Human Robot Interaction / Haptics Archives - The Robot Report https://www.therobotreport.com/category/design-development/haptics/ Robotics news, research and analysis Fri, 31 May 2024 18:34:03 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.5 https://www.therobotreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/cropped-robot-report-site-32x32.png Human Robot Interaction / Haptics Archives - The Robot Report https://www.therobotreport.com/category/design-development/haptics/ 32 32 1X shows advances in voice control, chaining tasks for humanoid robots https://www.therobotreport.com/1x-shows-advances-voice-control-chaining-tasks-humanoid-robots/ https://www.therobotreport.com/1x-shows-advances-voice-control-chaining-tasks-humanoid-robots/#respond Fri, 31 May 2024 18:00:02 +0000 https://www.therobotreport.com/?p=579257 1X Technologies showed advances in AI and teleoperation enable multiple humanoids to conduct a sequence of tasks.

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For humanoid robots to be useful in household settings, they must learn numerous tasks. 1X Technologies today released a video (above) showing how it is applying artificial intelligence and teleoperation to training its robots and controlling sequences of skills via voice.

“This update showcases progress we’ve made toward longer autonomous behaviors,” said Erik Jang, vice president of AI at 1X Technologies. “We’ve previously shown that our robots were able to pick up and manipulate simple objects, but to have useful home robots, you have to chain tasks together smoothly.”

“In practice, the robot doesn’t always position itself right next to a table, so we need to be able to tell it to adjust its position and then manipulate the object,” he told The Robot Report. “In building out our repertoire of skills, we’re finding a lot of other skills — like getting closer or backing up — that humans can instruct the robots with natural language.”

1X builds single tasks toward a unified model

1X Technologies has been working toward a single neural network to handle a wide range of tasks, but it is starting with training individual models through teleoperation and voice. This marks a change in how the company is approaching training and scaling of capabilities, Jang said.

“Before, we thought of a single model for thousands of tasks, but it’s hard to train for so many skills simultaneously,” he noted. “It’s important to push forward on multiple fronts, so we’ve added a few hundred individual capabilities. Our library of skills is mapped to simple language descriptions.”

1X, which has offices in Sunnyvale, Calif., and Moss, Norway, still plans to work toward a single model for all tasks. It is using “shadow mode” evaluations to compare predictions to a baseline for testing. The company already has generic navigation and manipulation policies, said Jang.

“We can give the robot a goal — ‘Please go to this part of the room’ — and the same neural network can navigate to all parts of the room,” he said. “Tidying up a room involves four primitives: going anywhere in the room, adjusting for position, picking something up, and putting it down.”

1X plans to add skills such as opening doors, drawers, and bottles, and Jang acknowledged that it’s still early days for building them out.

“Autonomy is hard. If a robot has to go to a second task, it has to pick up the slack from the first one,” he said. “For example, if the first robot didn’t get to the right spot next to a table, then the second robot has to stick its arm out further to grab something, and the third task has to compensate even more. Errors tend to compound.”


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Voice interface enables training, higher-level actions

“We’ve built a way for humans to instruct the robots on tasks so that if they make a mistake, the human can dictate what the command should be,” he added. “We use a human in the loop issuing natural-language commands.”

In the video, 1X Technologies showed a person directing multiple robots to perform a sequence of actions with a simple voice command.

“We treat natural-language commands as a new type of action, translating from low-level instructions to higher-level actions,” said Jang. “We’re working toward robots that can work autonomously for long periods of time. Cleaning things often involves interacting with different tools and appliances. To be useful, household robots should not be limited to pick-and-place operations.”

Remote and multi-robot control lead to scalability

1X Technologies has taken the approach of having the same people who gather the data from teleoperation be the ones who train robots for their skills.

“I’m super proud of the work they do,” said Jang. “We’ve closed the loop, and the teleoperators train everything themselves. In this ‘farm-to-table’ approach, they’ve built all the capabilities.”

By showing that users without computer science experience can train robots, 1X said it is removing a bottleneck to scaling.

“In the same way we have operators train low-level skills, we can have them train higher-level ones,” Jang added. “It’s now very clear to us that we can transition away from predicting robot actions at low levels to building agents that can operate at longer horizons.”

“Once we have controls in the language space, it’s not a huge leap to see robots working with Gemini Pro Vision or GPT 4.0 for longer-horizon behaviors,” he said.

By enabling users to set high-level goals for multiple robots, 1X Technologies said it will also allow for more efficient fleet management.

1X Technologies' EVE demonstrates updated AI and voice commands.

EVE demonstrates updated AI and voice commands. Source: 1X Technologies

Humanoids are fast approaching, says 1X

Over the past year, 1X has pivoted from purely commercial deployments with EVE to more diverse settings with NEO. The company raised $100 million in January. When will humanoids using unified AI models be ready for the domestic market?

“I want it to come as fast as possible,” replied Jang. “A lot of people think that general-purpose home or humanoid robots are far away, but they’re probably a lot closer than one thinks.”

Jang asserted that by designing its own actuators, 1X has made NEO to be safe around humans, a prerequisite for household use. The hardware’s ability to compensate also allows the AI to have room for error, he said.

Still, humanoid robot developers have to do more than produce interesting videos, Jang said. They have to demonstrate capabilities in the real world and control costs on the path to commercialization.

“The onus is on us to get away from making videos to making something that people can see in person without hiding actual performance details,” he said. “Not everything with a torso four limbs is a humanoid, and we’ve put a lot of thought about the force, torque, and strength of each. Not all robots are created equal.”

“There’s a sweet spot between overspeccing costs and underspeccing costs, which can hamper the ability to pursue AI or automation in general,” said Jang. “Many of the top humanoid companies are making different choices, and there’s a spectrum between millimeter-level precision on fingers and calibration with cameras to, on the other end, 3D-printed robots. It’s a healthy competition.”

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2024 edition of U.S. robotics roadmap points to need for more federal coordination https://www.therobotreport.com/2024-edition-of-u-s-robotics-roadmap-points-to-need-for-more-federal-coordination/ https://www.therobotreport.com/2024-edition-of-u-s-robotics-roadmap-points-to-need-for-more-federal-coordination/#respond Thu, 30 May 2024 16:40:12 +0000 https://www.therobotreport.com/?p=579223 The 2024 edition of "A Roadmap for U.S. Robotics" calls for a more strategic approach and retraining for economic growth.

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Cover of the 2024 U.S. robotics roadmap.

Cover of the 2024 U.S. robotics roadmap. Source: UC San Diego

Unlike China, Germany, or Japan, the U.S. doesn’t have a centralized industrial policy. The U.S. has a culture that uniquely encourages innovation, but a lack of strong coordination among academia, government, and industry affects the development and deployment of technologies such as robotics, according to the 2024 edition of “A Roadmap for U.S. Robotics: Robotics for a Better Tomorrow.”

The quadrennial set of recommendations is produced and sponsored by institutions led by the University of California, San Diego. The authors sent the latest edition to presidential campaigns, the AI Caucus in Congress, and the investment community, noted Henrik I . Christensen, main editor of the roadmap.

Henrik Christensen, UC San Diego

Henrik Christensen, UC San Diego

Christensen is the Qualcomm Chancellor’s Chair of Robot Systems and a distinguished professor of computer science at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at UC San Diego. He is also the director of the Contextual Robotics Institute, the Cognitive Robotics Laboratory, and the Autonomous Vehicle Laboratory.

In addition, Christensen is a serial entrepreneur, co-founding companies including Robust.AI. He is also an investor through firms such as ROBO Global, Calibrate Ventures, Interwoven, and Spring Mountain Capital.

The Robot Report spoke with Christensen about the latest “Roadmap for U.S. Robotics.”

Robotics roadmap gives a mixed review

How does this year’s roadmap compare with its predecessors?

Christensen: We’ve been doing this since 2009 and have aligned it to the federal elections. We did do a midterm report in 2022, and the current report card is mixed.

For instance, we’ve seen investments in laboratory automation and anticipated the workforce shortage because of demographics and changes in immigration policies. The COVID-19 pandemic also accelerated interest in e-commerce, supply chain automation, and eldercare.

The government support has been mixed. The National Robotics Initiative has sunset, and there have been no meetings of the Congressional Caucus on Robotics since 2019. Recently, we did have a robot showcase with the Congressional Caucus for AI.

With all of the recent attention on artificial intelligence, how does that help or hurt robotics?

Christensen: Some of the staffers of the AI caucus used to go to robotics caucus meetings. The AI initiative created about six years ago rolled up robotics, but in the end without any new funding for robotics.

Robotics, in many respects, is where AI meets reality. With the workforce shortage, there is a dire need for new robot technology to ensure growth of the U.S. economy.

We’ve heard that reshoring production is part of the answer, but it’s not clear that there must be a corresponding investment in R&D to make it happen. Without a National Robotics Initiative, there’s also no interagency coordination.

Carnegie Mellon University co-hosted a Congressional robotics showcase along with the release of the 2024 U.S. Robotics Roadmap.

CMU co-hosted a Senate Robotics Showcase and Demo Day. Graduate student Richard Desatnik demonstrated a glove that remotely operated a soft robot on table. Source: Carnegie Mellon University

Christensen calls for more federal coordination

Between corporations, academic departments, and agencies such as DARPA and NASA, isn’t there already investment in robotics research and development?

Christensen: Multiple agencies sponsor robotics, in particular in the defense sector. The foundational research is mainly sponsored by the National Science Foundation, and the programs come across uncoordinated.

The roadmap isn’t asking for more money for robotics R&D; it’s recommending that available programs be better coordinated and directed toward more widespread industrial and commercial use.

While venture capital has been harder to get in the past few years, how would you describe the U.S. startup climate?

Christensen: We’re seeing a lot of excitement in robotics, with companies like Figure AI. While resources have gone into fundamental research, we need an full applications pipeline and grounded use cases.

Right now, most VCs are conservative, and interest rates have made it harder to get money. Last year, U.S. industrial automation was down 30%, which has been a challenge for robotics.

Why do you think that happened?

Christensen: It was a combination of factors, including COVID. Companies over-invested based on assumptions but then couldn’t invest in infrastructure. Investment in facilities is limited until we get better interest rates.

The 2024 U.S. Roadmap for Robotics shared data from the IFR and BLS.

The latest robotics roadmap said both automation and employment lead to economic growth, as shown by data from the International Federation of Robotics and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Click here to enlarge. Source: “A Roadmap for U.S. Robotics”

The U.S. can regain robotics leadership

When do you think that might turn around? What needs to happen?

Christensen: In the second half of the year, robotics could pick up quickly. More things, like semiconductors, are moving back to the U.S., and manufacturing and warehousing are short by millions of workers.

Reshoring hasn’t happened at scale, and there’s not enough R&D, but the U.S. also needs to retrain its workforce. There are a few trade schools with a robotics focus, and we need the federal government to assist in emphasizing the need for retraining to allow more reshoring.

What other enabling factors are needed in Washington?

Christensen: The OSTP [White House Office of Science and Technology] had limited staffing in the previous administration, and we can’t afford another two years of that. We need to hold Washington accountable, and the U.S. industrial sector needs agility.

The robotics community has a big challenge to educate people about the state of the industry. Americans think we’re better than we actually are. We’re not in the top five automotive producers; it’s actually China, Japan, Germany, South Korea, and India. No major industrial robotics supplier is based in the U.S.

When we started these roadmaps, the U.S. was in the top four in industrial robot consumption and a leader in service robotics. Now, it’s no longer in the top 10.

The future for iRobot, the only U.S. household name in robotics, isn’t pretty after its deal fell through with Amazon, at least partly because of antitrust scrutiny. We need to assist our companies to remain competitive.

How might the U.S. get its act together with regard to robotics policy? Australia just launched its own National Robotics Strategy.

Christensen: We shouldn’t let robotics go. I left Denmark about 30 years ago, and the robotics cluster there started after Maersk moved its shipyard to South Korea. The city of Odense and local universities, with national government support, all invested in an ecosystem that led to the formation of Universal Robots and Mobile Industrial Robots. Today, Odense is the capital of robotics in Europe.

Recently, the Port of Odense launched a robotics center for large structures. It continues to grow its ecosystem. It shows why it’s worth it for nations to think strategically about robotics.

We’re in talks to revitalize the Congressional Robotics Caucus and with Robust.AI. We can also show how the advances in AI can help grow robotics.

Manufacturing job openings currently exceed unemployment rates.

Manufacturing job openings currently exceed unemployment rates. Source: BLS.gov

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Kawasaki Robotics gives first look at its collaborative robots https://www.therobotreport.com/kawasaki-robotics-gives-first-look-collaborative-robots/ https://www.therobotreport.com/kawasaki-robotics-gives-first-look-collaborative-robots/#respond Fri, 10 May 2024 21:33:34 +0000 https://www.therobotreport.com/?p=579005 Kawasaki says its CL series combines all the safety and intuitiveness of cobots with the speed and productivity of industrial robotics.

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Kawasaki Robotics' CL Series of collaborative robots. | Source: Kawasaki Robotics.

The CL Series of collaborative robots. | Source: Kawasaki Robotics

CHICAGO — Kawasaki Robotics (USA) Inc. gave a first look at its new CL family of collaborative robots at Automate this week. The company also showed off new applications using the Kawasaki R Series and BX Series of industrial robots. 

“From our AI-enabled robots to our rich library of technology partners, it’s the collective use of human ingenuity that fuels Kawasaki’s product offerings,” stated Seiji Amazawa, president of Kawasaki Robotics. “Our goal is to harness industrial automation in a way that makes the possibilities virtually limitless for our customers, and our Automate showing will help to reinforce that.”

Kawasaki Robotic added that the CL Series and new applications demonstrate its “commitment to continually optimizing its product offerings, aided by its technology-agnostic stance and expanding network of partners.” The Wixom, Mich.-based company is a unit of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, which has more than 50 years of automation experience and is a leading supplier of industrial robots.


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CL series combines cobot, industrial features

Kawasaki Robotics claimed its CL series combines the safety and intuitiveness of collaborative robots with a robust design that “unlocks the speed and productivity of industrial robotics.” The new robots, designed and built in Germany, use robot assistance technology from NEURA Robotics, a Kawasaki partner.

Kawasaki had a dual-armed cobot nine years ago, but it had an absence in its product range, Alexandre Boffi, manager for general industries sales at Kawasaki, told The Robot Report.

“We observed what the industry needed — more repeatability, accuracy, robustness, and environmental protection,” he said. “A cobot also had to do what Kawasaki’s industrial robots can do, which led to our collaboration with NEURA.”

The new cobots can reach a speed of 200º/s and repeatability of ±0.02 mm (0.0007 in.). The robots have payload capacities and reaches of 3 kg/590 mm (6.6 lb./23.2 in.), 5 kg/800 mm (11 lb./31.5 in.), 8 kg/1,300 mm (17.6 lb./51.2 in.), and 10 kg/1,000 mm (22 lb./39.3 in.), respectively.

“Customers don’t want to sacrifice speed, accuracy, or reliability,” said Boffi. “Ease of use is driving demand for cobots.”

In addition, the CL series has free mounting orientations, small footprints, and IP66 classification. Kawasaki noted that the cobots’ components include integrated 24-bit encoders, high resolution, and lightweight construction.

The CL series also includes an intuitive user interface and proprietary safety architecture to facilitate human-robot collaboration, said the company.

Like NEURA’s 4NE-1 in the adjacent booth, Kawasaki’s “skunkworks” has worked on its own humanoid robot, the Kaleido, Boffi said.

“Humanoids are like Formula 1 racecars compared with passenger cars,” he said. “They’ll result in smaller controllers and optimized motion control, like our KRNX API [application programming interface], which provides low latency, real-time control, and full access to the BIOS. We’re really focused on building the best tools to help businesses.”

 

Kawasaki Robotics jointly shows new applications

Kawasaki also demonstrated applications developed with its partners, such as an adaptable finishing system designed by Advanced Machine & Tool (AMT) Precision Parts that can handle diverse materials and surface types. It also showed unstructured parcel sorting with the Kawasaki R Series and Mech Mind‘s 3D camera and AI-powered software.

CRG Automation displayed multi-SKU palletizing and depalletizing using a BX130X robot and an automated corner-board application using a RS00L robot. Olis Robotics‘ Olis Connect edge-hosted product provided remote control and monitoring of the entire system.

“As customer demand for products of all kinds increases and the unceasing need for skilled labor remains, robotics and automation are clear answers to this widespread industry problem,” said Amazawa. “We are motivated by our passion for creating the best possible robotic solutions to ensure our customers see nothing but excitement, potential, and growth when they look to the future.”

Kawasaki Robotics and Olis Robotics have also jointly offered robots and controls they said will enable customers to restart production faster, reduce troubleshooting and downtime costs by up to 90%, and gain access to expert support more quickly.

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Forcen closes funding to develop ‘superhuman’ robotic manipulation https://www.therobotreport.com/forcen-closes-funding-to-develop-superhuman-robotic-manipulation/ https://www.therobotreport.com/forcen-closes-funding-to-develop-superhuman-robotic-manipulation/#respond Sun, 28 Apr 2024 12:30:18 +0000 https://www.therobotreport.com/?p=578877 Forcen is offering customized and off-the-shelf sensors to aid robotic manipulation in complex environments.

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Forcen has raised funding to scale production of its force/torque sensors.

Forcen says its technology will help robotic manipulation advance as vision has. Source: Forcen

Forcen last week said it has closed a funding round of CAD $8.35 million ($6.1 million U.S.). The Toronto-based company plans to use the investment to scale up production to support more customers and to continue developing its force/torque sensing technology and edge intelligence.

“We’ve been focused on delivering custom solutions showcasing our world-first technology with world-class quality … and we’re excited for our customers to announce the robots they’ve been working on with our technology,” stated Robert Brooks, founder and CEO of Forcen. “Providing custom solutions has limited the number of customers we take on, but now we’re working to change that.”

Founded in 2015, Forcen said its goal is to enable businesses to easily deploy “(super)human” robotic manipulation in complex and unstructured applications. The company added that its technology is already moving into production with customers in surgical, logistics, humanoid, and space robotics.

Forcen offers two paths to robot manipulation

Forcen said its new customizable offering and off-the-shelf development kits will accelerate development for current customers and help new ones adopt its technology.

The rapidly customizable offering will use generative design and standard subassemblies, noted the company. This will allow customers to select the size, sensing range/sensitivity, overload protection, mounting bolt pattern, and connector type/location.

By fulfilling orders in as little as four to six weeks, Forcen claimed that it can replace the traditional lengthy catalog of sensors, so customers can get exactly what they need for their unique applications.

The company will launch its off-the-shelf development kits later this year. They will cover three degree-of-freedom (DoF) and 6 DoF force/torque sensors, as well as Forcen’s cross-roller, bearing-free 3 DoF joint torque sensor and 3 DoF gripper finger.

Forcen's off-the-shelf development kits.

Off-the-shelf development kits will support different degrees of freedom. Source: Forcen

Force/torque sensors designed for complex applications

Complex and less-structured robotics applications are challenging for conventional force/torque sensing technologies because of the risk of repeated impact/overload, wide temperature ranges/changes, and extreme constraints on size and weight, explained Forcen. These applications are becoming increasingly common in surgical, logistics, agricultural/food, and underwater robotics.

Forcen added that its “full-stack” sensing systems are designed for such applications using three core proprietary technologies:

  • ForceFilm — A monolithic thin-film transducer enabling sensing systems that are lighter, thinner, more stable across both drift and temperature, the company said. It is especially scalable for multi-dimensional sensing, Forcen said.
  • Dedicated Overload — A protection structure that acts as a 6 DoF hard stop. The company said it allows sensitivity and overload protection to be designed separately and enables durable use of the overload structure for thousands of overload events while still achieving millions of sensing cycles.
  • Synap — Forcen’s onboard edge intelligence comes factory compensated/calibrated and can connect to any standard digital bus (USB, CAN, Ethernet, EtherCAT). This can “create a full-stack force/torque sensing solution that is truly plug-and-play with a maintenance/calibration-free operation.
Forcen sensors include three proprietary technologies.

New offerings include features to support demanding robotics applications. Source: Forcen

Learn about Forcen at the Robotics Summit

Brightspark Ventures and BDC Capital’s Deep Tech Venture Fund co-led Forcen’s funding round, with participation from Garage Capital and MaRS IAF, as well as returning investors including EmergingVC.

“Robotic vision has undergone a revolution over the past decade and is continuing to accelerate with new AI approaches,” said Mark Skapinker, co-founder and partner at Brightspark Ventures. “We expect robotic manipulation to quickly follow in the footsteps of robotic vision and Forcen’s technology to be a key enabler of ubiquitous human-level robotic manipulation.”

Forcen is returning to the Robotics Summit & Expo this week. It will have live demonstrations of its latest technology in Booth 113 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. 

CEO Brooks will be talking on May 1 at 4:15 p.m. EDT about “Designing (Super)Human-Level Haptic Sensing for Surgical Robotics.” Registration is now open for the event, which is co-located with DeviceTalks Boston and the Digital Transformation Forum.


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Ubiros Gentle grippers go all electric for reliability, flexibility https://www.therobotreport.com/ubiros-gentle-grippers-go-all-electric-for-reliability-flexibility/ https://www.therobotreport.com/ubiros-gentle-grippers-go-all-electric-for-reliability-flexibility/#respond Fri, 26 Apr 2024 17:37:39 +0000 https://www.therobotreport.com/?p=578867 Ubiros has developed grippers with force-sensing capabilities to bring automation to more picking tasks, explains President Onder Ondemir.

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Ubiros soft grippers are designed for food handling.

The Gentle Duo Mini soft grippers are suitable for food handling. Source: Ubiros

Reliable and delicate robotic grasping has long been a challenge, but Ubiros Inc. said it can solve the problem without the bulky pneumatics or complex coding of previous approaches.

The company’s electrically driven and modular grippers are easier to deploy and use than other soft grippers, according to Onder Ondemir, president of Ubiros. He is also a professor in the engineering department at Northeastern University.

Ubiros offers the Gentle Flex Module and Gentle Flex CC for users that want to build their own grippers. The spinout of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) also offers Gentle Duo with two soft fingers and Gentle Pro with four fingers, as well as Touch models for both that include force control, part sensing/confirmation, and a low-power mode.

The Natick, Mass.-based company said its compliant grippers are suitable for food handling and packaging, textiles, and some warehouse applications. Ubiros, which is a resident startup at MassRobotics, already has distributor agreements in China, South Korea, Turkey, the U.K., and the U.S.

Founder fascinated by technology

“I loved Knight Rider as a kid and asked my mom, ‘Who makes [smart car] KITT? What do I need to become to make something like that?’” recalled Ondemir. “She said ‘mechanical engineer.’”

“I grew up and became an industrial engineer, but I’ve always been fascinated with mechanical systems,” he told The Robot Report. “I worked at an insurance company modeling the capacity of systems and demand forecasts, and I became a vice president.”

Ondemir later ran into a friend [Cagdas Onal] who was doing post-doctoral associate work at MIT and collaborating with Harvard University researchers working on soft robotics.

“We knew the limitations of pneumatics – precision is low, control is hard, and the equipment needed to generate compressed air uses a lot of electricity,” he said. “After spending years in the lab, one day, he came to me and said, ‘Onder, I think I have groundbreaking technology for packaging and gripping in general, but I don’t want to run the company.’ Becoming the CEO was a no-brainer to fulfill my desire to build machines and work with my friend.”

Ubiros President Onder Ondemir at MassRobotics.

Ubiros President Onder Ondemir at MassRobotics. Source: Ubiros

The genesis of Ubiros

Ubiros has largely focused on food handling.

Automating the handling of fruit and baked goods is not easy, because such delicate food items are easily damaged, Ondemir noted. Rigid grippers typically don’t have sufficient sensitivity, and many other companies are trying to solve problems such as object detection and singulation, he said.

“In farming, crops are being left to rot in the field, which is a huge waste,” added Ondemir. “A key barrier to getting automation is handling food with a soft touch.”

“But the real problem we’re solving is the worker shortage,” he said. “Harvesting and packing jobs aren’t interesting to people, and there are the issues of efficiency for the employer – most people work one shift – and also injuries and finally the cost of food.”

Fingers versus suction cups

For most applications where similar items are picked, suction cups are sufficient, said Ondemir. However, when there’s clutter, such as in e-commerce bins, or tight spaces like bookshelves, picking then requires a combination of sensing to identify each object and the ability to singulate that object.

Suction cups are versatile, but porous, dusty, fragile, or oddly weighted items are not always suitable for suction cups, Ondemir observed.

“We’re proud to be one of the few companies developing individual finger actuation rather than the whole hand,” he said. “For singulation, it can provide alternatives in complex picking situations.”

Ubiros Gentle grippers promise benefits

Ubiros’ Gentle grippers use electric servo motors and a cable-driven system similar to the tendons of the human hand.

“The difficulty in designing the system was maintaining softness while mechanically operating the finger – that’s where our patent is,” Ondemir said. “Our technology allows the finger unit to be flexible in the grasping direction but very rigid in twisting or bending sideways.”

Electric end-of-arm tooling (EOAT) removes the need for tubes, valves, and compressors, he said. Also, while pneumatic systems need to cycle to attempt another grasp, an electric one can reposition more quickly.

In addition, electric grippers have instant torque rather than needing to build up pressure for heavy payloads as hydraulic or pneumatic systems do, said Ondemir.

Up to 35% of the electricity bill in factories is spent on pressurized air, and 40% of the battery life of a mobile manipulator is consumed by a suction cup, he asserted. Thus, Ubiros’ grippers could save a lot of battery power for autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) or drones, Ondemir said.

Is Ubiros looking at mobile manipulation?

“We’ve had serious conversations with Staubli,” Ondemir replied. “Our gripper would be in addition to its existing arm and base, unlike others.”

In addition, United Robotics Group has integrated Ubiros’ gripper with a mobile manipulator that will be demonstrated at Automate.

Ondemir surveys tech trends

Beyond mobile manipulation, Ondemir relied on his experience in robotics development to comment on current tech trends.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning allow us to implement predictive maintenance,” he said. “Our electrical micro-controller is partly a system for force control and partly sensing. It’s able to collect temperature data from inside the gripper, plus cycle counts and electric current to build models to predict failures. That’s in our roadmap.”

Ubiros is not currently working with digital twins because it’s difficult to know the actual deflection of soft objects and where something is in space, acknowledged Ondemir. A lot of research is being devoted to this topic, he said.

What about humanoids? “They’ll have to have soft components for safety and to guard against falling,” Ondemir said. “This will be a key use for soft robotics in general, not just soft grippers. Because we’re a spinoff of WPI, we already have soft 3D sensors and a patented design of a soft arm, but there’s a lot still to do.”

Mechanical intelligence for manipulation

“The idea behind what we call ‘mechanical intelligence’ is that if you can mechanically achieve something, you need expensive programming, motion control, and vision less,” said Ondemir. “We built something that is under-actuated, with fewer motors to move the joints. Electric actuation allows us to have full-bodied fingers rather than hollow ones that can be punctured or leak in otherwise sanitary environments.”

“Depending on the shape of the object, the gripper can automatically conform to it. It’s more forgiving of inaccuracies, and you don’t need extreme precision,” he continued. “Because the grippers bend themselves over an object like an egg or an apple, the force is distributed over a larger area.”

Ubiros did build some force control into its Gentle grippers, allowing users to increase or decrease pressure, but it’s not necessary in most cases, Ondemir said.

Ubiros and its partners recently participated in a MassRobotics Demo Day.

Ubiros and its partners recently participated in a MassRobotics Demo Day. Source: Ubiros

Ubiros looks ahead

The Gentle gripper is initially tackling labeling and grading of tomatoes and cucumbers, and Ubiros has received a lot of interest recently from bakeries, said Ondemir. A hygienic gripper could then address handling of raw beef, poultry, and fish.

To that end, Ubiros is looking for funding to make its grippers more hygienic and robust against cleaning agents. It is working on safe-food handling certifications.

On the industrial side, Ubiros is conducting a pilot with Mitsubishi to handle a variety of objects and manage robot grasping through Mitsubishi’s teach pendant.

“Down the road a few years, we want to focus more on the data side, allowing customers to access data through the end effectors,” Ondemir said. “We plan to eventually bring other patented technologies into the workplace – 3D sensors, haptic gloves, human-in-the-loop systems, remote manipulation, and soft arms.”

Ubiros will be at the Robotics Summit & Expo next week and Automate the week after that.


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Flexiv Robotics improves sanding efficiency for shutter company, sorts recyclables https://www.therobotreport.com/flexiv-robotics-improve-sanding-efficiency-sorts-recyclables/ https://www.therobotreport.com/flexiv-robotics-improve-sanding-efficiency-sorts-recyclables/#respond Mon, 22 Apr 2024 15:31:11 +0000 https://www.therobotreport.com/?p=578793 Flexiv Robotics said its Rizon 4 arm increased sanding efficiency for EsVata, and its Grav Enhanced gripper can aid recycling efforts.

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Custom user interface for Flexiv Rizon 4 sanding robot.

Custom user interface for Flexiv Rizon 4 sanding robot. Source: Flexiv Robotics

By integrating sensing, robotics, and artificial intelligence, Flexiv Robotics Inc. claimed that it can improve multiple industrial processes, from sanding to sortation. It develops and manufactures general-purpose, adaptive robots.

Founded in 2016, Flexiv produces the Rizon arm with seven degrees of freedom and the Moonlight force-controlled parallel robot. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company has offices in China, Taiwan, and Singapore.

Last month, Red Bluff, Calif.-based systems integrator DOCO Engineering partnered with Flexiv to further expand its presence in North America. More recently, Flexiv shared a case study and Earth Day initiatives.


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EsVata Shutter chooses, quickly installs Rizon 4

Flexiv Robotics recently helped Rosemead, Calif.-based EsVata Shutter automate sanding of window blinds. The company said its adaptive technology sped up the sanding process by 80% and increased the quality and consistency of surface finishing.

“Our commitment to quality led us to select the Rizon 4 from a sea of competitors,” stated Paul Hsieh, founder of EsVata. “Its exceptional precision, powered by advanced force sensors in each of its seven joints, made it the ideal solution for our sanding needs.”

Flexiv said it combined its robotic arm and sensing technology with an OnRobot Sander to free employees for more value-added tasks.

Howard Huang, operations director for North America at Flexiv, replied to the following questions from The Robot Report:

What was required to integrate Flexiv and EsVata’s systems?

Huang: The integration of Flexiv’s Rizon 4 sanding solution within EsVata’s production facility required a customized approach due to EsVata’s lack of a PLC [programmable logic controller] or an existing automated production environment.

Understanding that EsVata is a smaller manufacturer that values modularity and customizability, we implemented a standalone system to boost EsVata’s production capabilities that didn’t necessitate a comprehensive revamp or modification of their current infrastructure, enabling a smooth, trouble-free integration.

How long did it take to set up?

Huang: Integrating Flexiv’s technology into EsVata’s manufacturing operations was achieved in a relatively brief period. The initial setup, which included the installation, configuration, and calibration of the robotic system, was completed in about three days.

This quick deployment reflects the system’s inherent useability and ease of programming, as well as the effective collaboration between Flexiv’s and EsVata’s technical teams. With the installation completed over a long weekend, starting on the Saturday, production was able to resume on Tuesday.

Flexiv automated sanding at EsVata.

Rizon has automated shutter sanding at EsVata. Source: Flexiv Robotics

System reduces staff effort, production time

What do the people who previously did this sanding do now? Do they supervise the robots, or what other tasks can they do?

Huang: With the sanding solution incorporated into the production line, some staff members have transitioned into supervisory roles to monitor the automated processes or have been assigned to specialized sanding tasks that require a human touch, such as fine corner sanding, which the robot is not programmed to handle.

This redistribution of labor has safeguarded jobs by increasing production efficiency and improved job satisfaction by reducing the physical strain and the monotony associated with manual sanding tasks.

How long did it take for EsVata to realize the time savings on the shutter sanding?

Huang: EsVata recognized the time savings immediately, as the efficiency gains were apparent from the onset of the system’s initiation. With the massive reduction in the time taken to sand a shutter, it was clear that our sanding solution could not only replicate the human sanding process, but also do it far quicker and to a higher standard.

To get consistency of output with manual labor requires a time investment, whereas for a robot, replicating a precise set of actions to achieve a predetermined outcome is simple. As the robot never tires or makes a mistake, it was obvious that the automated system would be faster, but both EsVata and ourselves were surprised at the 80% time decrease.

What are the next steps in this deployment?

Huang: While the current project is complete, EsVata is contemplating installing further adaptive automation solutions within its factory to boost production capacity. This decision is being carefully considered, taking into account a return-on-investment [ROI] analysis, prevailing market conditions, and EsVata’s strategic expansion goals.

An EnVata worker supervises the Rizon sanding robot.

An EnVata worker supervises the Rizon sanding robot. Source: Flexiv Robotics

Flexiv Robotics gripper, cleaning station to aid recycling  

Last week, Flexiv Robotics said it has modified the Grav Enhanced robotic gripper to be cleaned in its Grav Enhanced Automated Cleaning Station. The company said this helps the gripper retain its effectiveness in picking up objects weighing up to 5 kg (11 lb.) and those covered with dust.

For Earth Day today, Flexiv showed off a combination of its Grave Enhanced Gecko Gripper, a Rizon 4 adaptive robot, a 3D depth camera, and its AnyGrasp algorithm to identify and sort household waste for recycling (see video below). The company added that the new cleaning station has helped expand its product capabilities.

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ASTM International names new president, continues robotics standards work https://www.therobotreport.com/astm-international-names-new-president-continues-robotics-standards-work/ https://www.therobotreport.com/astm-international-names-new-president-continues-robotics-standards-work/#respond Mon, 25 Mar 2024 13:47:29 +0000 https://www.therobotreport.com/?p=578260 ASTM International, which develops standards for robot and other technologies, named Andrew G. Kireta Jr. as its president.

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ASTM International offers global access to fully transparent standards development, resulting in high market relevance and technical excellence in standardization.

ASTM offers visibility into global standards development. Source: ASTM International

ASTM International today announced the appointment of Andrew G. Kireta Jr. as its new president, effective May 1, 2024. It said his background in standards development and familiarity with the organization positions him to lead future growth and innovation.

Kireta will succeed Katharine Morgan, who served in the role since 2017 and will retire after a “distinguished 40-year career with ASTM.” 

“We are thrilled to welcome Andy as president of ASTM International,” stated Bill Griese, 2024 chair of ASTM’s board of directors. “Andy has spent years supporting ASTM International in a variety of volunteer roles and is exceptionally well-suited to lead the organization forward.”

“He brings a strong commitment to ASTM’s mission, values, and membership,” Griese added. “Kathie’s dedication and engagement have made it possible for us to find the right leader for ASTM’s future, and we are delighted she will help to ensure a smooth transition as Andy assumes the role in May.”


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Kireta brings executive experience

Kireta is president and CEO of the Copper Development Association. He has been with that not-for-profit trade association since 1992, serving the past two decades in an executive management capacity.

Andy Kireta, president, ASTM International

Andy Kireta, president, ASTM International. Source: LinkedIn

In addition, ASTM International noted that Kireta has been an ASTM member since 1998. He joined the organization‘s board of directors in 2014, serving as chair of the audit and finance committee in 2017, vice chair in 2018 and 2019, and chair of the board in 2020. Kireta also previously served as vice chair and chair of the board of SEI International, an ASTM affiliate.

“I am honored and excited to serve as the new president of ASTM International,” said Kireta. “I have great respect for ASTM’s mission, staff, members, and partners, and I am humbled to lead an organization that has made such a meaningful impact on industry and society over its 125-year history. I am eager to work with the ASTM community to build upon that success as we advance our mission of helping our world work better.”

Learn about ASTM International robot standards

ASTM International said it is committed to serving global societal needs and improving public health and safety, consumer confidence, and overall quality of life. The Conshohocken, Pa.-based organization has 35,000 members worldwide working to develop and refine more than 12,900 technical standards and representing over 90 industry sectors.

As robots expand from factories into other environments, safety and reliability have become increasingly important. ASTM has been developing standards for robotic grasping and manipulation, legged robots, assembly robots, vision guidance for bin picking, and additive manufacturing in construction.

The F45 Committee on Robotics, Automation, and Autonomous Systems is working to develop standard terminology, practices, classifications, guides, test methods, and specifications applicable to these systems.

Adam Norton, associate director of the NERVE Center at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, will present a session on “ASTM Standards for Robotics and Autonomous Systems” at 1:30 p.m. ET on Thursday May 2 at the Robotics Summit & Expo in Boston.

He will provide an overview the committee’s activities, as well as open a discussion to gather industry feedback on recommendations for future standards to ensure alignment with both developer and user needs. Registration is now open for the event. 

“We integrate consensus standards – developed with our international membership of volunteer technical experts – and innovative services to improve lives … helping our world work better,” ASTM said.

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Researchers develop interface for quadriplegics to control robots https://www.therobotreport.com/researchers-develop-interface-for-quadriplegics-to-control-robots/ https://www.therobotreport.com/researchers-develop-interface-for-quadriplegics-to-control-robots/#respond Sat, 02 Mar 2024 21:00:17 +0000 https://www.therobotreport.com/?p=578049 Head-Worn Assistive Device impresses expert evaluator Henry Evans during a trial to control Hello Robot's Stretch mobile manipulator.

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a quadriplegic wearing a an assistive device on his head that enables him to control robots.

Carnegie Mellon University researchers lived with Henry and Jane Evans for a week to test their Head-Worn Assistive Teleoperation (HAT) device with Henry, who lost his ability to speak and move his limbs 20 years ago. | Credit: CMU

No one could blame Carnegie Mellon University students Akhil Padmanabha and Janavi Gupta if they were a bit anxious this past August as they traveled to the Bay Area home of Henry and Jane Evans.

The students were about to live with strangers for the next seven days. On top of that, Henry, a person with quadriplegia, would spend the week putting their Head-Worn Assistive Teleoperation (HAT) — an experimental interface to control a mobile robot — to the test.

HAT requires fewer fine motor skills than other interfaces to help people with some form of paralysis or similar motor impairments control a mobile robot and manipulator. It allows users to control a mobile robot via head motion and speech recognition, and versions of the device have featured a hands-free microphone and head-worn sensor.

Padmanabha and Gupta quickly realized that any trepidation they may have felt was misplaced. Henry, who lost the ability to move his limbs and talk after a brain-stem stroke two decades ago, enjoyed using HAT to control the robot by moving his head and in some situations preferred HAT to the computer screen he normally uses.

“We were excited to see it work well in the real world,” said Padmanabha, a Ph.D. student in robotics who leads the HAT research team. “Henry became increasingly proficient in using HAT over the week and gave us lots of valuable feedback.”

During the home trial, the researchers had Henry perform predefined tasks, such as fetching a drink, feeding himself and scratching an itch. Henry directed a robot — Stretch, a commercially available mobile robot outfitted with a pincer-like gripper on its single arm — using HAT to control it.

Daily, Henry performed the so-called blanket+tissue+trash task, which involved moving a blanket off his body, grabbing a tissue and wiping his face with it, and then throwing the tissue away. As the week progressed, Henry could do it faster and faster and with fewer errors.

Henry said he preferred using HAT with a robot for certain tasks rather than depending on a caregiver.

“Definitely scratching itches,” he said. “I would be happy to have it stand next to me all day, ready to do that or hold a towel to my mouth. Also, feeding me soft foods, operating the blinds and doing odd jobs around the room.”

One innovation in particular, software called Driver Assistance that helps align the robot’s gripper with an object the user wants to pick up, was “awesome,” Henry said. Driver Assistance leaves the user in control while it makes the fine adjustments and corrections that can make controlling a robot both tedious and demanding.

“That’s better than anything I have tried for grasping,” Henry said, adding that he would like to see Driver Assistance used for every interface that controls Stretch robots.

Praise from Henry, as well as his suggestions for improving HAT, is no small thing. He has collaborated in multiple research projects, including the development of Stretch, and his expertise is widely admired within the assistive robotics community. He’s even been featured by The Washington Post and last year appeared on the cover of IEEE Spectrum.

Via email, Henry said his incentive for participating in research is simple. “Without technology I would spend each day staring at the ceiling waiting to die,” he said. “To be able to manipulate my environment again according to my will is motivation enough.”

Padmanabha said user-centered or participatory design is important within the assistive device community and requires getting feedback from potential users at every step. Henry’s feedback proved extremely helpful and gave the team new ideas to think about as they move forward.

The HAT researchers will present the results of their study at the ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction March 11–15 in Boulder, Colorado.

HAT originated more than two years ago in a project course taught by Zackory Erickson, an assistant professor in the Robotics Institute. The students contacted Henry as part of their customer discovery process. Even then, he was excited about the possibility of using a prototype.

The project showed promise and later was spun out of the class. An early version of HAT was developed and tested in the lab by participants both with and without motor impairments. When it came time to do an in-home case study, Henry seemed the logical person to start with.

During the weeklong study, Padmanabha and Gupta lived in the Evans home around the clock, both for travel convenience and to be able to perform testing whenever Henry was ready. Having strangers in the house 24/7 is typical of the studies Henry’s been involved in and is no big deal for him or Jane.

“We’re both from large families,” he said.

Padmanabha and Gupta, a computer science major, likewise adjusted quickly to the new surroundings and got used to communicating with Henry using a letterboard, a tool that allows Henry to spell out words by looking at or pointing a laser at each letter. The pair even played poker with Henry and Jane, with Henry using Stretch to manipulate his cards.

In the earlier tests, HAT used head movements and voice commands to control a robot. Henry can’t speak, but he can move his left thumb just enough to click a computer mouse. So the team reconfigured HAT for the Evans trial, substituting computer clicks for voice commands as a way to shift between modes that include controlling the movement of the robot base, arm or wrist, or pausing the robot.

“Among people with motor impairments, everyone has different levels of motor function,” Padmanabha said. “Some may have head movement, others may only have speech, others just have clicking capabilities. So it’s important that you allow for customization of your interface.”

Head motions are key to using HAT, which detects head movement using a sensor in a cap, headband or — in Henry’s case — a chin strap.

“People use head gesturing as a way to communicate with each other and I think it’s a natural way of controlling or gesturing to a robot,” Padmanabha said.

A graphical user interface — a computer screen — is more typical for controlling robots. But Gupta said users don’t like using a computer screen to control a robot that is operating around their body.

“It can be scary to have a robot close to your face, trying to feed you or wipe your face,” she said. Many user studies therefore shy away from attempting tasks that come close to the face. But once Henry got used to HAT, he didn’t hesitate to perform such tasks, she added.

A computer screen is available to control Stretch in tasks that are out of the user’s line of sight, such as sending the robot to fetch something from another room. At Henry’s suggestion, the researchers made it possible to use HAT to control a computer cursor with head movements.

In addition to Gupta, Padmanabha and Erickson, the research team includes CMU’s Carmel Majidi, the Clarence H. Adamson Professor of Mechanical Engineering; Douglas Weber, the Akhtar and Bhutta Professor of Mechanical Engineering; and Jehan Yang, a Ph.D. student in mechanical engineering. Also included are Vy Nguyen of Hello Robot, maker of Stretch; and Chen Chen, an undergraduate at Tsinghua University in Beijing, who implemented the Driver Assistance software.

Though Stretch is commercially available, it is still primarily used by researchers and CMU has 10–15 of them. It’s a simple robot with limited capabilities, but Padmanabha said its approximate $25,000 price tag inspires hope for expanded use of mobile robots.

“We’re getting to the price point where we think robots could be in the home in the near future,” he said.

Henry said Stretch/HAT still needs systemwide debugging and added features before it is more widely adopted. He thinks that might occur in as little as five years, though that will depend not only on price and features, but the choice of market.

“I believe the market for elderly people is larger and more affluent and will therefore develop faster than the market for people with disabilities,” he said.

Editor’s Note: This article was republished from Carnegie Mellon University.

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Punyo is a soft robot from TRI designed for whole-body manipulation https://www.therobotreport.com/punyo-soft-robot-from-tri-designed-for-whole-body-manipulation/ https://www.therobotreport.com/punyo-soft-robot-from-tri-designed-for-whole-body-manipulation/#comments Thu, 29 Feb 2024 21:59:50 +0000 https://www.therobotreport.com/?p=578030 TRI's Punyo humanoid robot can manipulate objects with its whole body, giving it more flexibility when it comes to household tasks.

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While humanoid robots have burst into mainstream attention in the past year, and more and more companies have released their own models, many operate similarly. The typical humanoid uses arms and grippers to handle objects, and their rigid legs provide a mode of transportation. Researchers at the Toyota Research Institute, or TRI, said they want to take humanoids a step further with the Punyo robot. 

Punyo isn’t a traditional humanoid robot in that it doesn’t yet have legs. So far, TRI‘s team is working with just the torso of a robot and developing manipulation skills. 

“Our mission is to help people with everyday tasks in our homes and elsewhere,” said Alex Alspach, one of TRI’s tech leads for whole-body manipulation, in a video (see above). “Many of these manipulation tasks require more than just our hands and fingers.” 

When humans have to carry a large object, we don’t just use our arms to carry it, he explained. We might lean the object against our chest to lighten the load on our arms and use our backs to push through doors to reach our destination.

Manipulation that uses the whole body is tricky for humanoids, where balance is a major issue. However, the researchers at TRI designed its robot to do just that. 

“Punyo does things differently. Taking advantage of its whole body, it can carry more than it could simply by pressing with outstretched hands,” added Andrew Beaulieu, one of TRI’s tech leads for whole-body manipulation. “Softness, tactile sensing, and the ability to make a lot of contact advantageously allow better object manipulation.” 

TRI said that the word “punyo” is a Japanese word that elicits the image of a cute yet resilient robot. TRI’s stated goal was to create a robot that is soft, interactive, affordable, safe, durable, and capable.


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Robot includes soft limbs with internal sensors

Punyo’s hands, arms, and chest are covered with compliant materials and tactile sensors that allow it to feel contact. The soft materials allow the robot’s body to conform with the objects it’s manipulating.

Underneath it are two “hard” robot arms, a torso frame, and a waist actuator. TRI says it aimed to combine the precision of a traditional robot with the compliance, impact resistance, and sensing simplicity of soft robotic systems

The entirety of Punyo’s arms are covered in air-filled bladders or bubbles. These bubbles connect via a tube to a pressure sensor. This sensor can feel forces applied to the outer surfaces of the bubble.

Each bubble can also be individually pressurized to a desired stiffness, and add around 5 cm of compliance to the surface of the robot’s arms. 

Instead of traditional grippers, Punyo has “paws” made up of a single high-friction latex bubble with a camera inside. The team printed the inside of these bubbles with a dot pattern. The camera watches for deformities in this pattern to estimate forces. 

Left: Under Punyo’s sleeves are air-filled bubbles, air tubes, and pressure sensors that add compliance and tactile sensing to the arms. Right: Closeup of a pair of arm bubbles.

Left: Under Punyo’s sleeves are bubbles, air tubes, and pressure sensors that add compliance and tactile sensing to the arms. Right: Closeup of a pair of arm bubbles. | Source: Toyota Research Institute

Punyo learns to use full-body manipulation

Punyo learned contact-rich policies using two methods: diffusion policy and example-guided reinforcement learning. TRI announced its diffusion policy method last year. With this method, the robot uses human demonstrations to learn robust sensorimotor policies for hard-to-model tasks.

Example-guided reinforcement learning is a method that requires tasks to be modeled in simulation and with a small set of demonstrations to guide the robot’s exploration. TRI said it uses this kind of learning to achieve robust manipulation policies for tasks it can model in simulation

When the robot can see demonstrations of these tasks it can more efficiently learn them. It also gives TRI team more room to influence the style of motion the robot uses to achieve the task.

The team uses adversarial motion priors (AMP), which are traditionally used for stylizing computer-animated characters, to incorporate human motion imitation into its reinforcement pipeline. 

Reinforcement learning does require the team to model tasks in simulation for training. To do this, TRI used a model-based planner for demonstrations instead of teleoperation. It called this process “plan-guided reinforcement learning.”

TRI claimed that using a planner makes longer-horizon tasks that are difficult to teleoperate possible. The team can also automatically generate any number of demonstrations, reducing its pipeline’s dependence on human input. This moves TRI closer to scaling up the number of tasks tha tPunyo can handle. 

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Stretch 3 from Hello Robot designed for open-source mobile manipulation https://www.therobotreport.com/stretch-3-mobile-manipulator-hello-robot-designed-open-source-development/ https://www.therobotreport.com/stretch-3-mobile-manipulator-hello-robot-designed-open-source-development/#respond Thu, 15 Feb 2024 16:14:28 +0000 https://www.therobotreport.com/?p=577891 Stretch 3 is a portable and lightweight platform for robotics developers and could lead to household applications.

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Hello Robot today launched the third edition of its Stretch mobile manipulator robot. The company described Stretch 3 as a refinement over the previous edition, which was popular as a research platform. Hello Robot said it has improved the manufacturability and the usability of the robot.

New features in Stretch 3 include a rotating 3D camera at the top of the mast, designed for perception functions and observing the environment around the robot. Another key feature is a more robust DexWrist 3 gripper, which now includes a built-in 3D camera to enable vision servoing of the gripper fingers.

The wrist is equipped with a quick-change feature that enables the gripper to be quickly swapped out for specialized end effectors or even an iPad (as seen in the video above).

view of the mobile manipulator and wrist of the Hello Robot.

Stretch 3 includes several updates, including a quick-change wrist, a wrist-mounted camera, and strengthened materials. | Credit: Hello Robot

Hello Robot serves growing open-source community

Stretch 3 empowers a growing community of developers to create a future in which friendly robots fold laundry, feed pets, support older adults, and enhance life in new ways, according to Hello Robot. If there is a “secret sauce” to the go-to market plan for Stretch, it has to be the vibrant research community that has grown to support the platform.

“With Stretch 3, we are taking a real step towards a future with home robots,” said Dr. Aaron Edsinger, co-founder and CEO of the company. “We designed Stretch 3 to help our community leverage recent advances in AI.”

Charlie Kemp, co-founder and chief technology officer of Hello Robot, was a professor at Georgia Tech University and brought the research credibility and connections that fueled the initial development of Stretch. His robotics laboratory at Georgia Tech deployed the first few versions of the robot and put it through its paces as a research platform.

Stretch 3 specs

  • Payload: 2 kg (4.4 lb.)
  • Weight: 24.5 kg (54 lbs.)
  • Size: 33 x 34 x 141 cm (13 x 13.4 x 55.5 in.)
  • Runtime: Two to five hours
  • Software development kit: ROS 2 and Python
top of mast view, including a new rotating 3D camera.

Stretch 3 includes a rotating 3D camera at the top of its mast, enabling perception of the surrounding area and AI-based motion. | Credit: Hello Robot

‘App store’ approach could extend mobile manipulation

These robots will need applications for versatile uses. Hello Robot’s open platform has attracted innovators from across the world, including Fortune 500 companies, top-tier research labs, and universities in over 14 countries. Members of its developer community regularly release open code, data, models, publications, and educational materials, accelerating progress toward a future with household robots.

Edsinger told The Robot Report that he envisions an online “app store” for Stretch where the community can share new skills that users can download and install onto the robot. Each user could then customizing the robot with the desired capabilities for their unique needs.

“Thanks to advances in AI, robots like Stretch are developing faster than expected,” said Edsinger. “A robot autonomously doing laundry was once considered a long-term ‘grand challenge’ but is now within reach.”

Stretch 3 could help with household chores

During a recent visit to Hello Robot headquarters in Martinez, Calif., I had the opportunity to observe V Nguyen, an occupational therapist at Hello Robot, as she demonstrated the Stretch 3 to a end user with disabilities. I asked the individual about how he might envision using the robot.

The most important goal of this end user is to regain some agency and independence with some of the most basic in-home tasks. They include retrieving a pair of pants from the floor or even helping to dress in the morning.

The user cited other tasks like opening and closing a deadbolt on the front door, or removing a hot dish from the microwave. Stretch offers the potential of improving the daily lives of numerous people while enabling them to maintain their independence.

In January 2023, Hello Robot earned a $2.5 million grant from the National Institute of Health to help commercialize its mobile manipulator technology.

Stretch 3 is priced at $24,950 and is available now on Hello Robot’s website for researchers, educators, developers, and enthusiasts.

hello robot stretch3.

Stretch 3 is portable, lightweight, and designed from the ground up to work around people. | Credit: Hello Robot

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KettyBot Pro will provide personalized customer service, says Pudu Robotics https://www.therobotreport.com/kettybot-pro-will-provide-personalized-customer-service-says-pudu-robotics/ https://www.therobotreport.com/kettybot-pro-will-provide-personalized-customer-service-says-pudu-robotics/#respond Wed, 31 Jan 2024 14:00:53 +0000 https://www.therobotreport.com/?p=577701 KettyBot Pro's new features include a larger screen for personalized advertising, cameras for navigation, and smart tray inspection.

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KettyBot Pro is designed for multiple functions.

KettyBot Pro is designed for multiple functions. Source: Pudu Robotics

Pudu Technology Co. today launched KettyBot Pro, the newest generation of its delivery and reception robot. The service robot is designed to address labor shortages in the retail and restaurant industries and enhance customer engagement, said the company.

“In addition to delivering food and returning items, KettyBot can attract, greet, and guide customers in dynamic environments while generating advertising revenue, reducing overhead, and enhancing the in-store experience,” stated Shenzhen, China-based Pudu.

“We hear from various businesses that it’s hard to maintain adequate service levels due to staff being overwhelmed and stretched thin,” said Felix Zhang, founder and CEO of Pudu Robotics, in a release. “Robots like KettyBot Pro lend a helping hand by collaborating with human staff, improving their lives by taking care of monotonous tasks so that they can focus on more value-added services like enhancing customer experience. And people love that you can talk to it.”


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KettyBot Pro designed to step up service

KettyBot Pro can enhance the customer experience with artificial intelligence-enabled voice interaction, said Pudu Robotics. The mobile robot also has autonomous path planning.

The company said the latest addition to its fleet of commercial service robots includes the following new features:

  • Passability upgrade: A new RGBD depth camera — with an ultra-wide angle that boosts the robot’s ability to detect and avoid objects — reduces KettyBot’s minimum clearance from 55 to 52 cm (21.6 to 20.4 in.) under ideal conditions. This allows the robot to navigate through narrow passageways and operate in busy dining rooms and stores.
  • Smart tray inspection: Pudu claimed that this functionality is “a first in the industry.” The robot uses a fisheye camera above the tray to detect the presence or absence of objects on the tray. Once a customer has picked up their meal, the vision system will automatically recognize the completion of thetask and proceed to the next one without the need for manual intervention.
  • Customization for customers: The integration with PUDU Open Platform allows users to personalize KettyBot Pro’s expressions, voice, and content for easy operation and the creation of differentiated services. In a themed restaurant, the KettyBot Pro can display expressions or play lines associated with relevant characters as it delivers meals. It can also provide personalized welcome messages and greeting services, such as birthday services in star-rated hotels.
  • Mobile advertising display: Through the PUDU Merchant Management Platform, businesses can flexibly edit personalized advertisements, marketing videos, and more. Equipped with an 18.5 in. (38.1 cm) large screen, the KettyBot Pro offers new ways to promote menu updates and market products for restaurant and retail clients.
  • New color schemes: The KettyBot is now available in “Pure Black” in addition to the white and yellow, or the yellow and black color scheme of the original model. Pudu said this variety will will better meet the aesthetic preferences of customers in different industries across global markets. For instance, high-end hotels and business venues regard Pure Black as the premium choice, it said.

Pudu Robotics builds for growth

Founded in 2016, Pudu Robotics said it has shipped nearly 70,000 units in more than 60 countries. Since its launch in 2021, global brands such as KFC, MediaMarkt, Pizza Hut, and Walmart have successfully deployed KettyBot in high-traffic environments. These companies use the robot to deliver orders, market menu items and products, and welcome guests, said Pudu.

With growing healthcare needs and advances in artificial intelligence, the U.S. service robotics market is poised to grow this year, Zhang told The Robot Report.

Pudu Robotics — which reached $100 million in revenue in 2022 — is building two new factories near Shanghai that it said will triple the company’s annual capacity and help it meet global demand.

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Nala Robotics incorporates generative AI into restaurant robot recipes https://www.therobotreport.com/nala-robotics-incorporates-generative-ai-into-restaurant-robot-recipes/ https://www.therobotreport.com/nala-robotics-incorporates-generative-ai-into-restaurant-robot-recipes/#comments Mon, 29 Jan 2024 18:52:35 +0000 https://www.therobotreport.com/?p=577664 Nala Robotics said it is looking at how AI can help robots create recipes with the ingredients at hand, reducing food waste.

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Nala Robotics provides an automated food bowl machine.

Nala provides automation for food bowls and other meals. Source: Nala Robotics

Since the public debut of generative artificial intelligence and large language models in late 2022, robotics developers have been working to take advantage of the latest AI capabilities. Nala Robotics Inc. said that ChatGPT enables its autonomous chefs to prepare almost any recipe.

Generative AI and robots can help restaurants and commercial kitchens save money, as well as address labor turnover and shortages, according to Ajay Sunkara, founder and CEO of Nala Robotics.

“I started the company six years ago, and our automation of commercial kitchens went through different phases of development during the pandemic,” Sunkara told The Robot Report. “Nala started with the intention of making food consistently, but hygiene and labor shortages changed our priorities. Then there was the emergence of generative AI.”


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Nala Robotics pivots post-pandemic

“We built our system to address the issues the industry is facing, as well as the technology innovations emerging our path today,” added Sunkara. “Nala runs one of the only robotic commercial kitchens in the U.S. in Naperville, Ill. It has been operating for more than 25 months.”

The Chicago-based company sells The Wingman robotic fryer, the Nala Chef automated kitchen, and the Spotless robot for loading and unloading dishwashers. It also provides systems that can assemble sandwiches, food bowls, and pizzas.

“We’ve pivoted in the past few years when we learned of the need for end-to-end solutions,” Sunkara noted. “Most previous innovations in food robotics can handle one task or area, but with hygiene concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry needed machines to handle everything from ingredients to delivery.”

“The second aspect or priority we had to change was the cost impact,” he added. “When inflation was low before the pandemic, robotics was a distant arena for traditional commercial restaurants. Now, any small or midsize business can afford to look at robotics because of wage growth. In California, the minimum wage is $20, which made robotics a more affordable alternative to help ease pressure on restaurant owners.”

While the majority of Nala Robotics’ customers are larger chains, adding robotics is more involved for them because of the need to customize systems to their processes. The company is working on pilots with bother larger and smaller customers, said Sunkara.

AI addresses need for kitchen skills

A new employee or a robot now requires about the same amount of time to learn a range of ingredients and how to do things such as build a sandwich and add condiments, asserted Sunkara. 

“A large chain has more throughput than a [delivery-only] cloud kitchen, but robots can help, whether it’s 20 units or less,” he said. “We’ve experimented with machine learning for a long time and have data showing significant results with our models.”

Sunkara said that a key application for AI is in building new recipes.

“For example, fusion restaurants such as our kitchen can tell ChatGPT the ingredients we have for a given day — tomatoes, pumpkins, etc.,” he said. “The AI can come back with a potential recipe. That’s an area where humans have not gone before.”

Optimizing ingredient use can help reduce food waste, said Sunkara. What’s the best mix of automation and human oversight?

“It depends on the application,” he replied. “The majority of preparation of cut vegetables and frozen food has been automated for some time now, but not everything is cost-effective for a commercial kitchen or a small restaurant to automate. We have to be strategic about where we apply automation for cost savings.”

“It’s a matter of paying a worker for eight hours versus a robot for 24 hours, but there’s the utilization rate and payback time,” Sunkara said. “We differ from our competition in our approach to maintenance, and most of our systems are built for end-to-end use.”

“For example, our frying system can not only put fries or wings in oil and take them out it can adjust the count of wings or weight, measure the temperature of the oil, sauce the wings, and clean the utensils and packaging,” he claimed. “This is where you’ll see a significant impact — you need to save a full labor hour, not a half or one-quarter hour of labor.”

Nala Robotics is one of the first food technology companies to integrate with AI for such multi-tasking, said Sunkara. It offers its systems through direct sales, rental, lease, and a robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) model. In RaaS, a customer uses Nala’s infrastructure and pays by the dish.

Automating the future of work and home tasks

Nala Robotics is also actively exploring generative AI for human-machine interaction (HMI) and for robots to self-correct and improve efficiency on their own, said Sunkara.

“There is a danger of overexuberance in AI,” he acknowledged. “The past few years have seen a lot of machine learning development, and AI is an extension of those models. But it’s more like the software industry, where the dot-com era went really fast, and the market wasn’t ready to absorb those changes.”

“With robotics, the whole industry has to work together to be accepted,” Sunkara added. “Automation helped as people got more accustomed to remote work during the pandemic, and they’re now ready for AI.”

While relatively little money is currently being invested into household robotics, Sunkara said he believes that the potential market is “huge” if they could do everyday tasks.

“First, our goal is to get into commercial environments, where it was hard to show restaurant owners the potential of robots,” said Sunkara. “Whatever experience we’re gaining can eventually be utilized in at-home tasks.”

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Pudu Robotics CEO predicts that service robot market will expand https://www.therobotreport.com/pudu-ceo-predicts-service-robot-market-to-expand/ https://www.therobotreport.com/pudu-ceo-predicts-service-robot-market-to-expand/#respond Sat, 27 Jan 2024 13:00:33 +0000 https://www.therobotreport.com/?p=577638 Pudu Robotics, a leading service robot exporter in China, says that demand and applications are likely to expand globally.

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Parkhotel employees in Eisenstadt, Austria, celebrate the arrival of Pudu's service robots.

Parkhotel employees in Eisenstadt, Austria, celebrate the arrival of service robots. Source: Pudu Robotics

Commercial service robots are more common in East Asia than elsewhere, but the rest of the world could catch up in 2024, according to Pudu Technology Co. The Shenzhen, China-based company claimed that it is China’s top exporter of such robots.

“If 2023 was the year of GenAI, I believe 2024 will be the year of the robot,” stated Felix Zhang, founder and CEO of Pudu Robotics. “While humanoid robots and food-making robots grabbed headlines in 2023, the untold story is that it’s the humble service robot — robots that skillfully deliver items and clean floors, often in high-traffic areas — that are actually ready to scale in 2024.”

Last year, Pudu Robotics said it deployed robots across 600 cities in 60 countries. The company also partnered with SoftBank and Nippon Otis Elevators, opened its autonomous mobile robot (AMR) management platform to developers, and won Red Dot and iF Design awards. In addition, it raised more than $15 million in Series C3 funding.

Zhang discussed Pudu’s current offerings and his outlook for this year with The Robot Report:

Service robots to take on more healthcare roles

You have predicted more robots in hospitals and senior living facilities. Does Pudu offer robotics specifically for elder care?

Zhang: Pudu Robotics offers several robots that are deployed in senior living facilities to assist facility staff and residents in their day-to-day tasks and improve the emotional well-being of the elderly. The robots include the BellaBot and KettyBot, two models of delivery robots that can serve food or medicine, assist with returning items, and in some cases even interact with residents.

In addition, although it’s not designed to interact with residents, the PUDU CC1 cleaning robot can help keep senior living facilities tidy, as it is designed to scrub, sweep, vacuum and mop in care homes and other commercial settings. These capabilities automate menial tasks for overwhelmed workers and set the standard for hygiene in autonomous cleaning.

For example, a chain elderly care institution in Hong Kong, which operates 12 nursing homes with 1,600 beds, has adopted CC1 for cleaning the internal environment, reducing the workload of the staff.

PUDU’s robots are especially timely, as more than 1 in 6 Americans are now 65 years or older, and life expectancy continues to grow, thanks to medical advancements. Our aging population is contributing to a major healthcare staffing crisis.

The next 12 months will see the increased adoption of robots in healthcare, as short-staffed senior-living facilities employ the technology to complete tasks. They can monitor daily routines, provide reminders for medication schedules, detect changes in body temperature, and warn medical professionals and families of any abnormalities. 

Robots can also provide emotional support for the elderly and robot-assisted living will become a crucial asset for the growing elderly population. Loneliness is a common problem for many older people, robots provide company and can engage in activities such as communication, storytelling, and playing music.

The traditional way of caring for the elderly often falls short of meeting all of their needs, and robots are able to fill the gaps.

Pudu addresses global markets, economic headwinds

How is the U.S. market for service robots growing in comparison with other regions?

Zhang: The global market for service robots is soaring, and the U.S. is beginning to catch up with its peers in Asia. According to the International Federation of Robotics [IFR], a non-profit industry association, sales of robots used in the service industry grew by 37% worldwide in 2022.

In 2024, the U.S. market is expected to generate the most revenue in the service robot industry, but regions like Japan are leading the way in development and adoption of the technology. In many developing countries, the service industry is hobbled by ever-mounting challenges in hiring workers.

In response, Pudu Robotics has engaged in a massive expansion beyond the borders of its home market since 2020, achieving rapid growth in shipments. Pudu leads the global market as China’s No. 1 service robot exporter, and cumulative global shipments are over 70,000 units. 

In the U.S., employers facing staff shortages have turned to commercial service robots to provide relief for their remaining workers. Quick-service restaurants [QSRs], for example, expect 51% of tasks to be automated by 2025, while full-service restaurants expect to automate 27% of tasks. Service robots are automating menial tasks, improving overall efficiency, and preventing burnout among their human colleagues. 

While the challenge of labor shortages is universal, how will robotics adoption overcome current economic headwinds?

Zhang: Currently, there are 4 million more open jobs than there are available workers in the U.S. to fill them. As society’s tolerance and acceptance of new technology grows, robots will plug this hole.

U.S. restaurants are a prime example. Owners face a “perfect storm” of an aging population, soaring child-care costs that shrink the pool of available workers, and a pandemic that pointed many workers towards more stable careers.

While economic headwinds may cause some delay, the world is still turning towards an increasingly automated future. Robots are the long-term solution for massive problems facing several industries.

Integration and AI to make robots more useful

From hospitality to healthcare and retail, which areas have the most demand? How much integration will be necessary?

Zhang: We’re seeing an increase in demand for service robots most from the restaurant industry, followed by hospitality, healthcare, and retail by order of demand increase. To meet that global demand, Pudu Robotics is building two new factories near Shanghai that will triple the company’s annual capacity.

Businesses across all four categories are finding it hard to maintain adequate service levels due to staffs being stretched thin. Integration will happen across these industries, as they all are dealing with the effects of the labor shortage. Business will still need human workers, but robots can supplement and improve efficiencies. 

While large language models (LLMs) are improving human-machine interactions, how will they be instantiated in robots rather than on tablets and phones?

Zhang: Large language models can effectively enhance human-robot interaction, particularly in semantic understanding. Take, for instance, a robot serving as a shopping guide in a supermarket.

Previously, to find a specific brand of electric toothbrushes, customers needed to navigate through “personal care,” then “toothbrushes,” followed by “electric toothbrushes,” and finally the brand. With significant improvements in voice recognition and semantic understanding, it’s now possible to locate the item directly through a single command. 

LLMs are highly beneficial for advancing end-to-end algorithms in modules such as positioning, navigation, and perception, significantly enhancing the efficiency of their evolution to achieve global optimization. Robots and LLM integration is already under way, but manufacturers need to ensure that the generated content aligns with human values and safety standards, while also ensuring that robots can reliably and responsibly interact with the real world.

In 2024, these models will be used effectively in robots — as well as tablets and phones — as robots with AI voice interactions and eye-catching displays make use of the advancing technology.


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Intuition Robotics brings generative AI capabilities to ElliQ 3 https://www.therobotreport.com/intuition-robotics-brings-generative-ai-capabilities-to-elliq-3/ https://www.therobotreport.com/intuition-robotics-brings-generative-ai-capabilities-to-elliq-3/#respond Tue, 23 Jan 2024 20:11:26 +0000 https://www.therobotreport.com/?p=577564 ElliQ 3's hardware improvements pave the way for its software upgrades, which center around integrating generative AI capabilities.

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The latest version of Intuition Robotics ElliQ robot.

According to data from New York State, Intuition Robotics’ ElliQ has resulted in a 95% reduction in loneliness amongst users. | Source: Intuition Robotics

Intuition Robotics Ltd. has unveiled the latest edition of its AI companion for older adults, ElliQ 3. The Palo Alto, Calif.-based company said that the social robot has been proven to benefit seniors’ health, social connectedness, and independence.

The latest version of ElliQ is integrated with generative AI to bring the technology into seniors’ everyday lives, said Intuition Robotics. The company added that its $25 million in funding from August 2023 enabled its software and hardware updates.

Intuition Robotics said ElliQ’s new capabilities will help expand the availability and accessibility of the robot. They are intended to help the robot further enhance the independence and wellness of older adults and decrease feelings of loneliness. 

“It’s astounding to see that the first people to live with and build long-term relationships with an AI are individuals in their 80s and 90s,” said Dor Skuler, co-founder and CEO of Intuition Robotics, in a release.

“Through this relationship, ElliQ is proving to be highly effective in reducing older adults’ sense of loneliness, improving health and independence, and increasing social connectedness,” he added. “The launch of ElliQ 3.0 allows us to reach more older adults and expand partnerships with government services for the aging and the healthcare ecosystem while offering valuable insights and context.”


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Hardware upgrades prepare ElliQ 3 for scale

Intuition Robotics said it geared many of ElliQ 3’s hardware upgrades toward scaling quickly. The company plans to increase its manufacturing processes to meet the growing demand for its robot. Intuition Robotics collaborated on ElliQ 3’s updated design with Yves Behar’s design studio, Fuseproject.

The newest version of ElliQ is 1.3 lb. (0.58 kg) lighter than older versions and has a 36% smaller footprint. A lighter robot means that older adults will have an easier time handling it. 

ElliQ 3 comes about a year after ElliQ 2.0. Some of ElliQ 3’s other hardware upgrades include:

  • An upgraded system architecture that leverages an octa-core system on chip (SoC) and a built-in, dual-core AI processing unit (APU), both powered by MediaTek 
  • 33% more RAM
  • Twice the amount of computing power and memory
  • A fully integrated screen, which can improve customer experience and system resilience

“By bringing our products and cutting-edge AI technology to ElliQ, we’re helping people in their 70s, 80s, and 90s experience the benefits of the latest innovations in computing,” stated Adam King, vice president and general manager of the Client Computing Business at MediaTek. “Our advanced processing and connectivity makes it easier for those using ElliQ to experience a more in-depth level of companionship.”

Steve, an ElliQ user, playing a game with ElliQ.

ElliQ 3 includes an integrated screen, making it more durable and easier to use. | Source: Intuition Robotics

ElliQ 3 brings generative AI to aging populations

ElliQ 3’s hardware improvements pave the way for its software upgrades, which center around integrating generative AI capabilities. Large language models (LLMs) drive these new capabilities, which Intuition Robotics claimed can extend and enrich ElliQ’s conversations with older adults. 

Generative AI provides context for many conversations, allowing ElliQ 3 users to discuss a large number of topics more naturally, said Intuition. It has also integrated LLM technology with its Relationship Orchestration Engine. 

The Relationship Orchestration Engine makes real-time decisions regarding actions, scripted conversations, and, now, generative AI conversations. With LLM technology integrated, ElliQ can now fuse both content and memory, according to Intuition Robotics.

ElliQ 3 understands, classifies, and remembers information from scripted and open-ended conversations, explained the company. It also takes in non-spoken actions and choices through other modalities. This allows the robot to refer to this information in future conversations. 

Any relevant information ElliQ gathers is maintained in a user profile, so the robot can follow up on new conversations, suggestions, and activities. ElliQ can use these capabilities to strengthen its relationship with the user or to promote social connectedness, Intuition Robotics said. 

Generative AI also helps ElliQ 3 to do more activities with its users, said the company. The robot can paint or write poems with a user, which can contributes to the user’s cognitive wellness and creativity, it said. ElliQ 3 also features synchronized events, starting with Bingo, in which customers can participate in real time with others. 

“Today’s older adults are harnessing the power of AI to transform their lives and embrace new technologies that bring companionship, knowledge, and connection into their daily routines,” said Rick Robinson, vice president and general manager of AgeTech Collaborative from AARP. “As we continue to combat the epidemic of loneliness among seniors, solutions like ElliQ play a vital role, offering not just innovation, but also a lifeline to a brighter, more connected future where our aging population can enjoy the full spectrum of opportunities that the Digital Age has to offer.” 

To ensure safety, Intuition Robotics said it has developed and deployed “guardrail” mechanisms that automatically monitor and mediate conversations in real time. This helps the robot to better control the flow of conversation, decide when a context switch is appropriate, and avoid AI “hallucinations” or inappropriate responses. 

Maintaining the things users already love about ElliQ

While ElliQ 3 comes with a host of new capabilities, Intuition Robotics said the newest version still maintains ElliQ’s personality. Through a combination of training, prompting, and scripting by ElliQ’s Character Design Team, the robot maintains its characteristic “empathy, curiosity, and humor,” it said. 

Intuition Robotics asserted that this pre-built personality enables users “to benefit from the infinite possibilities of AI,” while the company can still create a safe space for a vulnerable population. 

The company says that ElliQ is available to hundreds of thousands of older adults as a fully subsidized service. It’s available through government agencies, non-profit organizations, Medicaid Managed Care Organization providers, and healthcare payers. 

Some of its partners include the New York State Office for the Aging, Inclusa (a Humana company), and the Area Agency on Aging of Broward County. It also includes new partners such as the Olympic Area Agency on Aging, Ypsilanti Meals on Wheels, and more. 

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Asensus places first Senhance surgical robot for pediatrics in Japan https://www.therobotreport.com/asensus-places-first-pediatric-surgical-robot-japan/ https://www.therobotreport.com/asensus-places-first-pediatric-surgical-robot-japan/#respond Tue, 16 Jan 2024 21:36:56 +0000 https://www.therobotreport.com/?p=577494 Asensus Surgical announced the fourth hospital in Japan to adopt its Senhance system dedicated to pediatric procedures.

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Asensus has developed Senhance for laparoscopic procedures.

Senhance is designed to keep time and cost per procedure down. Source: Asensus Surgical

Asensus Surgical Inc. today announced that Nagoya University Hospital in Japan agreed last month to lease its Senhance surgical robot. This is the first pediatric installation in Japan and the fourth globally for Senhance in 2023, said the company.

“The Senhance System is specifically equipped to meet the demands of pediatric surgery, and we are excited to work with Nagoya University Hospital,” said Anthony Fernando, president and CEO of Asensus Surgical, in a release.

“With its specialized instrumentation and advanced clinical intelligence, the system offers a unique advantage for pediatric patients, reducing invasiveness and increasing precision in a way that sets it apart,” he said. “Our experience in Europe and the U.S. has shown success in various pediatric procedures, and we’re eager to extend these benefits in Japan.”

Asensus develops Senhance, LUNA to improve outcomes

Asensus Surgical claimed that its combination of machine vision, augmented intelligence, and deep-learning capabilities could improve healthcare outcomes. The company designed Senhance for use in general laparoscopic and laparoscopic gynecological procedures.

It won clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017. Since then, Asensus has secured expanded indications, deals with Google and Nvidia, and hospital placements around the world.

Asensus designs surgical robots to operate on children.

Nagoya University Hospital, Japan, initiated a Senhance Surgical System dedicated to pediatric procedures. Source: Asensus Surgical

Senhance became the first digital laparoscopic surgery system for children when the FDA cleared its pediatric indication in March, according to Asensus.

While the system encountered a recall because of “unintended movement,” Senhance is currently available in the U.S., EU, Japan, Russia, and other countries.

Asensus added that it has built on digital laparoscopy and the Senhance Surgical System to develop LUNA, a next-generation robot whose Intelligent Surgical Unit is designed to increase surgeon control and reduce surgical variability. It recently conducted an in vivo lab evaluation of LUNA.

Fourth deployment in Japan aimed at children

The Nagoya University Hospital deployment marked the continued expansion for Asensus in Japan. Over the past year or so, company has placed Senhance systems at Kashiwa and Kitakyushu General Hospital. In addition, Saiseikai Shiga Hospital in Ritto, Japan, agreed to lease a surgical robot.

“The Senhance System provides a valuable solution for pediatric surgery,” stated Dr. Hiroo Uchida of the Department of Pediatric Surgery at Nagoya University Hospital. “Designed with smaller patients in mind, the reusable 3 mm [0.11 in.] instruments offer a distinct advantage.”

“Having our experience in laparoscopic surgery, we find the system very adaptable, such as instinctive camera control and haptic feedback with crucial safety features,” he said. “In addition, we believe the system offers economic value. This represents a significant step forward aligning with our goal of providing the best care for our young patients.”

Editor’s note: This article first appeared on MassDevice, a sibling site to The Robot Report.

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