automation
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Seoul Robotics' autonomous 'Control Tower' remotely manages self-driving vehicle fleets
Seoul Robotics has developed a mesh network that reportedly imparts Level 5 autonomy to vehicle fleets, if only for the last mile.
McDonald's and IBM could bring AI-powered drive-thrus to more restaurants
McDonald's is selling its tech labs to IBM to help automate food orders through AI, removing some humans from drive-thrus.
Hyundai puts Boston Dynamic's Spot robot to work as a factory safety inspector
Boston Dynamics’ Spot has found itself a new job, and thankfully this time it doesn’t involve a potential battlefield role.
Sweetgreen bought a robot company to spin better salads
The goal is to make more consistent, higher quality food and increase efficiency at restaurants.
A robot collision sparked a fire at the UK's top online grocer
Ocado was forced to cancel orders after three of its bots collided to cause a warehouse fire.
Facebook is notifying some users whose posts were removed by automation
Facebook is testing a change that will let users know when their post was removed as a result of automation.
TikTok will automate video removals for nudity and violence
The app's also changing how it notifies users about policy violations.
Hyundai now owns robot dog maker Boston Dynamics
Hyundai has acquired Boston Dynamics from Softbank in a deal that values the robotics company at $1.1 billion.
Hitting the Books: America's loneliness crisis began well before the COVID quarantine
In her latest book, The Lonely Century, British economist Noreena Hertz takes an incisive look at the emotional, societal and political costs of "frictionless" business, how the pandemic has exacerbated these issues, and what we can do to reconnect with the people around us.
Facebook agrees to some policy changes in response to Oversight Board recommendations
Facebook has agreed to tweak some of its policies in response to recommendations from the Oversight Board.
Tasker's Android phone automation connects with Google Assistant
Now you can trigger Tasker's automated scripts by voice using Google Assistant.
Ring devices will soon work with Lutron's smart lighting systems
You can set your lights to turn on for a while when Ring devices detect movement.
Microsoft cuts dozens of staff as it shifts to AI for MSN news stories
Microsoft is getting rid of contractors as it shifts some of its news production to AI.
Bipartisan Senate bill aims to invest $100 billion in technology R&D
The Endless Frontiers Act would invest $100 billion in AI, high-performance computing, robotics, automation and more.
South Korean cafe uses robotic baristas to comply with social distancing
A cafe in Daejeon, South Korea, is using robots to prepare drinks and deliver them to customers.
iRobot's IFTTT support lets smart home devices talk to your Roomba
iRobot's IFTTT support is about to become much more useful if you're a fan of smart home tech. The company has formed a partnership with IFTTT that will let you integrate smart home gadgets directly inside iRobot's Home App, effectively giving those devices control over your Roomba vacuum or Braava mop. To start, iRobot's IFTTT page already has five recipes for common devices and apps.
Stanford's new tech-laden hospital includes pill-picking robots
Technology only seems to find its way into hospitals in fits and starts. Stanford, however, is about to find out what happens when you build a tech-oriented hospital from the ground up. The university has opened a new hospital in Stanford Health Care's campus that aims to be as capable and connected as the phone in your pocket. You can control entertainment lighting and climate from a pad near your bed, while an updated MyHealth mobile app can help you contact a physician or guide you through the hospital's halls. However, the sheer automation of the hospital may be its real highlight.
Adidas abandons robot Speedfactories in Germany and the US
Adidas is abandoning its robot-staffed Speedfactories in Ansbach, Germany, and Atlanta, USA. Both facilities, which are run in partnership with German plastics specialist Oechsler, will be closed "by April 2020 at the latest," the company said in a press release. The sportswear giant stressed, though, that some of its Speedfactory processes would be adopted by two suppliers in Asia, where manufacturer is traditionally cheaper, later this year. Using these technologies, the pair will produce running shoes and, for the first time, models in "other product categories." Speedfactories were meant to bring sneaker production back to Western markets and lower Adidas' reliance on Asian suppliers, which have often been criticized for unethical working conditions and practices. Adidas also hoped that the Speedfactories would, as their name implies, accelerate production and reduce both the cost and time associated with shipping. The mostly-automated manufacturing produced a small range of sneakers including the Futurecraft M.F.G (Made For Germany) and a line of AM4 (Adidas Made For) shoes that were inspired by six of the world's largest cities and, later, select artists including DJ Kittens and JaQuel Knight. Adidas still has technological aspirations. Today, the company said it would further concentrate its resources on "modernizing its other suppliers" and, with Oechsler's assistance, continue to explore "4D technology," a 3D-printed midsole that has been used on sneakers such as the Futurecraft 4D and Alphaedge 4D. "Whilst we understand adidas' reasons for discontinuing Speedfactory production at Oechsler, we regret this decision," Dr. Claudius M. Kozlik, chief executive of Oechsler admitted today. "At the same time, we look forward to continuing our close and trusting cooperation with adidas in the area of 4D sole printing." For now, at least, sneaker production is safe from the seemingly inevitable automated-robot-factory-revolution.
YouTube AI thought robot fighting was animal cruelty
In the latest example of the need for further human moderation, YouTube's automated system took down several videos after mistaking robot fighting matches as animal cruelty. Those affected, including some BattleBots contestants, received a message stating, "Content that displays the deliberate infliction of animal suffering or the forcing of animals to fight is not allowed on YouTube." Was this a mere glitch, or are the robots gaining empathy for their brethren?
The dream of flying taxis may not be too far off
"Mark my words. A combination of airplane and motorcar is coming. You may smile. But it will come," Henry Ford quipped in 1940. Our dreams of cars capable of taking flight at the whim of their driver have been around nearly as long as we've had cars themselves, or at least as long as we've endured heavy commute traffic. Yet the prospect of actual, commercially available flying automobiles has always seemed to remain just out of reach, only a few years from viability. But even as drones become commonplace, are we really any closer to an age of aeronautical automobiles than we were in Ford's day?
