The Women in Robotics Breakfast will provide female engineers and roboticists an opportunity to connect with others in the industry.
Black History Month: Highlighting the value of diversity in the robotics industry
Despite being a quickly growing community, the robotics industry still has a diversity problem, particularly when it comes to race.
Kate Darling on the future of robotics and AI ethics
Dr Kate Darling discusses her new role leading AI and Robotics Ethics at the AI Institute.
AI Institute hires Kate Darling to lead ethics research
Dr. Kate Darling joins the Institute to lead new research team focused on ethics and societal impact of robotics and AI.
Ghost Robotics responds to Boston Dynamics lawsuit
Ghost Robotics said “Boston Dynamics is drawing on their considerably larger resources to litigate instead of innovate.”
Boston Dynamics suing Ghost Robotics over quadruped design
Boston Dynamics claims Ghost Robotics infringed on seven patents related to Boston Dynamics’ Spot quadruped robot.
Open letter pledges not to weaponize robots
Agility Robotics, ANYbotics, Boston Dynamics, Clearpath Robotics, Open Robotics and Unitree pledged not to support the weaponization of their products and are calling for others in the industry to do the same.
iRobot addresses privacy concerns amid pending Amazon deal
iRobot co-founder and CEO Colin Angle said iRobot’s stance on data privacy will not change when the acquisition by Amazon is finalized.
Why I’m saying no to ‘necrobotics’
Florian Pestoni says “necrobotics” is where ethics and technology must meet. Just because it can be done, it doesn’t mean we should.
Sex, Race, and Robots author Ayanna Howard discusses how to identify, fight bias
Ayanna Howard, the first female dean of Ohio State University’s College of Engineering, discusses her new book on Sex, Race, and Robotics.
Picking With Purpose uses Berkshire Grey robots to help feed families in need
As Thanksgiving approaches, Berkshire Grey has partnered with City Harvest and the Greater Boston Food Bank for the Picking With Purpose initiative, which uses robots to pack meals in the fight against hunger.
Inside Canada’s robotics ecosystem, world’s spookiest robots, Miso’s restaurant robots
In Episode 22 of The Robot Report Podcast, we learn about Invest Ottawa’s and Canada’s initiatives around drones, robots, and autonomous vehicles at Area X.O, as well as Miso Robotics’ expansion with White Castle, not to mention Halloween scares.
Cybersecurity shouldn’t be overlooked during COVID-19 response, says IEEE expert
Karen Panetta, a Tufts University Professor and IEEE Fellow, discusses why developers of robots, drones, AI, and autonomous vehicles need to remember cybersecurity for adoption past the novel coronavirus crisis.
Privacy guidelines can help mechatronics innovators
Developers of robots, drones, and intelligent systems should welcome data privacy regulations, writes entrepreneur and columnist Oliver Mitchell, because they will help confidence and adoption.
‘Look Who’s Driving’ to examine self-driving car technologies, safety concerns
While autonomous vehicles promise to improve safety and reduce traffic, concerns remain about safety, according to a new NOVA special.
U.S. Robotics Roadmap calls for white papers for revision
The U.S. Robotics Roadmap is a guide to where robotics is going for government and industry. The team behind it is seeking community participation for the next revision.
Drone deliveries, AI bias demand that ethics keep pace with technology
Are drones, AI, and robots developing faster than our ability to apply ethics? Recent discussions around AI ethics and drone deliveries versus private airspace demonstrate the need to think about ethics and technology.
Sex robots: Facts, hype, and legal and ethical considerations
The world’s first robot brothel is in Barcelona; a sex doll maker is taking pre-orders for animatronic heads attached to sex-providing bodies; one maker is offering a resistant persona which ethicists are equating to rape mode. Lots of headlines and titillating photos. What is really going on? It’s true that sex robots will someday happen,…
Notes and pics from Xponential in Dallas, Innorobo in Paris and ICRA in Singapore
Conferences and trade shows, held in interesting locations around the world, can be entertaining, informative and an opportunity to explore new places, meet new people and renew acquaintances. Three recent examples: Xponential, the mostly defense-related unmanned land, sea and air show, held in Dallas; Innorobo, focused on service robotics, in Paris; and ICRA, the IEEE's premier robotics…
Robot Hero: How Robots Are Assisting in Emergencies
The world of mechatronics has an unlikely hero. A bomb disposal robot became the delivery system for 1 pound of C4 explosive which killed the sniper in Dallas that shot 12 police officers. Strange as it seems, the bomb disposal robot became a bomb delivery system. Is it a form of Improvised Explosive Device, as […]
“Anyone who focuses on technology hasn’t grasped how autonomous driving will change our society”
The way that consumers interact with cars as well as the way that they operate cars will transform most functions in commuting, travel, communications, car ownership and many other as-yet unknown ways. Dieter Zetsche, chairman of Daimler and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, said at this year's CES in Las Vegas: “Anyone who focuses solely on the…
2014 robotics in a word: MORE
The list of top stories in robotics for 2014 is a story of “MORE”: MORE uses of and for robots; MORE serious discussions about robots; MORE robots in unusual places; MORE news in the financial press; MORE funding, acquisitions and IPOs; and MORE choices. 2014 was the year when spectacular online sales drove companies like…