Delivery Robots are on the Move

zoron Artificial Intelligence, New Robots, Robots in Retail, Robots of the Future March 11, 2022March 11, 2022delivery robots, new robots

Entrepreneur Ahti Heinla had been working with robots and also building them in his spare time when he responded to a request from NASA to help develop an autonomous rough-terrain robot to find and retrieve rock samples on Mars. The proposal that he submitted to NASA was not successful but he and colleague Janus Friis then came up with the idea of using robots to make deliveries in suburban areas.

Today, their company, Starship Technologies, has offices around the world and its delivery robots have travelled over 200,000 miles delivering over 50,000 orders in many neighbourhoods and on university campuses. At George Mason University, its fleet of 25 robots makes it the largest robot food delivery service on a university campus.

Cost Saving Deliveries

The idea for the robot delivery service developed from the insight that 95% of the things that people order online are small enough to be delivered by a small robot at lower cost than that which delivery companies typically incur in the last few miles of a journey.

Delivery robots use similar technology to that found in autonomous cars, such as cameras, ultrasonics and GPS guidance. But they are not totally autonomous. The robots are able to put in a call to a human operator for assistance if a problem arises. The human operator may be overseeing over 100 robots at any time. The operator may not even be in the same country but can watch every delivery.

So how have pedestrians reacted to small robots trundling along sidewalks in amongst the human walkers?

When Starship rolled out their first robots to test them in action, at first people would stop and take photos but after seeing a few of them, most would lose interest and accepted them as part of the urban environment. Pedestrians do not seem to find them intrusive or a hindrance to them going about their normal business.

It appears that sidewalk robots, far from being robot toys, could be here to stay.

A Brief History of Robotic Vacuums

zoron Artificial Intelligence, Household Robots, New Robots, Robot Vacuums August 27, 2021November 11, 2021best robot vacuum, Mi Robot vacuum, robot vacuum

The man credited with inventing the robot vacuum is James Dizon, who sold the rights to Electrolux. In 1996, Electrolux introduced the first robotic vacuum cleaner to the market. However, it failed to capture the market.

It wasn’t until 2002 that iRobot launched Roomba. Roomba was capable of changing directions and could detect dirty spots on the floor. It could also negotiate stairways.

In 2001, Dyson demonstrated the DC06 but it was too expensive for the market. Then in 2004, three years later, iRobot achieved one million units in sales.

Ten years later, in 2014, Dyson introduced the Dyson 360 Eye with a 360 degree camera and double suction.

2015 saw the introduction of “Sooba’, a robot machine that was capable of scrubbing floors.. then in 2016, iRobot released the “Dirt Dog” that was able to clean up doggie debris.

Following on from the Dirt Dog, the iRobot Braava 380T was introduced and was capable of sweeping and mopping at the same time. This unit had extended battery life and a “North Star” GPS style navigation.

Hand held vacuum cleaner

What is the advantage of a robotic vacuum cleaner?

In comparison to traditional vacuum cleaners, robot vacuums are relatively quiet and take much less space to store.

But the main advantage is convenience.

We recently became proud owners of a Mi Robot Vacuum manufactured in China by Roborock Technology.

The Mi Robot Vacuum is an intelligent cleaner fitted with a high precision laser distance sensor that can create a map of your home and calculate a precise cleaning route as it goes. It works its way methodically around the selected area and automatically navigates back to the charging dock when it is finished. All you have to do is empty it.

We named the unit “Dusty”. Dusty can be left to clean the floors of our house while we attend to other more important matters. A mobile phone app allows Dusty to be controlled and monitored from anywhere that there is internet access.

My wife says…

“We love our new pet Dusty! It is very quiet, maps out each room first, then goes about vacuuming the floor, carpet, tiles and wood. It does the lot with quiet ease. One chore I always hated doing was vacuuming. Now it’s so easy, I just press the start and it’s off.

We no longer have to crouch down and awkwardly manoeuvre the vacuum pipe, cords and hose around and under the beds and and under chairs. The Mi Robot vacuum does it all for you while you are out shopping or getting on with other more enjoyable things”.

2-in-1 Robot Vacuum and Mop

#ad **The mopping system has an intelligently controlled water tank.**

The Mi handbook claims that from now on we will be freed from boring household chores and can start enjoying life.

Robots Exploring in Space

zoron Artificial Intelligence, New Robots, Robots of the Future, Space Robots January 7, 2021November 11, 2021mars mission, moon base, robot technology, space exploration

Robots of the Future

A Moon Base is the first step

An Australian scientist is helping to lead NASA’s Robotics Research working on projects to mine rocket fuels from the moon and send a manned mission to Mars.

Robots of the future will be able to help establish a base on the moon and even assist with manned missions to Mars.

Robots have been working in space now for many years but advancements in artificial intelligence mean that much more complex tasks will be performed in exploring other planets and their moons.

A Simple Robot Kit

zoron Robot Toys, Toy Robot Kits September 13, 2020September 14, 2022best robot toys, New Robot Toys 2019, robot games, robot technology, robot toys

A few years ago, I bought myself a small robot kit.

The kit was part of the MOVIT range of toy robot kits. Only basic hand tools were required for assembly. The kits allowed the builder to experience and learn about such things as sound sensing, remote control, infrared sensing, wired control and/or programmable memory. Each project was designed to entertain as well as educate.

The particular model that I bought was called the SPIDER and featured an infrared sensor to detect objects in its path. The robot had six legs to propel it along and could emit an infrared light beam to detect an obstacle in front and then automatically turn left and continue on. The movement was by crank motion using three legs on each side. The power source was one 9V and two AA batteries.

Kit Assembly

Assembly of the robot project was quite intricate but I managed to fit all the pieces together and when I inserted the batteries and switched it on, it did start to move around. Unfortunately, the movement was not what I expected and the little SPIDER robot started to dance rapidly around in circles! With a little adjustment however and tightening of screws, the unit was encouraged to behave and walk towards a wall. It was able to approach the wall and detect its presence with its infrared “eye” and turn left as it was designed to do.

The robot’s capabilities were limited but it was effective as an educational project, demonstrating such features as infrared obstacle detection and crank action propulsion.

The kit was from a company named OWI and the product range was called Movit Electronic robot kits. These days their range has expanded to include mini-solar kits and alternative energy kits.

OWI now describes itself as the number one robotics and science kit provider.

The Movit line was a series of computerised and logic-controlled battery toy robot kits that could teach the basic principles of robotic sensing and locomotion. Each of the kits featured pre-assembled printed circuit boards, hardware and mechanical drive systems that could be handled by anyone from ages 10 and up.

Robot Movies

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Smalltown robot and would-be inventor Rodney Copperbottom (voiced by Ewan McGregor) heads for Robot City in the hope of showing off his latest creation to businessman Mr Big Weld (Mel Brooks). But all is not well when he gets there, and he finds himself fighting against the evil machinations of some corrupt robot bosses.

Military Robot — robots, humanoids, emerging technology

Robots in the Workplace

Greatest Movie Robots

Robots Movie Clip

Artificial Intelligence on Cruise Ships of the Future

zoron Artificial Intelligence, New Robots, Robotics, Robots of the Future July 4, 2020November 11, 2021AI, cruise ships, robots

Emerging technology on cruise ships

When it comes to future technology in the travel industry, cruise lines have long been ahead of the game. Even before the global pandemic began in March 2020, cruise lines were looking at introducing emerging technology. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has acted as a catalyst to cause the industry to speed up the process and improve the passenger experience, especially in relation to health protocols.

At the Passenger Ship BoardingTerminal

One of the first aspects of the use of future technology in improving the health of cruise passengers will be the use of touchless system technology. This will apply to such things as signing bills and scanning passports. The aim will be to avoid any direct human interaction.

Both Google and Apple are already developing “track-and-trace” apps that can alert crew to whether someone has been near an infected person. Other systems will include purification and pathogen removal for the whole of the facility.

Onboard Changes on Cruise Ships

Passenger Ship embarkation will involve biometric identification and we are likely to see disinfection tunnels leading to the boarding terminal. Already most major cruise lines offer online check-in which means that you can get your boarding pass over the phone. Almost certainly, thermal imaging cameras will be placed at entry points.

Some Cruise Lines already have on-board artificial intelligence systems similar to Amazon Alexa.

MSC has an on-board voice-activated assistant named Zoe. In future, on-board health protocols will be set up to include the use of touchless technology. Phone apps will be downloaded to do such things as unlock the door as you approach, so guests won’t need to touch their cabin door handle.

Every cabin will be fitted with AI-powered voice-activated information speakers.

Passengers will use apps on their mobile phones to do many things. They will act as key-cards to open your cabin, to order and to pay for drinks, make bookings at restaurants, shows and the spa, and to book shore excursions. You will even be able to check your account, track your loved ones and control the lights and temperature in your cabin. This will avoid the use of shared touchscreens that cruise ships frequently use to sell tours and book activities.

Most cruise passengers are familiar with the daily newsletters and invitations that are slid under the door of the cabin. Such things, along with meal menus will become a thing of the past, to be replaced by digital emerging technology replacing all paper-based information and avoiding touching surfaces.

Physical queueing will be limited by the use of virtual queueing apps to limit how many people will stand together in a certain area at a given time. This will avoid overcrowding at lunch buffets, in the fitness centre or at the pool. Passengers will be able to order food and drinks and have them delivered to specified locations on board.

Robots on board Cruise Ships

Germ-zapping robots are already being used in hotels, restaurants and food processing facilities. These robots use broad-spectrum UV light to quickly decontaminate rooms and public spaces. Similar robots will be able to autonomously enter cabins and sanitise the room after housekeeping staff have left.

But what about the Personal Touch on Cruise Ships?

What cruise line operators are very conscious of is that one of the main reasons people take cruises is to enjoy the socialisation that is a major part of the experience and such innovations as physical distancing need to be carefully managed to preserve this important aspect of cruising.

One key feature of the cruise ships of the future will be the social distancing protocol, as personal interaction with shipboard staff is very important in creating memorable experiences on cruise ships.

What Cruise Lines Are Doing With Next-Generation Cruise Technology

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES)

zoron Artificial Intelligence, Household Robots, New Robots, Robots of the Future January 9, 2020October 25, 2024artificial intelligence, consumer technology, robot technology

CES^® Is the Global Stage for Innovation

CES is the world’s gathering place for all those who thrive on the business of consumer technologies. It has served as the proving ground for innovators and breakthrough technologies for 50 years — the global stage where next-generation innovations are introduced to the marketplace.

Owned and produced by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)^®, it attracts the world’s business leaders and pioneering thinkers.

Artificial Intelligence & Robotics

Artificial intelligence and robotics are changing the way we do business.

At CES you can see the latest developments in artificial intelligence and the next generation of intelligent, autonomous machines.

Robots at Work

Artificial Intelligence in Today’s World