learn While They Automate Tasks, and digital humans will redefine assistants, robots and services.

The energy sector plays a key role in Norway’s robot and automation industry, with renewable investments expected to boost automation demand according to a new market report from HowToRobot in collaboration with NFEA.

Pixelle Specialty Solutions has installed a smelt spout robot manufactured by Valmet. The smelt robot is used for keeping recovery boiler spouts open and improving efficiencies in the liquor recovery cycle. The first smelt robot installation of its kind in North America, the robot regularly cleans the recovery boiler smelt spouts ensuring stable smelt flow, optimum cleaning and safer boiler operation, without manual intervention.

Big Joe Forklifts, in partnership with Thoro.ai, has added new features on their flagship AMR and invest in key staff to help deliver automation for their customers. This week at Pack Expo visitors can see the latest Big Joe Pallet Mover AMR first-hand, including several new features such as dynamic on-the-fly rerouting, onboard viewable maps and configurable zone rules to further enhance productivity, ease of operation and control for users.

In a virtual-reality study that sheds light on the intricacies of human-robot interactions, researchers have discovered that humans are capable of experiencing empathic embarrassment when witnessing robots go through embarrassing situations.

Responding to the growing demand for AI-driven solutions in the business world, Salesforce unveiled its latest innovation: the next-generation Einstein with an integrated AI-powered conversational assistant, named Einstein Copilot. This revamped version of Einstein aims to revolutionize the interaction with business applications through natural language processing and custom AI applications. 

Food tech company SavorEat has announced its collaboration with food services and facilities management company Sodexo, , to introduce the SavorEat Robot Chef in the U.S. market. The Robot Chef, which uses machine learning and AI, is designed to assist restaurants by providing a streamlined production process.

OTTO Motors announced the release of OTTO 1200, an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) geared for material handling in confined areas. This AMR has been designed to move payloads up to 1,200 kg (2,640 lb) with a focus on safety. With its patented adaptive fieldset technology, the OTTO 1200 can effectively maneuver around obstacles, including people, especially in areas with limited space.

The upcoming 6th CASSINI Hackathon is set to tackle major global challenges by leveraging European Union (EU) space data. This event, with its central theme of “Space for International Development and Humanitarian Aid,” aims to drive innovative solutions that can support sustainable infrastructure development, strengthen food security and clean water access, and provide insights into forced migration patterns. The hackathon will be held across 11 European locations from the 3rd to the 5th of November.

Researchers who created a soft robot that could navigate simple mazes without human or computer direction have now built on that work, creating a “brainless” soft robot that can navigate more complex and dynamic environments.