In Episode 183 of The Robotic Report Podcast, co-host Mike Oitzman interviews Chris Painter, the Director of Technical Product Administration at CNH Industrial. On this dialog, Mike and Chris in regards to the developments in precision agriculture, the important function of connectivity, and the challenges confronted by farmers in rural areas.
They talk about the significance of real-time information for operational effectivity, the way forward for autonomy in farming, and the impression of AI on agricultural expertise. Chris emphasizes the necessity for steady connectivity to assist autonomous autos and the continued challenges of labor within the agricultural sector.
Present timeline
- 10:00 – Information of the week
- 28:08 – Interview with Chris Painter, the Director of Technical Product Administration at CNH Industrial
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Information of the week
Apple laboratories create an animated lamp
Apple researchers: Yuhan Hu, Peide Huang, Mouli Sivapurapu, and Jian Zhang revealed their work on a mission referred to as: ELEGNT: Expressive and Useful Motion Design for Non-Anthropomorphic Robotic on the Apple Machine Studying weblog put up.
The analysis explores how an on a regular basis object would possibly work together with expressive actions in response to a human interplay. The researchers introduced an articulating mild fixture to life in motions which can be harking back to Luxo Jr, the affable Pixar mascot.
Watch the video to see the output of the mission.
Teradyne Robotics group lays off 10% of world employees
Teradyne Inc.’s robotics group, which incorporates Common Robots A/S (UR) and Cellular Industrial Robots ApS (MiR), laid off 10% of its world workforce this week. Whereas the precise variety of affected workers is unclear, Teradyne Robotics’ web site states they’ve over 1,400 workers worldwide. This discount features a 6% layoff in Denmark, the headquarters for each UR and MiR. Group president Ujjwal Kumar reported that UR noticed a 3% year-over-year decline, whereas MiR skilled a 1% year-over-year progress. Teradyne reported complete robotics income of $365 million for 2024, with $293 million attributed to UR and $72 million to MiR, in comparison with $375 million in 2023. Kumar attributed the downturn to an unprecedented pullback in core low-mix, high-volume manufacturing. This aligns with FANUC’s current report of a 16% drop in robotics for 2024. Teradyne additionally introduced a restructuring of its gross sales, advertising and marketing, and providers. 2025 is an important yr for UR, as they just lately opened their first abroad manufacturing middle in China, the world’s main robotics marketplace for over a decade, the place they’re promoting two cobots completely.
Giraffe from Brightpick extends autonomous cell choosing in warehouses
Brightpick, the 2024 RBR50 software of the yr for its Autopicker cell manipulators, has (actually) expanded its product line with the introduction of Brightpick Giraffe. This new robotic boasts a vertical attain of as much as 20 toes (6 meters), tripling warehouse storage density in comparison with handbook operations and doubling it in comparison with the unique Autopicker. The Brightpick Giraffe encompasses a telescopic carry that retracts to eight.5 toes (2.6 meters) for transport, easing deployment points. Sharing the identical 31.4-inch (80 cm) width footprint because the Autopicker, the Giraffe makes use of a brand new withdrawer mechanism to retrieve storage totes from upper-level cabinets and convey them to decrease ranges, the place the Autopicker can then entry them for selecting at heights as much as 11 toes (3.4 meters).
Cruise cuts almost half of the employees as GM focuses on shopper AVs
Cruise LLC has confirmed to The Robotic Report that it’s conducting one other spherical of layoffs, impacting almost half its workforce, which might imply over 1,000 workers. These layoffs seemingly come as no shock, as Cruise’s dad or mum firm, Basic Motors Co., introduced in December that it will stop funding the startup’s robotaxi deployment. As a substitute, GM is consolidating the Cruise and GM technical groups right into a unified effort centered on Tremendous Cruise, GM’s hands-free driver help system, signaling a shift in focus in the direction of private autonomous autos fairly than robotaxis.
- Cruise’s most up-to-date layoffs prolong to the CEO and a number of other different high executives, in line with TechCrunch. Large names amongst these laid off included:
- Marc Whitten, CEO
- Nilka Thomas, chief human sources officer
- Steve Kenner chief security officer
- Rob Grant, world head of public coverage
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