EP.26 ROBOT TAUGHT TO WASH DISHES
Delivery robots company got a funding, a robot for home applications, Waymo taxi story & much more ...
Dishwashing with a robot! 🧽
The Universal Manipulation Interface (UMI) is a system that lets humans teach robots new skills without needing specialized robots for training. It works by using handheld grippers with built-in cameras to collect data from real-world demonstrations of complex tasks.
With a carefully designed interface, UMI can learn and deploy these skills across different types of robots, making them versatile and adaptable. This technology enables robots to perform dynamic, precise, and bimanual tasks with zero-shot generalization, meaning they can tackle new challenges without explicit training. Real-world experiments have shown UMI's effectiveness, with policies learned from diverse human demonstrations successfully applied to novel environments and objects.
Additionally, UMI facilitates fast data collection and outperforms other methods in terms of speed and versatility. This innovative approach opens up possibilities for advanced robot manipulation capabilities and represents a significant step forward in human-robot interaction.
Almost $100 million for a delivery robots company! 🚛
Starship Technologies, a company from Estonia, has collected a whopping $90 million to grow its sidewalk delivery robot service. This means they got a lot of money to make more of those cute delivery robots you see scooting around.
Investors from Estonia and London, including the folks who helped start Skype, believe in Starship. They've already raised $230 million in total! These robots have been busy, traveling over 11 million miles and making 6 million deliveries. They work for companies like Bolt, Co-Op, and Grubhub, delivering food and groceries.
Starship's CEO says they'll use the new money to make more robots and expand to new places. While they're big in their niche, they're still small compared to giants like Amazon. But it's impressive they're making a profit when other delivery robot projects have failed. Starship's robots are getting popular because people seem to like them and even try to feed them bananas!
Meme of the week 🤖
Humans gonna take our jobs! Robots, I mean robots! 👀
LEGO, robots, and MATLAB! 🧱
Get to know the LEGO® Mobile Robotics Workshop, inviting enthusiasts to delve into the fascinating world of robotics.
Key insights gleaned from Mathworks’ tutorial illuminate the path forward:
Simulating Mobile Robot Kinematics: Dive deep into the intricacies of mobile robot motion, harnessing the simulation capabilities to unravel the complexities of kinematic behavior.
Sensor Simulation in 2D Environment: Immerse yourself in the realm of sensor simulation, exploring the nuances of perception and environmental interaction within a simulated 2D landscape.
Furthermore, gain invaluable insights into Simulink® support for LEGO MINDSTORMS® hardware, opening doors to a realm of possibilities in robotic experimentation.
Autonomous car destroyed by crowd in USA! 🧯
In a shocking incident in San Francisco's Chinatown, a crowd wreaked havoc on a Waymo driverless taxi. The chaos unfolded when someone jumped on the car's hood, smashing its windshield. The situation escalated as the crowd spray-painted the car, broke its windows, and eventually set it ablaze, drawing applause from bystanders.
Despite firefighters arriving promptly, the flames had already engulfed the vehicle. Remarkably, no one was hurt, as the autonomous car wasn't carrying any passengers at the time of the attack. While the motive remains unclear, this event underscores the ongoing tension between residents and automated vehicle operators in San Francisco.
It's not the first time such incidents have occurred, as the city has witnessed clashes between automated taxis and pedestrians, raising concerns about the safety and acceptance of autonomous technology in public spaces.
Robo-assistant for home applications 🏡
Hello Robot has introduced the latest version of its Stretch mobile manipulator robot, known as Stretch 3. This updated model offers several improvements over its predecessor, making it easier to manufacture and use.
One notable enhancement is the addition of a rotating 3D camera on the mast, which helps the robot perceive its surroundings. Another key feature is the DexWrist 3 gripper, now more robust and equipped with a built-in 3D camera for better vision control. With Stretch 3, Hello Robot aims to empower developers to create robots that can perform tasks like folding laundry or assisting older adults, thanks to its open-source platform and support from a vibrant research community.
The company envisions an "app store" where users can download and install new skills onto the robot, catering to their specific needs. Priced at $24,950, Stretch 3 is now available for researchers, educators, developers, and enthusiasts on Hello Robot's website.
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