On Wednesday, Feb. 27, FedEx Corp. unveiled its FedEx SameDay Bot, which is an autonomous delivery robot designed to help retailers make same-day and last-mile deliveries to their customers.
According to FedEx, retailers will be able to accept orders from nearby customers and deliver them directly to customers’ homes or businesses the same day using the robot.
FedEx notes that on average, more than 60 percent of merchants’ customers live within three miles of a store location, which shows the potential for on-demand, hyper-local delivery. With this in mind, FedEx has also announced that it is partnering with several companies including AutoZone, Pizza Hut, and Target to help assess retailers’ autonomous delivery needs.
Robotics
Robotics
Arizona State University creates new master's degree program in robotics and autonomous systems
Arizona State University’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering has created a new master’s degree program in robotics and autonomous systems.
The program is designed to train the next generation of robotics researchers with multidisciplinary knowledge in a variety of advanced topics, including but not limited to, artificial intelligence, computer science and machine learning.
“In the future, we’re going to be interacting with intelligent machines a lot in our everyday lives,” says Panagiotis Artemiadis, the robotics and autonomous systems graduate program chair and an associate professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering.
FLIR Systems announces plans to acquire Endeavor Robotics
Just a few weeks after announcing its acquisition of Aeryon Labs Inc., FLIR Systems Inc. has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Endeavor Robotic Holdings Inc. (Endeavor Robotics) from Arlington Capital Partners for $385 million in cash.
Known for developing UGVs for the global military, public safety, and critical infrastructure markets, Endeavor’s robots use advanced sensing and actuation to provide explosive ordnance disposal, reconnaissance, inspection, and hazardous materials support for troops, police, and industrial users at stand-off range.
Endeavor Robotics awarded contract to modernize and maintain Army's fleet of robot platforms
The U.S. Army has awarded Endeavor Robotics a firm-fixed-price, Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to modernize and maintain its current fleet of robot platforms.
The five-year contract is potentially worth $32.4 million.
“We’re pleased to win this opportunity to help the Army keep its UGV inventory at an optimum state of readiness,” says Tom Frost, Endeavor Robotics president.
iRobot unveils Terra robot mower
With a mind towards reinventing how people care for their lawn, iRobot Corp. has unveiled its new Terra robot mower, which features state-of-the-art mapping and navigation technologies, high-performance, high-quality mowing, and easy installation.
Using iRobot’s Imprint Smart Mapping technology, Terra learns its environment, and can mow a lawn like a human does, as it navigates a yard and cuts efficiently in straight, back-and-forth lines.
Terra remembers its location in the yard, and where it still needs to cover. If its battery runs low, it will return to its base to recharge, and then pick up where it left off until the yard is complete.
Autonomous ocean robots spend year traveling under ice sheet and reporting long-term observations
Over the last year, a team of autonomous ocean robots has successfully traveled under an ice sheet and returned to report long-term observations, the University of Washington (UW) has announced.
A partnership between a number of entities including the University of Washington’s College of the Environment, the UW Applied Physics Laboratory, the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, the Korean Polar Research Institute and Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, the robotic mission has traveled under the ice shelf 18 times, and has routinely reached more than 25 miles into the cavity.
Starship Technologies and Sodexo launch robot food delivery service at George Mason University
On Tuesday, Jan. 22, Starship Technologies and global food and facilities management services provider Sodexo Inc. launched a robot food delivery service at George Mason University’s campus in Fairfax, Virginia.
The service will allow George Mason’s 40,000 students, faculty and staff to order food and drinks that can be delivered anywhere on campus, within minutes, via Starship's robots.
Some of the initial retailers participating in the service include Blaze Pizza, Starbucks, and Dunkin’, with more retailers expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
University of Iowa graduates develop robotic quarterback for football players
University of Iowa (UI) graduates have developed what they are calling the first autonomous training device for football receivers.
Known as the Seeker, the robotic quarterback throws footballs to receivers autonomously, allowing players to practice independently. The robot also provides a plethora of beneficial data that allows coaches to track the work ethic of their players, including the time of day the player practiced, the number of repetitions, and how quickly they were completed.
Video footage of the Seeker in action can be seen below:
