United Kingdom

Researchers from the University of Cambridge carried out a study in a tech consultancy firm using two different robot wellbeing coaches, where 26 employees participated in weekly robot-led wellbeing sessions for four weeks. Although the robots had identical voices, facial expressions, and scripts for the sessions, the robots’ physical appearance affected how participants interacted with it.

SpineGuard, provider of DSG (Dynamic Surgical Guidance) sensing technology to secure and streamline the placement of bone implants, today announced new results reached in the development of its robotic application.

The healthcare sector has been using robots for years. The care robot has become a mature tool in healthcare, which is also being taken seriously by government and insurers. This is illustrated by the rapidly growing popularity of care robot Maatje at home and abroad, a platform being developed by the Dutch company Smartrobot Solutions.

Elbit Systems has received and order for its 120th Hermes 900 Medium-Range Long-Altitude (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The family of the Hermes 900 multi-role MALE UAV is Elbit Systems’ largest unmanned aerial vehicle and is capable of performing a wide range of missions including persistent intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR). The advanced UAV can also can perform ground support and maritime patrol missions, and provides the capabilities for integrated multi-platform, multi-sensor operations.

Plus One Robotics, provider of AI vision software and solutions for robotic parcel handling, announced that it has raised $50M in Series C funding. This brings the company’s total funding to date to nearly $100 million. Plus One’s technology aims to alleviate the persistent shortage of manual labor through robotic solutions, streamlining the parcel picking and depalletizing processes.

Amidst the growing interest in OpenAI’s conversation artificial intelligence (AI) service ChatGPT and what it is capable of in the future, an AI specialist company named Wonderful Platform based in South Korea is showcasing various robots incorporating ChatGPT services.

Salesforce has launched Einstein GPT, generative AI for CRM technology. This delivers AI-created content across sales, service, marketing, commerce, and IT interaction, at hyperscale. Einstein GPT will infuse Salesforce’s proprietary AI models with generative AI technology from an ecosystem of partners and real-time data from the Salesforce Data Cloud.

European Robotics Forum 2023, which will take place next week in Odense, Denmark, is fast approaching a record number of 1,000 participants. As the ODEON venue is not big enough to host all the extra sessions next to the main event, the Concert Hall (Koncerthuset0 next door will be used as well.

Meta Platforms has announced it will be creating a new product group focused on generative artificial intelligence (AI).  Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said in an Instagram post he will pull together all the teams working on generative AI across the company into one group focused on building experiences around this technology.

Ford Motor Company has established Latitude AI, a wholly owned subsidiary focused on developing an autonomous driving system. With this move, Ford gains a team of developers in machine learning, robotics, software, sensors, systems engineering, and operations who will work on automated driving technology.