1x, Stretch 3, Hippo Harvest, Jacobi Robotics, OpenAI and Earthgrid
Plus how 'death of a chatbot' can impact robotics companies, and retail robotics seems to be crossing the chasm
Let’s get over the schadenfreude or secret glee in watching AI ‘agents’ making stupid mistakes. Gary Marcus just picked up on the fundamentals based on the ArsTechnica report of the judgement rendered on Friday 2/16/24 holding Air Canada liable for promised made by its customer service chatbot.
Any AI being used in robotics risks triggering the same consumer mistrust and potential litigation. An entire cult of lawyers desperate to protect their jobs from AI will undoubtedly start AI ambulance chasing.
Of course OpenAI has just closed another deal that values the company at $80 billion or more, nearly tripling its valuation and making it one of the world’s most valuable tech ‘startups’.
Did you just switch to a paid subscription? Thank you! It makes you an angel investor in the work I do at Silicon Valley Robotics as a startup advisor, and accelerator.
If you are a robotics company, February is a great time to join Silicon Valley Robotics and our startup accelerator program.
Hello Stretch 3:
Powered by advances in AI, the latest Stretch robot by Hello Robot is charting its own path into the home.
Martinez, CA Wednesday, February 14, 2024 – Today, Hello Robot announced Stretch 3, the third version of their popular open mobile manipulator that heralds a future where versatile robots are in millions of homes. 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. “With Stretch 3, we are taking a real step towards a future with home robots,” says Dr. Aaron Edsinger, Hello Robot cofounder & CEO. “We designed Stretch 3 to help our community leverage recent advances in AI.”
Stretch 3 is priced at $24,950 and is available now on Hello Robot’s website for researchers,
educators, developers, and enthusiasts.
You can also read more about Stretch 3 at Silicon Valley Robotics org
Robotics News:
Private Odysseus moon lander beams home 1st photos from space - Space.com
1X’s Eve humanoids make impressive progress in autonomous work (decent article aside from calling 1X ‘OpenAI’ in the title) - New Atlas
Singularities are a pain in the neck for robot arms - Jacobi Robotics is trying to solve them (another Ken Goldberg co-founded company!) - TechCrunch
Hippo Harvest announces $21 million Series B funding led by Standard Investments - Produce Grower
Guess whose robots Hippo Harvest is using??? First correct comment wins a tbd!
How many robots can you see in this image? Disney sees two - Interesting Engineering
Surgical robot company Microbot Medical applis for FDA approval - IOT World Today
Video shows surgeons remotely controlling robot to perform simulated surgery in space - CNN
Watch how ‘Ringbot’, monocycle robot, rolls, balances with 2 tiny legs - Interesting Engineering
Reliable Robotics continues momentum towards certification of its autonomous flight system - Business Wire
The $55 Billion Future of Retail Robotics - Retail Info Systems
Now working at a retailer near you: Robots - Forbes
Staples implements AI-powered picking robots for fulfillment - Retail Info Systems
The rise of robo-retail: Who gets left behind when retail is automated? (the blind, the poor and the disabled etc) - The Conversation
New robot guide dog shows not only human jobs are threatened by AI - TNW
Startup emerges from stealth with $25 million for robots that lay bricks as fast as humans - and fill the huge shortage of laborers - Fortune
Renovate Robotics has unveiled Rufus, the world’s first automated roofing robot - HBSDealer
Earthgrid’s plasma-boring robots are making tunnels into the huge infrastructure market - recognized as one of SF Business Times 2024 startups to watch
Boston Dynamics founder Marc Raibert shares his vision for the future - Interesting Engineering
IFR reports the top five trends of 2024 robotics - Manufacturer’s Monthly
AMOLF Soft Robotic Matter Group have developed a method allowing soft fluidic robots to measure environmental interaction without integrating built-in sensors - Nature and TechXplore
These 32 robotics companies are hiring - Brian Heater at TechCrunch
Interesting Robotics:
As the Ukrainians fling 50,000 drones a month, the Russians can’t get their drone jammers to work - Forbes
Cult of the drone: At the two-year mark, UAVs have changed the face of war in Ukraine - but not outcomes - The Conversation
I, Killer Robot: the ethics of autonomous weapons systems governance - The Strategist
Robotics Events:
6 March - Bots&Beer - looking for venue in Peninsula or SF
5-6 April - SF Symphony: Press Play Carol Reiley and the Robots - Soundbox SF
6 April - Robot Block Party - exciting new location (more news soon!)
18-21 April 2024 - RoboGames - TBC
21 April 2024 - Robots on Ice - Yerba Buena Skating Rink SF
Some upcoming academic robotics conferences
TAHRI 2024 Boulder CO 9 Mar - 10 Mar (Technology Advances for HRI)
HRI 2024 Boulder CO 11 Mar - 14 Mar
Haptics 2024 Long Beach CA 7 Apr - 10 Apr
Robosoft 2024 San Diego CA 14 Apr - 17 Apr
ICRA 2024 Yokohama Japan 13 May - 17 May 2024
ARSO 2024 Hong Kong, China 20 May - 22 May 2024
AIM 2024 Boston MA 14 July - 18 July
CASE 2024 Puglia Italy 28 Aug - 1 Sep 2024
IROS 2024 AbuDhabi 14 Oct - 18 Oct 2024
Humanoids 2024 Nancy FR 26 Nov - 28 Nov
ICRA 2025 Atlanta Georgia 17 May - 23 May 2025