Monday, February 12, 2024

Researchers develop and test the first unmanned forestry machine.

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The AORO platform's hardware components.

An unmanned, autonomous robot has successfully harvested logs in a forest environment, marking a major milestone for outdoor robotics. Published in the Journal of Field Robotics, the research demonstrated a machine vision-based robot safely navigating forest terrain and efficiently picking up timber without human intervention.

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The robot relies on advanced computer vision, navigation algorithms, and manipulator controls to drive through the forest, identify logs, and grasp them for collection. Tests showed the robot could repeatedly perform timber harvesting cycles across various outdoor conditions without assistance.

"Besides efficiency gains, the advancements with autonomous forestry machines have the potential to address current environmental issues," explained lead author Dr. Pedro La Hera of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. "Automated operations can be highly accurate and effective in terms of minimizing collateral damage, which helps us be more ecologically friendly."

By reducing the need for human foresters, autonomous systems may lower labor costs and risks while boosting productivity. The precise maneuvers and minimal environmental impact also promote sustainable practices.

The research represents a pivotal leap for outdoor robotics, which have previously struggled with the unpredictability of natural settings compared to controlled factory floors. By mastering forestry navigation and manipulation, next-generation autonomous robots can transcend more structured operations.

"As demonstrated in this study, by embracing technologies like autonomous algorithms, unmanned machines provide not only efficient timber harvesting but also promote sustainable forestry," Dr. La Hera concluded.

The breakthrough prototype foreshadows a future where self-driving robots take over strenuous, hazardous manual labor jobs like logging. Companies can potentially save costs and boost productivity by automating outdoor worksites with these intelligent, eco-friendly machine workers.

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 KUKA unveils KR FORTEC industrial robot.

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KUKA’s KR FORTEC industrial robot aims to provide high dynamic performance to achieve shorter cycle times.

Medical device company Dexcom continues its rapid growth and innovation in continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) with several key announcements that will significantly expand its market and connectivity with automated insulin delivery partners.

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"We developed the KR FORTEC to achieve a lower total cost of ownership and to launch a resource-saving product," said Maximilian Pettkuhn, KUKA's portfolio manager. At 1,543 pounds, the new robot weighs up to 700 kg (1,543 pounds) less than its predecessor.

The more compact footprint enables flexible applications like parts handling and spot welding in space-constrained factories. KUKA also touts cross-model modularization that enables component reuse across robot series, reducing spare parts inventories and associated costs.

With the KL 4000 linear expansion unit, working envelopes stretch up to 98 feet. Importantly, the modular add-on can equip other KUKA models like the heavy-payload KR QUANTEC and KR FORTEC ultra as well, streamlining customization.

Additional customer-friendly capabilities include ruggedized waterproof/dustproof wrists and operation ranges from 0 to 55°C. Foundry versions withstand dirty industrial environments.

The new robot also pairs with KUKA's MixedReality software, which overlays simulations onto real-world views through phones or tablets. By visualizing movements and potential collisions, the augmented reality system aims to accelerate setup, enhance safety, and limit errors.

From automotive plants to healthcare facilities, KUKA's robots support automation across industries. The KR FORTEC looks to bolster that footprint with flexible, interoperable, cost-conscious factory robotics designed for the modern manufacturing landscape.

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 3D printed nanocellulose upscaled for green architectural applications.

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Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have developed a promising new sustainable building material made from nanocellulose and algae. The abundant biomaterials can be 3D printed into a wide range of architectural constructs using far less energy than traditional construction methods.

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The material is composed of nanocellulose fibers derived from forestry and agricultural byproducts, bound together by an algae-derived compound called alginate. This allows the hydrogel to be 3D printed at room temperature using air pressure, avoiding the high-heat processes that typically consume vast amounts of energy.

"3D printing is a very resource efficient technique. It allows us to make products without dies, molds, or casting forms, so there is less waste material. It is also very energy efficient since we work at room temperature," explains lead researcher Malgorzata Zboinska.

The printed hydrogel can then be dried into lightweight partitions, wall tiles, window shades, acoustic dampening elements, and more. Researchers tested various printing patterns to understand how the designs impact the final constructs' dimensional, textural, and geometric properties when dried.

The work is an important step towards developing biodegradable building materials aligned with sustainability initiatives like the European Green Deal. Buildings account for nearly 40% of global emissions and rely heavily on resource-intensive conventional materials like concrete.

“We need to acquire completely new knowledge on how we could apply biobased materials in architecture, and how we could embrace their shorter life cycle loops,” says Zboinska. Further research into functional, aesthetic, and user-accepted applications is still required.

But the ability to 3D print intricate architectural structures with green nanocellulose at room temperature demonstrates intriguing potential for a transformative new class of energy-efficient, sustainable building materials derived from natural resources.

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The automatic interplanetary station Juno filmed a volcanic eruption on the Io satellite.

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NASA's Juno spacecraft has finished its most recent flyby of Jupiter's volcanic moon, Io. The spacecraft made two close approaches in the past month, obtaining images of the moon's extreme geological activity from just 1,500 kilometers away.

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Io is one of Jupiter's "Galilean satellites" and was first discovered by astronomer Galileo Galilei himself back in 1610. At 3,642 kilometers in diameter, Io is the fourth largest moon of Jupiter. Its surface features towering mountains, expansive plains, and volcanic calderas.

But what really sets Io apart is that it hosts the most vigorously erupting volcanoes in the entire solar system. The volcanism is driven by intense tidal forces from the gravitational pull of Jupiter and neighboring moons. This generates substantial internal heating that frequently bursts out onto Io's surface.

"By observing Io over time, scientists can track the variability of volcanoes, the frequency of their eruption, brightness, and even whether they are isolated or grouped," said Scott Bolton, Juno's principal investigator at the Southwest Research Institute.

The recent Juno photos showcase volcanic plumes erupting from the surface. Over the past month, the spacecraft made two flybys to determine whether Io has a global subsurface magma ocean that feeds its prodigious lava flows.

Juno has been orbiting Jupiter since July 2016 to study the giant planet's atmosphere, magnetosphere, and interior structure. But the hardy spacecraft has also examined some of Jupiter's moons during its long mission.

"The goal is to determine whether there is an ocean of global magma beneath the surface of Io, feeding lava lakes and volcanic eruptions," said an expert familiar with the mission.

The new Io flybys provided closeup views of erupting volcanoes at a resolution impossible to match from Earth. After over seven years in operation, the successful Juno mission only has a few months left before its scheduled conclusion in September 2025. But in that time, we can expect new bursts of unforgettable images from deep in our solar system.

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Project 3 Mobility brings in $107M for its autonomous mobility ecosystem.

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Project 3 Mobility says it wants to greatly expand its team with the latest funding.

Zagreb-based startup Project 3 Mobility has raised €100 million ($107 million) in a Series A funding round to advance its vision for autonomous urban transportation. The young company aims to develop a holistic ecosystem of self-driving electric vehicles, infrastructure, and mobility services.

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The sizable investment was led by TASARU Mobility Investments, a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia's colossal Public Investment Fund (PIF). This marks PIF's first foray into Europe, underscoring Project 3's promise.

"Looking ahead, over the next two years, we [will] continue to attract private capital, aligned with the needs of our project’s implementation,” said Marko Pejković, CEO of Project 3 Mobility. “We have a team that is enthusiastic about the journey ahead and the positive impact our service will have on communities.”

Funds To Accelerate Development

Project 3 intends to utilize the capital injection to advance its trio of integrated components:

An autonomous, electric vehicle purpose-built for urban environments

Specialized infrastructure and mobility hubs

An on-demand mobility service

The company will also expand its workforce to deliver its lofty objectives.

Project 3 is targeting a 2026 launch in Zagreb, with aims to deploy in Germany and the UK in 2027. Details remain scarce, but executives tout a "completely new platform designed around safety and comfort."

Public Support And Previous Investors

In addition to private funding, Project 3 has secured €179.5 million ($193 million) in EU grants to subsidize its futuristic mobility goals.

"Over the past year, we successfully navigated through a series of demanding procedures and in-depth analyses, both within the EU grant approval process led by the European Commission and in our pursuit of attracting private capital," noted Pejković.

Other key backers include prominent Croatian companies Rimac Group, Infinum, and SiteGround, along with auto manufacturers Kia and Elaf.

Industry observers will be tracking Project 3's progress as it works to deliver on its visionary autonomous mobility ecosystem. The startup's ability to concurrently develop vehicles, infrastructure, and software platforms faces immense complexity. Yet its early funding success indicates confidence in the project's merit.

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One person can supervise 'swarm' of 100 unmanned autonomous vehicles, research shows.

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Researchers from Oregon State University have demonstrated that a single person can successfully supervise a large swarm of over 100 autonomous drones. The findings represent a major advancement towards efficiently using drone swarms for applications like package delivery, disaster response, and other commercial and civil uses.

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The research was part of the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency's (DARPA) OFFSET program, which aims to develop swarm tactics and technologies for military contexts. However, the results have significant civilian implications as well.

"We don't see a lot of delivery drones yet in the United States, but companies have been deploying them in other countries," said Julie A. Adams, co-principal investigator on the project. "It makes business sense to deploy delivery drones at scale, but it will require a single person to be responsible for very large numbers of drones. Our work is the first step toward facilitating that kind of system."

During the four-year project, the researchers supervised swarms of up to 250 drones during mock urban missions. The swarms gathered intelligence that could help keep troops and civilians safer.

The key innovation was the development of systems and interfaces that allowed a single "swarm commander" to control the large swarm with high-level directions, without manually piloting individual vehicles.

"The idea is that the commander can select a play to be executed and make minor adjustments, like a quarterback would in the NFL," explained Adams.

Testing took place at Department of Defense training facilities during multi-day exercises that introduced more and more drones. Swarm commanders wore physiological sensors that estimated their workload levels.

Although commanders frequently experienced short-term overload, they completed all test missions successfully, even under challenging field conditions. This demonstrated that individuals can handle supervising large swarms for practical uses.

The breakthrough has exciting implications for drone delivery services. Companies would save enormous costs if one operator could manage an entire local fleet, instead of needing multiple pilots per drone.

Experts caution that more research is still needed before widespread deployment of large commercial drone swarms becomes viable. But this study suggests such futuristic drone-based systems are feasible with a human still in the loop.

"The trained swarm commanders' performance shows that a single human can deploy drone swarms in built environments," Adams concluded. "That has very broad implications beyond this project."

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Sunday, February 11, 2024

@jobtorob: 1 WORLD`S HR-AGENCY FOR #ROBOTS: Boston Dynamics Unveils New Skill of Humanoid Robot Atlas: Handling Automotive Shock Absorbers.
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In its latest feat, Boston Dynamic’s humanoid unveils newfound skills autonomously unpacking & manipulating shock absorbers- proving highly versatile for rigorous, high precision automotive production duties. Modern assembly lines already utilize numerous industrial robots specialized in specific tasks. However, there are challenges that are difficult to address with strict algorithms or configuring a manipulator, and this is where humanoid robots prove exceptionally valuable.

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