We present a principled way of extending a classical AI planning formalism with systems of state constraints, which relate - sometimes determine - the values of variables in each state traversed by the plan. This extension occupies an attractive middle ground between expressivity and complexity. It enables modelling a new range of problems, as well as formulating more efficient models of classical planning problems. An example of the former is planning-based control of networked physical systems - power networks, for example - in which a local, discrete control action can have global effects on continuous quantities, such as altering flows across the entire network. At the same time, our extension remains decidable as long as the satisfiability of sets of state constraints is decidable, including in the presence of numeric state variables, and we demonstrate that effective techniques for cost-optimal planning known in the classical setting - in particular, relaxation-based admissible heuristics - can be adapted to the extended formalism. In this paper, we apply our approach to constraints in the form of linear or non-linear equations over numeric state variables, but the approach is independent of the type of state constraints, as long as there exists a procedure that decides their consistency. The planner and the constraint solver interact through a well-defined, narrow interface, in which the solver requires no specialisation to the planning context.

Apple is rebuilding the widely used mapping application on its iPhones with data gathered by its own fleet of sensor-equipped vans and with anonymous data from iPhone users that choose to share it. The firm has pledged to'take Maps to the next level' with the update, which will start this fall with new maps of Northern California. It is also believed the cars are collecting advanced 3D data that could be crucial for Apple's self driving car and augmented reality plans. The firm has pledged to'take Maps to the next level' with the update, which will start this fall with new maps of Northern California. Apple said it is collecting data from users who opt in to location services on their iPhone to improve its maps.

Automatica 2018 is one of Europe's largest robotics and automation-related trade shows and a destination for global roboticists and business executives to view new products. It was held June 19-22 in Munich and had 890 exhibitors and 46,000 visitors (up 7% from the previous show). The International Symposium on Robotics (ISR) was held in conjunction with Automatica with a series of robotics-related keynotes, poster presentations, talks and workshops. The ISR also had an awards dinner in Munich on June 20th at the Hofbräuhaus, a touristy beer hall and garden with big steins of beer, plates full of Bavarian food and oompah bands on each floor. From left: Stefan Lampa, CEO, KUKA; Prof Dr Bruno Siciliano, Dir ICAROS and PRISMALab, U of Naples Federico II; Ken Fouhy, Moderator, Editor in Chief, Innovations & Trend Research, VDI News; Dr. Kiyonori Inaba, Exec Dir, Robot Business Division, FANUC; Markus Kueckelhaus, VP Innovations & Trend Research, DHL; and Per Vegard Nerseth, Group Senior VP, ABB.

HANGZHOU, China/SHANGHAI (Reuters) – In the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, an ambulance speeds through traffic on a wave of green lights, helped along by an artificial intelligence (AI) system and big data. The system, which involves sending information to a centralized computer linked to the city's transport networks, is part of a trial by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. The Chinese tech giant is hoping to use its cloud and data systems to tackle issues hobbling China's healthcare system like snarled city traffic, long patient queues and a lack of doctors. Alibaba's push into healthcare reflects a wider trend in China, where technology firms are racing to shake up a creaking state-run health sector and take a slice of spending that McKinsey & Co estimates will hit $1 trillion by 2020. Tencent-backed WeDoctor, which offers online consultations and doctor appointments, raised $500 million in May at a valuation of $5.5 billion.

Think about how much we need cognitive technologies that enable us to make accurate estimates. There is a need for knowledge to save the potato from speculators, to predict elections and the weather accurately, i.e. cognitive computing. Will it hail, when will it hail, how long will it last, how big will the hailstones be and where will it hail in Istanbul from Tekirdağ to Kocaeli? Not Nostradamus but big data and cognitive computing technology lets you find the right answers. Weather forecasting It was not in vain that IBM bought The Weather Company, which has the world's most sensitive, precise and reliable weather data, at the beginning of 2016.

Early Friday morning, SpaceX will launch its 15th cargo mission to the International Space Station for NASA, sending up nearly 6,000 pounds of supplies on top of its Falcon 9 rocket. On board the vehicle are shipments of food and water for the six astronauts living on the ISS, as well as new science experiments and technologies to be tested out in microgravity. And within that haul includes the first ever AI robot "crew member" to live on the station. The robot's name is CIMON -- for Crew Interactive Mobile Companion -- and it looks a bit like a volleyball with a computer screen on one side. The screen displays a simplified cartoon face that the bot will use to interact with the humans on the ISS.

Video Friday is your weekly selection of awesome robotics videos, collected by your Automaton bloggers. We'll also be posting a weekly calendar of upcoming robotics events for the next few months; here's what we have so far (send us your events!): Let us know if you have suggestions for next week, and enjoy today's videos. The emerging field of soft robotics seeks to harness these same properties in order to create resilient machines. The nature of soft materials, however, presents considerable challenges to aspects of design, construction, and control -- and up until now, the vast majority of gaits for soft robots have been hand-designed through empirical trial-and-error.

Artificial intelligence algorithms and big data are already being used in hospitals and other areas of healthcare and diagnostics. What exactly does this mean for patients and for those seeking to overcome the legal challenges? How is AI used in hospitals? Artificial Intelligence, machine learning (an application of AI), and big data, are used in a wide range of applications in hospitals. For example, cognitive computer systems are used to facilitate repetitive processes and to create sample analyses in the context of radiological diagnostics. Where a learning or predictive function is added, then we are into the realms of AI.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is described as the science of creating intelligent machines capable of performing real time tasks at a level of human expert emphasizing nearly every business operation across various business sectors. Traditional review methods in insurance sector posed several threats related to policy making, premium rates fixing and risk of grouping policy holders. The evolution of AI as an insurance technology is mitigating these risks and also supporting the insurers in decision making. The increased level of personalization and better outcomes to the customers offered by AI are the major driving factors for the rise of AI in insurance sector. New research report on the global Artificial Intelligence In Insurtech market is a complete overview of the market, covering various aspects product definition, segmentation based on various parameters, and the prevailing vendor landscape.

A British AI platform for assisting with the diagnosis of heart disease will enter trials with 20 NHS hospitals before the end of 2018, after securing £10 million in first-round funding. UK start-up Ultromics has developed echocardiography analysis technology called Topological Analysis that claims to reduce errors diagnosing coronary artery disease by as much as 75%. The machine learning platform is currently being trialled at six NHS hospitals, and after garnering interest from a number of trusts earlier this year, Ultromics has secured investment to expand trials to additional UK sites. The fundraising was led by Oxford Sciences Innovation (OSI), with Neptune, RT Ventures, GT Healthcare, Tanarra, Fushia and personal investors Andre Crawford-Brunt and Dieter Spälti also participating. The £10 million investment will be used to bring the technology to market in the USA, with Ultromics hoping to make it available in the UK from early 2019.