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NVIDIA announced it will acquire DeepMap, a startup building high-definition maps for autonomous vehicles. Maps that are accurate to within a few meters are good enough when providing turn-by-turn directions for humans. AVs, however, require much greater precision. They must operate with centimeter-level precision for accurate localization, the ability of an AV to locate itself in the world.  

In recent tests at Eglin Air Force Base, DARPA’s Mobile Force Protection (MFP) program demonstrated a Counter-Unmanned Air System (C-UAS) multilayer defense architecture to defeat unauthorized drone intrusions over military installations or operations.

Ever since the world’s first ever microscope was invented in 1590 by Hans and Zacharias Janssen –a Dutch father and son– our curiosity for what goes on at the tiniest scales has led to development of increasingly powerful devices. Fast forward to 2021, we not only have optical microscopy methods that allow us to see tiny particles in higher resolution than ever before, we also have non-optical techniques, such as scanning force microscopes, with which researchers can construct detailed maps of a range of physical and chemical properties.

Gaming company Razer aids upcoming startup ClearBot, to redesign its AI robot that cleans up marine plastics. The newly designed and fully automated robot is armed with AI and machine learning capabilities that can detect marine plastics within two meters in rough waters. The robot can collect up to 250 kg of plastics in just one cycle, while running on solar-powered energy.

The 2021 “Award for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Robotics & Automation” (IERA) goes to PixelPaint technology of ABB. Two high-precision robots make car painting faster, more sustainable and flexible – helping manufacturers to efficiently respond to individual demands. Two-tone and customized designs are applied in one pass. The technology eliminates overspray benefitting the environment.

UiPath today announced financial results for its first quarter fiscal 2022 ended April 30, 2021. With a revenue of $186.2 million this figure increased 65 percent year-over-year.

Organizations running on SAP S/4HANA or SAP ECC can manage a great deal of processes, but there are several challenges. Earlier we talked about these challenges with Tanja Breitling-Zboril, Sr. Manager Partner & Alliance Management at UiPath: Processes stretch beyond SAP systems; expert work can be expensive and integration with SAP S/4HANA requires specific tasks. In a series of three videos she talks more in depth about the solutions to these SAP-specific challenges. Today we cover RPA Accelerators for SAP S/4HANA and SAP ECC.

Jheronimus Academy of Data Science (JADS) and ASML signed an agreement to collaborate in the field of data science. The partnership brings together academic knowledge, world-class research, international talent and challenging industrial applications. The two partners will initially focus on thesis assignments from JADS students at ASML and a case study within the Data Entrepreneurship in Action program (DEIA).

The California Public Utilities Commission has authorized Cruise to participate in California’s first pilot program to provide driverless autonomous vehicle (AV) passenger service to the public. Cruise is the first entrant into the CPUC’s Driverless Pilot program, in which passengers can ride in a test vehicle that operates without a driver in the vehicle. Cruise may not charge passengers for any rides in test AVs.

DHL Supply Chain, the contract logistics leader within Deutsche Post DHL Group, announces a framework agreement expanding its collaboration with Locus Robotics. By 2022, the supply chain specialist plans to take on up to 2,000 robots, then being by far the largest customer of Locus Robotics worldwide.