Drones and Robots Are Taking Over Industrial Inspection

ronjor · Sep 13, 2017

by Will Knight September 7, 2017

Advances in AI have made it possible for machines to autonomously inspect pipelines, power lines, and transportation systems.
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Mrkvonic · Sep 20, 2017

Well, this has been around for a while. It's just becoming much more popular now.
The words "deep learning" are overused in the media as in what it actually means.
Mrk

ronjor · Mar 6, 2018

Robots could replace human crop pickers in the UK

By Charlie Osborne for Between the Lines | March 6, 2018
The GummiArm soft robot could be the solution to the lack of laborers in the United Kingdom.
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guest · Jun 18, 2018

Robots could replace migrant workers as Brexit shortages bite
Could your next colleague be a bot?
June 18, 2018
https://www.theinquirer.net/inquire...lace-migrant-workers-as-brexit-shortages-bite

So-called cobots (collaborative robots) are designed with limiters to make them Asimov-minty-fresh to work safely alongside humans. That's the key thing - there's no "them" and "us" here - you'll be working alongside and interacting with cobots.

Mark Bridger, VP of OpenText UK, added: "From a productivity perspective, we spend a third of our time in the workplace collecting and processing data. AI and robotics could all but eliminate this work, freeing us up from the time-consuming administration and allowing us to focus on other more creative or rewarding aspects of our jobs.

"We should stop viewing AI as an existential threat to employment. AI technology cannot replace people but it can work alongside humans to boost business productivity and make employees' lives easier."
According to the International Federation of Robotics, the UK has been a slow adopter of cobots so far with about 71 robots per 10,000 workers. France sits at 132 and hyper-efficient Germany uses 309.
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mirimir · Jun 18, 2018

And geriatric care. And health care, generally. Probably sex for old people, too Those Koreans and their sex bots

ronjor · Jun 23, 2018

Most Americans say they don’t want help from robots

By Shirin Ghaffary Jun 23, 2018
These days, robots can do a range of tasks from cleaning the floor to guarding a building. But the majority of Americans would rather not accept the help, according to a new survey from the Brookings Institution.
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guest · Jun 26, 2018

Get a grip, literally: Clumsy robots can't take humans' jobs just yet
Amazon challenge winners roll out neural net for droids that need to grab stationary stuff
June 26, 2018
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/06/26/robots_no_grip_grasping_gg_cnn/

Artificially intelligent software can drive robots to perform the most menial tasks, such as reaching out and gripping objects.
However, there's one thing they can't, er, grasp easily. And that's dealing with things that move unexpectedly, which right now rules them out of a lot of real-world labor.

It’s a surprisingly difficult skill to master, according to a paper to be presented at the Robotics: Science and Systems conference starting on Tuesday at Carnegie Mellon University in the US.

To grabs a thing, it has to determine how to position the robot's fingers to grasp an object. It does this using pixel-wise analysis of the input image instead of a more traditional sliding window or bounding box outlining the edges of the thing. [...]

“This has benefits for industry – from warehouses for online shopping and sorting, through to fruit picking. It could also be applied in the home, as more intelligent robots are developed to not just vacuum or mop a floor, but also to pick items up and put them away," Leitner concluded.
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guest · Jun 29, 2018

Why your next pizza dinner or ice cream dessert may be made by a robot
AI and automation are impacting more than just cashier jobs in the food service industry.
June 29, 2018
https://www.techrepublic.com/articl...-or-ice-cream-dessert-may-be-made-by-a-robot/

As artificial intelligence (A) technology continues to advance, many Americans fear that soon their positions will be filled by robots. However, it's not just factory positions that robots are beginning to fill—food industry jobs are becoming increasingly automated as well.

The first jobs to be automated will be those of the cashiers. According to a Forbes report, fast food giant McDonald's plans to add mobile ordering and kiosks to 1,000 stores a quarter for the next seven or eight quarters. Now, however, robots are beginning to take over food preparation as well.

While this trend is beginning to make its way into our daily lives, it isn't new. A Japanese robot named Yaskawa-kun has been serving soft serve ice cream for years [...] A downtown Boston restaurant called Spyce houses seven robotic cooking pots [...]

Similarly, San Francisco-based restaurant company Eatsa almost exists entirely without human workers. Customers place their orders through an iPad and the food is dispensed through an automated machine.
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The big takeaways for tech leaders:

The growing trend of robotics in food is starting to eliminate jobs in food service, starting with cashier jobs but moving into food preparation.

While it is growing in popularity, robotic food service won't eliminate human workers yet due to its high cost relative to human labor.

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guest · Jun 29, 2018

New Study: 93% of People Would Trust Orders from a Robot at Work
HR leaders and employees want to embrace AI, but organizations are failing to prepare the workforce
June 28, 2018
https://www.oracle.com/corporate/pressrelease/robots-at-work-062818.html

The study–AI at Work–identified a large gap between the way people are using AI at home and at work. While 70 percent of people are using some form of AI in their personal life, only 6 percent of HR professionals are actively deploying AI and only 24 percent of employees are currently using some form of AI at work.

Despite all the talk about people being worried about AI entering the workplace, the study found the opposite to be true with HR leaders and employees (79 percent of HR leaders; 60 percent of employees) believing a failure to adopt AI will have negative consequences on their own careers, colleagues and overall organization.

“As this study shows, people are not afraid of AI taking their jobs and instead want to be able to quickly and easily take advantage of the latest innovations,” said Emily He, SVP, Human Capital Management Cloud Business Group, Oracle. “To help employees embrace AI, organizations should partner with their HR leaders to address the skill gap and focus their IT strategy on embedding simple and powerful AI innovations into existing business processes.”
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guest · Jul 2, 2018

Economists worry we aren’t prepared for the fallout from automation
Too much time discussing whether robots can take your job; not enough time discussing what happens next
July 2, 2018
https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/2/17524822/robot-automation-job-threat-what-happens-next

Are we focusing too much on analyzing exactly how many jobs could be destroyed by the coming wave of automation, and not enough on how to actually fix the problem? That’s one conclusion in a new paper on the potential affects of robotics and AI on global labor markets from US think tank, the Center for Global Development (CGD).

The paper’s authors, Lukas Schlogl and Andy Sumner, say it’s impossible to know exactly how many jobs will be destroyed or disrupted by new technology.

[...] In other words, there will still be work for most people, but it’ll be increasingly low-paid and unstable; without benefits such as paid vacation, health insurance, or pensions.
These changes will likely mean a decline in job security and standards of living for many, which in turn could lead to political dissatisfaction.
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ronjor · Jul 4, 2018

AI can now ‘listen’ to machines to tell if they’re breaking down

by Rebecca Campbell 04 Jul 2018
Helsinki-based Noiseless Acoustics and Amsterdam-based OneWatt are relying on artificial intelligence (AI) to better understand the sound patterns of troubled machines.
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guest · Jul 30, 2018

Human Bankers Are Losing to Robots as Nordea Sets a New Standard
July 29, 2018
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...osing-to-robots-as-nordea-sets-a-new-standard

Something interesting happened in Swedish finance last quarter. The only big bank that managed to cut costs also happens to be behind one of the industry’s boldest plans to replace humans with automation.

Von Koskull says the adjustment is the only way to stay competitive in the future, with automation and robots taking over from people in everything from asset management to answering calls from retail clients.

Swedish media have reported that the bank’s automation plans may put about 2,000 employees out of work, though Bouvin has so far said he doesn’t want to fire people.

“We all need to understand that our industry, and many other industries and society, is going through a tremendous change,” he said in an interview earlier this month. And that’s something that “we need to be prepared for.”
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guest · Aug 6, 2018

A quarter of Brits fear they will lose their job to robot workers
And 37 per cent think rise of automation will make their job 'worse'
August 06, 2018
https://www.theinquirer.net/inquire...ear-they-will-lose-their-job-to-robot-workers

That's according to research published to coincide with the launch of a new Commission on Workers and Technology, backed by the Fabian Society and headed by MP Yvette Cooper, which finds that 23 per cent of British workers, or six million people, are worried that their current job may no longer be needed.

The new research, based on a YouGov survey of 1,000 workers, also reveals that found more than 37 per cent of respondents - equivalent to 10 million workers - are worried their job will change for the worse over the next decade thanks to the rise of automation.

It's not all doom and gloom, though. 73 per cent said they are confident they will be able to change and update their skills if new technology affects their job, while 53 per cent said they were optimistic about their future working life and job prospects.
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guest · Sep 17, 2018

A.I. and robotics will create almost 60 million more jobs than they destroy by 2022, report says
September 17, 2018
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/17/wef...o-perform-more-tasks-than-humans-by-2025.html

Machines will overtake humans in terms of performing more tasks at the workplace by 2025 — but there could still be 58 million net new jobs created in the next five years, the World Economic Forum (WEF) said in a report on Monday.

Developments in automation technologies and artificial intelligence could see 75 million jobs displaced, according to the WEF report "The Future of Jobs 2018."

Machines are expected to perform about 42 percent of all current tasks in the workplace by 2022, compared to only 29 percent now, according to firms surveyed by WEF. Humans are expected to work an average of 58 percent of task hours by 2022, up from the current task hours of 71 percent.
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guest · Nov 16, 2018

Automating the warehouse: These self-driving robots aim to modernize materials handling
November 16, 2018
https://www.zdnet.com/article/autom...g-robots-aim-to-modernize-materials-handling/

But a rapid shift toward automation in e-commerce distribution centers and manufacturing plants has led to a thriving subset of robotic logistics focused on supply chains and automated material movement.

"There are a lot of physical things that have to get moved, and doing it really well, and really fast, and really cost-effectively, can't be done with human drivers [...]"

"One of the fallacies is that, if you bought robots, so you're going to fire a bunch of people. But in the vast majority of cases it really doesn't happen that way.
[...] repetitive task of moving pallets around can now be done by robots, and that's great."
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ronjor · Nov 16, 2018

Google's Alphabet gives up on rescue robots

BBC 15 November 2018
Google-owner Alphabet is giving up the development of bipedal robots after five years.
The company had been developing large industrial robots since it bought two start-ups - Schaft and Boston Dynamics - in 2013.
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guest · Dec 11, 2018

Walmart Is Reportedly Testing a Burger-Flipping Robot
December 12, 2018
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/exclusive-walmart-testing-robot-fry-cook-delis-154733360.html

Walmart is in the early stages of testing a kitchen robot assistant named “Flippy” at its Bentonville, Arkansas, headquarters to see whether or not it’s the right fit for its in-store delis.

Flippy is the world’s first autonomous robotic kitchen assistant powered by artificial intelligence from Miso Robotics, a two-year-old startup. The robot made headlines a year ago debuting as the burger-flipping robot at a CaliBurger franchise in Pasadena.

More recently, Flippy got a gig at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles with vending food service company Levy Restaurants, part of Compass Group, to fry up chicken tenders and tater tots. Through the World Series, Flippy churned out 17,000 pounds worth of the fried foods. It’s able to fry up to eight baskets of food simultaneously.
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ronjor · Dec 22, 2018

This dog-like robot can perform inspections and work in isolated locations without the help of a human

Erin Black 21 Dec 2018
Zurich-based ANYbotics' is testing its robot ANYmal in extreme places. A team of researchers from the University ETH Zurich are using the dog-like robot to perform tests in the underground sewage systems in Zurich. The researchers are determining if the robot could be deployed to autonomously inspect sewage systems.
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guest · Dec 31, 2018

UK invests millions in micro-robots able to work in dangerous sites
December 31, 2018
https://www.theguardian.com/technol...-micro-robots-able-to-work-in-dangerous-sites

The ambition is for the robots, developed in British universities, to mark the end of disruptive and expensive roadworks by carrying out repairs without the need to dig up the roads.
It is hoped that the 1cm-long devices will use sensors and navigation systems to find and mend cracks in pipes, avoiding disruption from roadworks estimated to cost the economy £5bn a year.

Sir Mark Walport, UKRI’s chief executive, said: “The projects announced today demonstrate how robots and artificial intelligence will revolutionise the way we carry out complex and dangerous tasks, from maintaining offshore wind farms to decommissioning nuclear power facilities.
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guest · Feb 8, 2019

Inside Ocado's burning robotic warehouse
February 7, 2019
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-47160448

No shouts from warehouse staff, or tinny radios playing pop hits. No beeps from reversing forklift trucks.
Just the swoosh of wheels from 1,100 waist-high cuboid swarm robots,zipping along a grid system the size of several football pitches.

The entire site spans 18 acres (784,080 sq ft). The robots collect groceries from crates beneath them, and drop them off at a packing station.
[...] from the moment you place your online order to the moment it arrives at your door (via a driverless van of course), there will be no human intervention. And this vision was starting to play out in the firm's Andover warehouse.
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guest · Feb 15, 2019

Architects anticipate robots on construction sites
February 15, 2019
https://www.zdnet.com/article/architects-anticipate-robots-on-construction-sites/

The automotive industry has already proven how helpful robots can be for industrial settings where they can do the heavy lifting, but construction sites are messier and always changing

ABI Research reports that Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) are making their way into mines and construction sites. The market research firm predicts that while in 2018, a solid 28.7 percent of commercial robots' shipments had some degree of autonomous navigation, by 2027, the percentage will be as much as 79.3 percent.

"We're at a time when it's not just about academia or technology centers owning robots, but even an architecture firm buying an industrial robot to test out how the future of construction will work."
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guest · Mar 30, 2019

CMU team develops a robot and drone system for mine rescues
March 30, 2019
https://techcrunch.com/2019/03/30/cmu-team-develops-a-robot-and-drone-system-for-mine-rescues/

The small team is one of a dozen or so currently competing in DARPA’s Subterranean Challenge.
The multi-year SUbT competition is designed to “explore new approaches to rapidly map, navigate, search, and exploit complex underground environments, including human-made tunnel systems, urban underground, and natural cave networks.”

The goal of the $2 million challenge is design a system capable of navigating complex underground terrains, in case of cave-ins or other disasters. The robots are created to go where human rescuers can’t — or, at very least, shouldn’t.

The CMU team’s solution features multiple robots, with a foul-wheeled rover and a small, hobbyist style drone taking center state. “Our system consists of ground robots that will be able to track and follow the terrain,” says CMU’s Steve Willits, who serves as an adviser on the project. “We also have an unmanned aerial vehicle consisting of a hexacopter. It’s equipped with all of instrumentation that it will need to explore various area of the mine.”
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guest · Apr 8, 2019

Robot bees to help astronauts on space station
April 8, 2019
https://www.zdnet.com/article/robot-bees-to-help-astronauts-on-space-station/

The Astrobees were developed at NASA's Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley. The ruggedized robotic cubes will float around the International Space Station and perform routine tasks, such as system inspections, basic housekeeping, and serving as on-call camera-bot.

The robot has a laser pointer and touch and sound interfaces. Astrobee also has a specialized grasping claw with interlocking digits to grasp and manipulate the environment.
The robots will be assisting crew with maintenance and inventory tracking aboard the ISS. Like everything involving the space station, the deployment of the robots is itself a test, a way to study human-robot interaction in space.
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guest · May 2, 2019

mood said: ↑

Automating the warehouse [...]
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Amazon says fully automated shipping warehouses are at least a decade away
It’s going to be a while before the robots take over
May 1, 2019
https://www.theverge.com/2019/5/1/18526092/amazon-warehouse-robotics-automation-ai-10-years-away

According to Scott Anderson, the company’s director of robotics fulfillment, the point at which an Amazon warehouse is fully, end-to-end automated is at least 10 years away.
Anderson’s comments, reported today by Reuters, highlight the current pace of automation, even in environments that are ripe for robotic labor, like an Amazon warehouse.
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guest · May 2, 2019

Inspection robots are climbing the walls to monitor safety conditions in hazardous locations
May 2, 2019
https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/02/i...tor-safety-conditions-in-hazardous-locations/

Down in Christchurch, New Zealand a team of roboticists at Invert Robotics has commercialized an inspection robot that uses tiny suction cups on a series of treads and a specialty chemical to create a technology that has robots literally climbing the walls.
Meanwhile, a world away in Pittsburgh, Gecko Robotics, is tackling much the same problem with a high powered magnets and an inspection robot of its own.

Plant inspections in the food, chemicals and aviation industry are dangerous endeavors and automation can make a significant improvement in how companies address the critical function of quality assurance, according to investors and entrepreneurs.
While Gecko uses powerful magnets to secure its robots to surfaces, Invert Robotics uses powerful suction to enable tis robots to climb the walls.
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