The rise of robots-as-a-service

guest · Feb 24, 2020

Your next tire change could be performed by a robot
February 24, 2020
https://techcrunch.com/2020/02/24/your-next-tire-change-could-be-performed-by-a-robot/

Waiting in a service station waiting room purgatory one day, Victor Darolfi had a simple thought. “I sat at America’s Tires for three hours and thought, hey, we use robots to put tires on at the factory,” the founder explains. “Why don’t we bring robots into the service industry?”
[...] RoboTire has already generated interest in the industry for its ability to change car tires in a fraction of the time of most mechanics.

“We can do a set of four tires, put in to pull out, in 10 minutes,” Darolfi explains. “It normally takes about 60 minutes for a human operator to do a set of four. Some can go faster, but they really can’t do that eight hours a day.”
Partnering with Mitsubishi robotics, RoboTire has designed a system that currently runs around $250,000, which it’s looking to license to service centers, dealers and other outlets. For those who get in early as part of the company’s pilot, the company will charge around $5 to $7 per tire. When a more final product rolls out, that number should jump to around $10 to $15.
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ronjor · Feb 26, 2020

Repair robot swims through oil pipelines and welds cracks — without exploding

By Luke Dormehl February 26, 2020
We’re not exactly breaking news when we say that oil pipelines are big business. A potential shutdown of an oil pipeline can cost millions of dollars per day. That’s a problem since these pipelines, which crisscross hundreds of thousands of miles across the globe, need inspecting from time to time. With enormous quantities of oil flowing through them on a constant basis, they could easily develop faults such as cracks. These need fixing — and, ideally, fixing without having to shut the pipeline down to do it.
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guest · Mar 17, 2020

Medical robots pick up the slack in overloaded hospitals
March 17, 2020
https://www.zdnet.com/article/medical-robots-pick-up-the-slack-in-overloaded-hospitals/

Medical robots can help reduce workload in hospitals. During outbreaks of illness, freeing up medical staff has the potential to save patient lives and keep health workers safe.

In one such example, a Cheetah Mobile-backed robotics company, Orion Star, has deployed robots in China that can help guide preliminary diagnosis and treatment, primary disclosure of medical information, and fixed-point delivery of medical supplies in hospitals.
Orion Star's epidemic prevention and control program, powered by robots, aims to reduce the workload of medical staff and reduce the risk of infection by using robots to undertake a large number of simple but labor-intensive processing tasks [...]

Last month we covered the efforts of Danish robotics firm UVD, which navigated stiff travel restrictions to bring disinfecting robots to Chinese hospitals. Like Cheetah Mobile's devices, the disinfecting robots can be deployed by human operators to autonomously complete crucial hospital functions that might pose a risk to human personnel. In the case of UVD's robots, the prescribed task is disinfecting physical spaces.
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guest · Mar 21, 2020

Hospital droid Diligent Robotics raises $10M to assist nurses
March 20, 2020
https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/20/robot-nurse/

Twenty-eight percent of a nurse’s time is wasted on low-skilled tasks like fetching medical tools. We need them focused on the complex and compassionate work of treating patients, especially amid the coronavirus outbreak. Diligent Robotics wants to give them a helper droid that can run errands for them around the hospital.

The startup’s bot Moxi is equipped with a flexible arm, gripper hand and full mobility so it can hunt down lightweight medical resources, navigate a clinic’s hallways and drop them off for the nurse.
Today, Diligent Robotics announces its $10 million Series A that will help it scale up to deliver “more robots to more hospitals,” CEO Andrea Thomaz tells me.
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Diligent Robotics announces $10M series A

ronjor · Apr 1, 2020

Tommy the robot nurse helps keep Italy doctors safe from coronavirus

Flavio Lo Scalzo APRIL 1, 2020
VARESE, Italy (Reuters) - He doesn’t wear a mask but he is helping save lives from coronavirus just the same. Meet Tommy, the robot nurse.
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ronjor · Apr 2, 2020

Robots are learning workplace etiquette at MIT

by Esther Shein in Artificial Intelligence on April 2, 2020, 6:54 AM PST
At a time when social distancing has become the norm, MIT researchers are teaching robots how to work more effectively alongside humans.
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hawki · Apr 6, 2020

"Coronavirus: Robots replace students at Zoom graduation ceremony due to outbreak...

Students at a graduation ceremony in Japan were replaced with robots...

Business Breakthrough (BBT) University in the capital Tokyo took the bold step of bringing in robots dressed in gowns and mortarboards to come up and receive their degrees. The students were controlling their avatars remotely.

Each robot had a digital tablet attached to its head, showing the faces of the students, who were using a Zoom conference call to attend the ceremony remotely..."

https://i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk/inc...dents-presence-at-a-ceremony-wear-graduat.jpg

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/robots-replace-students-zoom-graduation-21822147

guest · Apr 23, 2020

Robots Deployed in Care Homes to Connect Families
April 22, 2020
https://www.bitdefender.com/box/blog/iot-news/robots-deployed-care-homes-connect-families/

Robots and other technical solutions are being deployed in care homes around the world, helping the elderly keep in touch with relatives and easing the pain of isolation during the COVID-19 epidemic, according to a BBC report.

To be fair, using robots instead of people to communicate information or to provide services is nothing new, but it wasn’t all that popular in the Western world. Countries such as Japan have long integrated robots into hotel services or restaurants.

“In Belgium, 60 Zorabots have been deployed to care homes around the country to entertain guests who were kept in their rooms most of the day, in isolation,” said BBC’s Jen Copestake. “In the Netherlands, these Zorabots were used in homes before the pandemic, but now the company is providing them for a month, for free.”
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ronjor · Apr 27, 2020

As Workers Spread Out to Halt the Virus, Robots Fill the Gaps

Will Knight 04.25.2020
Social distancing requires rethinking the layout of workplaces. A new breed of robots can help keep factories and warehouses running.
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ronjor · Apr 29, 2020

Robots are taking over during COVID-19 (and there's no going back)

By Greg Nichols for Robotics | April 29, 2020
With workers sidelined, automation firms are aggressively touting their technology.
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guest · May 7, 2020

Pittsburgh airport deploys autonomous UV cleaning robots
May 6, 2020
https://www.smartcitiesworld.net/ne...t-deploys-autonomous-uv-cleaning-robots--5254

Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) claims to have become the first US airport to use autonomous robots with ultraviolet light technology for cleaning.

The disinfecting robots mark the first project in the airport’s drive to use innovation from the region’s tech community to tackle the challenges brought by Covid-19. The roll-out of the robots follows a partnership the airport has formed with Pittsburgh-based Carnegie Robotics.

“The Airport Authority is always at the forefront of technologies and, in this case, is using these Carnegie Robotics innovations to protect passengers and staff and enhance the travellers’ experience,” said Allegheny County executive Rich Fitzgerald.
Developed in conjunction with Pittsburgh firm Carnegie Robotics, Nilfisk’s Liberty SC50 autonomous scrubber/dryer is a commercial-grade, fully autonomous, robotic floor-cleaning machine.
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guest · May 16, 2020

Dogs Obey Commands Given by Social Robots
As far as dogs are concerned, social robots have some human-like authority
May 13, 2020
https://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton...are/dogs-obey-commands-given-by-social-robots

The background research on dog-robot interaction that forms the basis for this work is incredibly interesting. The paper is absolutely worth reading in its entirety [...]
To summarize, dogs don’t respond very well to commands from loudspeakers or video systems, and they also don’t really pay attention when a mechanical-looking robot points at things, even though dogs understand what pointing means when humans do it.

The Yale researchers put together an experiment that compared how dogs respond to commands given by a Nao to how dogs respond to the same commands given by a speaker system
Results of the experiments showed that the dogs paid significantly more attention to the robot than the speaker, and were significantly more likely to follow a sit command from the robot.
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And it’s not just about making more effective social robots for dogs, of course—the larger context is that by studying how dogs behave towards social robots relative to humans, it can help us understand how social robots affect our own behavior, too.

“Dog Sit! Domestic Dogs (Canis familiaris) Follow a Robot’s Sit Commands,” by Meiying Qin, Yiyun Huang, Ellen Stumph, Laurie Santos, and Brian Scassellati from Yale University, was presented virtually at HRI 2020. You can read the full paper here.
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ronjor · May 25, 2020

Robot barista helps South Korean cafe with social distancing

Reuters May 25, 2020
(Reuters) — The new robot barista at a cafe in Daejeon, South Korea is courteous and swift as it seamlessly makes its way toward customers.
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guest · May 26, 2020

SK Telecom deploys robot in Covid-19 battle
May 26, 2020
https://www.mobileworldlive.com/asia/asia-news/sk-telecom-deploys-robot-in-covid-19-battle/

SK Telecom (SKT) partnered with Omron Electronics Korea to develop a robot capable of autonomously carrying out monitoring activities, such as contactless temperature screenings, to automate safety checks and prevent the spread of Covid-19 (coronavirus).

Using SKT’s AI-based video analysis solution and running on its 5G network, the robot can detect locations where people are gathered, move to the areas and then play a message stressing the importance of social distancing, the operator said in a statement.
The robot, equipped with ultraviolet lamps and sprayers, can disinfect 33 square metres of surface areas in 10 minutes.

The companies will first use the robots at their headquarters, and plan to officially launch them in Korea later this year and in global markets in 2021.
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SK Telecom: SK Telecom Introduces 5G-Powered Autonomous Robot to Help Fight Against COVID-19

ronjor · May 29, 2020

Hello and welcome: Robot waiters to the rescue amid virus

By ALEKSANDAR FURTULA and RAF CASERT Associated Press May 29, 2020
Renesse, Netherlands
You can always count on a robot for perfect timing.
When Shaosong Hu saw robotic waiters serving food in China last fall, he knew exactly what he wanted for his restaurant in the Dutch beachside town of Renesse. He just didn’t have a clue how useful they would prove.
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guest · May 30, 2020

Denmark develops robot to conduct coronavirus tests
May 28, 2020
https://technology.inquirer.net/100010/denmark-develops-robot-to-conduct-coronavirus-tests

Danish researchers have developed a robot capable of carrying out COVID-19 screening tests, the University of Southern Denmark announced on Wednesday.

“Robotics researchers… have developed the world’s first fully automatic robot capable of carrying out throat swabs for COVID-19, so that healthcare professionals are not exposed to the risk of infection,” the university said in a statement.
The robot is currently in prototype form, but a model for use in the field is under construction, the project leader Thiusius Rajeeth Savarimuthu told AFP.
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guest · May 31, 2020

The five: robots helping to tackle coronavirus
May 31, 2020
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2020/may/31/the-five-robots-helping-to-tackle-coronavirus

Boston Dynamics - Singapore park-goers have been reminded of their social distancing obligations by Boston Dynamics’ yellow “dog”.
Starship Technologies - In Milton Keynes a recently expanded fleet of six-wheeled robots has been delivering food and small supermarket shopping consignments to hungry residents.
UVD Robots
These Danish UV disinfection robots are being rolled out in Chinese hospitals. The machines deploy powerful UV lights, which destroy the DNA or RNA of any microorganisms in range.
Zora Bots
The UN has equipped Rwanda with five anti-epidemic robots made by Belgian company Zora Bots to help against the country’s battle with coronavirus.
The robots can screen a patient’s temperature, identify people not wearing masks and monitor abnormalities in how patients sound or look. They can also be used to deliver medicine and other essentials to the infected.
OhmniLabs
In Japan, OhmniLabs’ Newme robots have been used to replace quarantined students who were unavailable to attend their graduation ceremonies.
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guest · Jun 1, 2020

Otto Motors raises $29 million to staff warehouses with autonomous mobile robots
June 1, 2020
https://venturebeat.com/2020/06/01/...aff-warehouses-with-autonomous-mobile-robots/

Otto Motors, a company providing self-driving robot technology and services for research and industrial clients, this week announced it closed a $29 million financing round. Matthew Rendall, CEO of Otto parent company Clearpath Robotics, says the proceeds will enable the company to meet the needs of its customers both during and after the pandemic.

Worker shortages caused by the spread of coronavirus have prompted some retailer, fulfillment, and logistics companies to accelerate the rollout of mobile robots.
Otto is well-positioned to address the surging demand — it provides autonomous mobile robots for materials handling inside manufacturing and warehouse facilities, with clients including GE, Nestle, and Berry Global, among others.

“The coronavirus pandemic has really put the spotlight on business continuity,” said Rendall in a statement.
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At Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi, an Otto 1500 robot is handling ground tire delivery within the Corolla assembly plant. And recently, Otto deployed a fleet of 19 robots at a Berry Global Group plant in Kentucky to supply cases to and from automated production machines 24 hours a day.
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guest · Jun 9, 2020

Robot built for Japan's aging workforce finds coronavirus role
June 9, 2020
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...orkforce-finds-coronavirus-role-idUSKBN23G190

Mira Robotics developed its “ugo” robot to reinforce greying Japan’s shrinking workforce, but as the coronavirus threat persists, the Japanese startup is offering its machine as a tool in the fight against the outbreak, the company’s CEO said.

“The coronavirus has created a need for robots because they can reduce direct contact between people,” Ken Matsui told Reuters at his company’s workshop in Kawasaki, near Tokyo. “We’ve had inquiries from overseas, including from Singapore and France.”
The latest feature of the remote-controlled or so-called avatar robot is a hand attachment that uses ultraviolet light to kill viruses on door handles.

It takes around 30 minutes to learn how to use the robot, with each operator able to control as many as four machines, said Matsui. Ugo which costs around $1,000 a month to rent, can be deployed as a security guard, carry out equipment inspections and clean toilets and other areas in office buildings, he added.
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guest · Jun 20, 2020

University of Illinois' new robots could help pick blueberries, wipe down hospitals
June 19, 2020
https://edscoop.com/university-of-i...ld-help-pick-blueberries-wipe-down-hospitals/

Researchers at the University of Illinois are developing semi-autonomous robots to assist industry workforces disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Girish Chowdhary, an assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering at University of Illinois, said earlier this week that his team is focused on developing robots that can keep health care workers safe while treating COVID-19 patients and filling gaps in disrupted food supply chains.
Researchers said the robots can pick crops on farms where people are unable work because of social distancing requirements related to the pandemic.

“In some places, fruit is rotting on farms because they’re not able to get people to do the work,” Chowdhary said.
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Researchers also plan for their robots to help disinfect hospitals.

“Healthcare professionals who work with COVID-19 patients have a higher risk of being exposed to infection,” Chowdhary said. “Those individuals are our first line of defense.”
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guest · Jun 29, 2020

Autonomous robot uses UVC light to disinfect warehouses
June 29, 2020
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/tech...uvc-light-to-disinfect-warehouses/ar-BB165uFj

Researchers from MIT have developed a new way to keep shared spaces free of the coronavirus and other pathogens: a UVC light-equipped robot. UVC light is capable of disinfecting surfaces and neutralizing aerosolized virus particles, but it’s dangerous for humans to be exposed. With this in mind, MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) teamed up with Ava Robotics to develop a robot that can travel through and disinfect spaces autonomously.

“As we drive the robot around the food bank, we are also researching new control policies that will allow the robot to adapt to changes in the environment and ensure all areas receive the proper estimated dosage,” Alyssa Pierson, CSAIL research scientist and a technical lead on this project, said in a statement.
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guest · Jul 8, 2020

mood said: ↑

LG to test Cloi robots in children's hospital
November 18, 2019
https://www.zdnet.com/article/lg-to-test-cloi-robots-in-childrens-hospital/
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LG expands service robot deployment to hospitals
LG Cloi Servebot will assist hospital staff by carrying medical equipment at Seoul National University Hospital
July 8, 2020
https://www.zdnet.com/article/lg-expands-service-robot-deployment-to-hospitals/

LG Electronics has expanded the deployment of its service robots to a hospital and more restaurants, the company said on Wednesday.

LG Cloi Servebot will be deployed to Seoul National University Hospital to assist staff with carrying medical equipment such as blood samples, prescription drugs, and diagnostic reagents among other equipment, the South Korean electronics maker said.
The service robot comes in two variants -- a drawer version and a shelf version. The drawer version has been deployed at the hospital.

Cloi Servebot comes with autonomous driving technology to help it detect and avoid obstacles. It also has a touch screen that displays various emotions to interact with people.
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ronjor · Jul 9, 2020

After the pandemic, doctors want their new robot helpers to stay

By James Vincent Jul 9, 2020
A robotic helping hand in a crisis
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ronjor · Jul 16, 2020

Japanese robot to clock in at a convenience store in test of retail automation

Tim Kelly JULY 15, 2020
TOKYO (Reuters) - In August, a robot vaguely resembling a kangaroo will begin stacking sandwiches, drinks and ready meals on shelves at a Japanese convenience store in a test its maker, Telexistence, hopes will help trigger a wave of retail automation.
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guest · Jul 16, 2020

Fetch Robotics introduces a heavy-duty autonomous UV disinfecting robot
July 16, 2020
https://techcrunch.com/2020/07/16/f...-heavy-duty-autonomous-uv-disinfecting-robot/

Fetch is no doubt best known for its warehouse fulfillment robotics, which have found success competing directly with the likes of Amazon. But as with any good autonomous robotics platform, the Bay Area company offers up a modular system that can be adapted to address different concerns as they arise.

Like many countless other companies, Fetch recognized a need for its technology amid the last several months of pandemic. Last month, the company introduced Breezy One, a disinfecting spray robot. Less than a month later, it’s back with SmartGuardUV, which is based on similar principles, but performs its disinfection using UV-C, UV-B and UV-A light, courtesy of a PURO Lighting Xenon UV fixture.

“The facilities best prepared to protect workers and customers from COVID-19 are taking extreme precautions when it comes to sanitization, and are placing their trust in automated solutions that can be deployed at any time,” said Fetch CPO Stefan Nusser said in a release.
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