In Episode 183 of The Robotic Report Podcast, co-host Mike Oitzman interviews Chris Painter, the director of technical product administration at CNH Industrial. They focus on the developments in precision farming, the important position of connectivity, and the challenges confronted by farmers in rural areas.
They focus on the significance of real-time information for operational effectivity, the way forward for autonomy in precision farming, and the impression of AI on agricultural know-how. Painter explains the necessity for steady connectivity to assist autonomous automobiles and the continued challenges of labor within the agricultural sector.
Present timeline
- 10:00 – Information of the week
- 28:08 – Interview with Chris Painter, 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 printed their work on a challenge known as “ELEGNT: Expressive and Purposeful Motion Design for Non-Anthropomorphic Robotic” on the Apple Machine Studying weblog submit.
The analysis explored how an on a regular basis object may work together with expressive actions in response to a human interplay. The researchers introduced an articulating gentle fixture to life in motions which might be paying homage to Luxo Jr., the Pixar mascot. Watch the video to see the output of the challenge.
Teradyne Robotics group lays off 10% of world workers
Teradyne’s robotics group, which incorporates Common Robots (UR) and Cell Industrial Robots (MiR), laid off 10% of its world workforce late final week. Whereas the precise variety of affected staff was unclear, Teradyne Robotics’ web site said that it had greater than 1,400 staff worldwide.
The discount included a 6% layoff in Denmark, the headquarters for each UR and MiR. Group president Ujjwal Kumar instructed The Robotic Report that UR noticed a 3% year-over-year decline, whereas MiR skilled a 1% year-over-year progress.
Teradyne reported whole 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 latest report of a 16% drop in robotics for 2024.
Teradyne additionally introduced a restructuring of its gross sales, advertising, and companies. 2025 is a vital 12 months for UR, because it not too long ago opened uts first abroad manufacturing heart in China, the world’s main robotics marketplace for over a decade, the place it’s promoting two cobots completely.
Giraffe from Brightpick extends autonomous cell choosing in warehouses
Brightpick, which received the 2024 RBR50 utility of the 12 months for its Autopicker cell manipulators, has expanded its product line with the introduction of Brightpick Giraffe. This new robotic boasts a vertical attain of as much as 20 ft. (6 m), tripling warehouse storage density in comparison with guide operations and doubling it in contrast with the unique Autopicker.
The Brightpick Giraffe includes a telescopic carry that retracts to eight.5 ft. (2.6 m) for transport, easing deployment points. Sharing the identical 31.4-in. (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 ft. (3.4 m).
Cruise cuts almost half of the workers as GM focuses on client 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 staff. These layoffs probably come as no shock, as Cruise’s mother or father firm, Common Motors Co., introduced in December that it could 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 direction of private autonomous automobiles slightly than robotaxis.
- Cruise’s most up-to-date layoffs prolong to the CEO and a number of other different prime executives, in accordance 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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