Interesting things about robotics - Issue #1

The electric vehicle market's biggest hurdles today are improving and cost reducing battery technology. A new fabrication technique could allow solid-state automotive lithium-ion batteries to adopt nonflammable ceramic electrolytes using the same production processes as in batteries made with conventional liquid electrolytes. These conventional Li-ion manufacturing tools are driving better fabrication options to enable battery makers to produce lighter, safer, and more energy-dense batteries.

A large majority of patients interacting with a health care provider via a video screen mounted on a robot said it was similar to an in-person interaction with a health care worker.

March 15 - 11am - Govt Funding for Startups

March 17 - 7pm - Online Robotics Job Fair

March 23 - 6pm - Society, Robots and Us - Prosthetics, Powered Clothing and Exoskeletons

March TBC - CTO Network, Agricultural Robotics Roundtable

Researchers developed an insect-size drone with soft actuators -- akin to muscles -- that are agile and resilient to collisions. The advance could boost aerial robots' repertoire, allowing them to operate in cramped spaces and withstand collisions.

Research is all about being the first, but commercialization is all about repeatability, not just many times but every single time. This was one of the key takeaways from the Transitioning Research From Academia to Industry panel during the National Robotics Initiative Foundational Research in Robotics PI Meeting on March 10 2021. I had the […]

A new report from the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence urges the federal government to dramatically scale up its spending on artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies to tens of billions of dollars annually.

Silicon Valley Robotics is pleased to announce that we are a Connector organization for the E-ROBOT Prize, and other DOE competitions on the American-Made Network. There is $2 million USD available in up to ten prizes for Phase One of the E-ROBOT Prize, and $10 million USD available in Phase Two. Individuals or teams can […]

MIT researchers find that people are becoming fine with seeing the doctor via robot.

CMTA's flagship legislation has arrived. Our ultimate Manufacturing "Maker" bill, AB 904 by Assemblymember Tim Grayson, seeks a more competitive environment by requiring a manufacturing exemption from California's existing $5 million equipment and R&D tax credit cap.

Investors see opportunities in mobility-as-a-service ventures and fleet management, continued demand for delivery and the push for electrification and batteries. They even see tailwinds for eVTOLs.

SPACs have been good news for investors but not so for Velodyne, or David Hall who owns 54.7% of the company's shares but has been 'forced' to leave the Board.

Plus, an autonomous truck startup splitting its operations between the U.S., China and Europe, has entered into a partnership with Nvidia to develop its new self-driving system.

Silicon Valley-based Toyota AI Ventures fund, with $200 million under management, has so far invested in 36 early-stage startups, including self-driving car software firm Nauto, factory video analytics company Drishti and air mobility firm Joby Aviation.

Acorn is a precision farming rover, developed in house by Twisted Fields in San Gregorio near Silicon Valley, to aid in farming automation research. Acorn is solar powered, lightweight, and completely open source 

Neuralink claims to have developed a surgical robot capable of inserting an array of up 1,000 electrodes into a person's brain with pin-point accuracy.

Insect sentience provides some ideas for roboticists.

Good reading this week is S. B. Divya's Machinehood

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