An essential task for a multi-robot system is generating a common understanding of the environment and relative poses between robots. Cooperative tasks can be executed only when a vehicle has knowledge of its own state and the states of the team members. However, this has primarily been achieved with direct rendezvous between underwater robots, via inter-robot ranging. We propose a novel distributed multi-robot simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) framework for underwater robots using imaging sonar-based perception. By passing only scene descriptors between robots, we do not need to pass raw sensor data unless there is a likelihood of inter-robot loop closure. We utilize pairwise consistent measurement set maximization (PCM), making our system robust to erroneous loop closures. The functionality of our system is demonstrated using two real-world datasets, one with three robots and another with two robots. We show that our system effectively estimates the trajectories of the multi-robot system and keeps the bandwidth requirements of inter-robot communication low. To our knowledge, this paper describes the first instance of multi-robot SLAM using real imaging sonar data (which we implement offline, using simulated communication). Code link: https://github.com/jake3991/DRACo-SLAM.

Berkshire Grey and FedEx Corp. announced they have expanded their strategic relationship. Berkshire Grey and FedEx have expanded their strategic relationship. The companies have entered into an agreement for new development activities that will provide broader robotic capabilities to help FedEx improve the safety and efficiency of its package handling operations globally. The two companies also expect to execute a master system purchase agreement in 2022, which will streamline and expedite the procurement process for Berkshire Grey solutions across all FedEx operating companies globally. Additionally, Berkshire Grey has granted FedEx a warrant to purchase common stock.

Growing up in Spain's Catalonia region, Alberto Rodriguez loved taking things apart and putting them back together. But it wasn't until he joined a robotics lab his last year in college that he realized robotics, and not mathematics or physics, would be his life's calling. "I fell in love with the idea that you could build something and then tell it what to do," he says. "That was my first intense exposure to the magic combo of building and coding, and I was hooked." After graduating from university in Barcelona, Rodriguez looked for a path to study in the United States.

With demand for robots growing as companies in multiple sectors look for new ways to enhance their productivity and competitiveness post-pandemic, ABB has compiled a set of growth predictions, looking at key trends driving demand for robots in the coming year. "The pandemic accelerated far-reaching global mega trends – from labor shortages and supply chain uncertainty, to the individualized consumer and growing pressure to operate sustainably and resiliently – leading new businesses to look to robotic automation," said Marc Segura, ABB's newly appointed robotics division President. "As technology opens new opportunities for meeting customer demands, new trends will continue to emerge that will further drive demand in areas where robots have traditionally not been used." Based on customer conversations, market research and a global survey of 250 companies across multiple industries, ABB has identified three key trends that will shape the demand for robots in 2022. With many countries restricting and phasing out the production of combustion engine vehicles over the next decade, the race towards electric cars has accelerated.

Turning machines are a core tool in any machine shop. While certain automated machines have been available for turning for years, automation has not been accessible to everyone. Until recently, it only made sense to add automation if you had large batch sizes. If not, you were stuck with a manual operation. Robotic automation has changed all that.

It's an unusual time to be in the paper and pulp industry. The markets for paper products change on an almost monthly basis. It can be difficult to know how you should respond to keep your operations productive, profitable, and efficient. Should you invest in automation for long-term efficiency gains? Or should you batten down the hatches and reduce spending until the markets level out? Several market forces have impacted the paper and pulp industry in recent years.

Which robot applications are best suited for the electronics industry? Robots are becoming extremely popular among electronic companies. Recent estimates indicate that robot growth is even higher in the electronics industry than in the automotive industry, which has traditionally been the leader for robot use. If you are looking to add robotic automation to your process, it can be hard to know which tasks are the best candidates. Classic application in electronics manufacturing, robots are perfect for circuit board assembly.

"Minimizing risks associated with aseptic processing is crucial when working with compounding systems," agrees Randy Fraatz, vice-president of North American Operations at Steriline, which produces aseptic manufacturing equipment. "The primary benefit of robotics and automation in general is safety, coming from the reduction of human-related mistakes in the entire process." Other benefits, says Fraatz, include the accuracy, efficiency, and reliability that result from automation. "If errors are reduced, process reliability and quality improve," he explains. Despite these advantages, uptake of robotics is slow, and many 503B outsourcing facilities continue to have technicians working in laminar flow hoods or biological safety cabinets to handle beakers and flasks for solution compounding and fill vials manually using syringes, notes Smalley.

If you have already looked at how to invest in robotics stock and perused a list of the biggest robotics stocks, it's now time to take a look at five stocks that give investors the best way to play the theme of rising adoption of robotics automation. Let's take a look at five of the top companies playing the field of robotics and why their stocks are attractive for investors. Deere (NYSE:DE), an agricultural and construction machinery equipment manufacturer, might not be the first name that springs to mind when looking at robotics automation stocks; however, the Internet of Things (IoT) and the increasing use of automation will be key drivers of Deere's growth in the future. The company's core business is agricultural machinery. To be clear, a stock that operates in the farming sector will always be susceptible to the vagaries of the industry.

In fact, Gartner predicts that the market size of robotics process automation (RPA) alone is projected to reach $1.3B by the end of 2019. The concept of robotics is no longer limited to assembly lines in manufacturing, it is an overall technological approach that can have game changing impact for all workers in all industries. However, while there is palpable momentum for robotics, its adoption is still relatively nascent in legal operations, and for good reason. Today, most software robotics technology is focused on recording user actions and building task-based bots that perform repetitive tasks like data entry. While these bots can automate individual tasks, they don't have significant impact on processes as a whole, which require more advanced logic.