Mobile robot safety must involve suppliers, integrators, and end users for compliance with the latest international standards, writes MiR’s Ed Mullen.

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.

The ITU is launching a focus group to work on a ‘Turing test for automobiles,” developing international standards for the safety and accountability of the AI driving autonomous vehicles.

SPRINT Robotics is a Dutch organization working to share information and develop standards for robotics used for infrastructure inspection and maintenance.

UPS Flight Forward is the first company to receive FAA Part 135 Standard certification for widespread commercial drone deliveries.

Intuitive Surgical won another indication from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its da Vinci SP robot-assisted surgery device. The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company said the FDA added single-port radical tonsillectomy and tongue base resection procedures to the mix. Initially cleared in April 2014 for urological procedures, in June 2018 the federal safety watchdog added a clearance…

The Robotics Summit & Expo, produced by The Robot Report and WTWH Media, today announced the full conference agenda for the June 5-6 event at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston. The second annual international event will focus on the design, development, and manufacture of commercial-class robots. Engineers, academics, and integrators will be able to…

Sitting in New York City, looking up at the clear June skies, I wonder if I am staring at an endangered phenomena. According to many in the unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) industry, skylines across the country soon will be filled with flying cars, quadcopter deliveries, emergency drones, and other robo-flyers. Moving one step closer to…

Corindus Vascular Robotics has won clearance from Japan’s Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Agency for its CorPath GRX robotic surgical device. The CorPath GRX vascular robotics platform is designed to assist cardiologists in performing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) procedures, including angioplasty and stent placement. Japan is one of the largest markets in the world for PCIs, according to…

TransEnterix has won expanded indications from the Food and Drug Administration for its Senhance robot-assisted surgical system. The system is now cleared for hernia and gallbladder procedures. There are approximately 760,000 inguinal hernia and 1.2 million laparoscopic cholecystectomy procedures performed annually in the U.S. With this clearance, the system’s total addressable annual procedures in the…

I was dumbfounded by the XPONENTIAL 2018 keynote speech by Professor Zeynep Tufekci of the University of North Carolina. To paraphrase, ‘In the future, we will no longer need two pilots, planes will have just one captain and a dog. The dog will be there to bite the human in case he touches anything.’ Walking the…

It was the last question of the night, and it hushed the entire room. An entrepreneur expressed his aggravation about the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) antiquated regulatory environment for AI-enabled devices to Dr. Joel Stein of Columbia University. Stein, a leader in rehabilitative robotic medicine, sympathized with the startup, knowing that tomorrow’s exoskeletons…

Corindus Vascular Robotics has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the first automated robotic movement designed for its CorPath GRX platform. Called “Rotate on Retract” (RoR), the proprietary software feature is the first automated robotic movement in the technIQ Series for the CorPath GRX platform. It allows the operator…

Honda (NYSE:HMC) said yesterday it won CE Mark approval in the European Union for its Honda Walking Assist Device designed for walking rehabilitation. The walking assist device uses cooperative control technology, based on Honda’s cumulative study of human walking, the Japanese company said.   Read the whole story on our sister site, MassDevice.com

Procept BioRobotics said today that it won de novo clearance from the FDA for its Aquabeam device for treating benign prostate hyperplasia, saying it plans to have the device on the U.S. market early next year. Redwood Shores, Calif.-based Procept said the federal safety watchdog used the 181-patient Water study to inform its decision. The trial, comparing Aquablation…

Orthopedic robotic surgical platform developer Think Surgical said today it won expanded CE Mark approval in the European Union for its TSolution One surgical system, now cleared for use in total knee arthroplasty procedures. The TSolution One system is designed to aid in creating personalized pre-surgical joint replacement plans using CT-based 3D planning and open…

The drone industry got a big boost from federal officials yesterday with a White House order to establish a three-year pilot program to test drones in partnership with state and local governments in specific jurisdictions. The Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program was announced with President Trump directing U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao to…

Massachusetts-based iRobot (NSDQ:IRBT) today reported a 34% surge in third-quarter revenue and easily beat analysts’ consensus earnings projections. The company posted third-quarter profits of $22 million, or 76¢ per share, on revenues of $205.3 million for the three months ended Sept. 30, for a bottom-line gain of 13.21% on sales growth of 21.8% compared with Q3…

Renishaw, a British engineering company, received approval by federal officials to sell the latest version of its neurosurgery planning software in the U.S. The FDA granted 510(k) clearance for Renishaw’s neuroinspire software that blends MRI and CT datasets into a 3D volume, enabling neurosurgeons to identify and outline regions of interest. The approach is designed…

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health said this week it is launching the Center for Occupational Robotics Research. The newly founded center aims to explore the potential benefits and risks of robotic workers and develop appropriate guidance for safe interactions between humans and robots. “Robots working collaboratively with humans present a new workplace…

Share prices for TransEnterix (NYSE:TRXC) have more than doubled since the robot-assisted surgery company won an important clearance from the FDA last week and CEO Todd Pope is optimistic about his companies chances against the undisputed market leader, Intuitive Surgical (NSDQ:ISRG). Morrisville, N.C.-based TransEnterix, which acquired Senhance for $100 million in September 2015, finalized its clearance bid last…

TransEnterix (NYSE:TRXC) said last week that it won 510(k) clearance from the FDA for its Senhance robot-assisted surgery platform. TransEnterix, which acquired Senhance for $100 million in September 2015, finalized its clearance bid last month after applying in April.  “The clearance of the Senhance system in the U.S. is a milestone in the progress of robotics and is…