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The Herculaneum scrolls, preserved yet charred and damaged by the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE, have long been considered unreadable. For over two millennia, the wisdom contained in the only surviving library from ancient times remained inaccessible. This status quo changed recently with a significant breakthrough with AI.

Recall.ai has secured $10 million in a Series A funding round to accelerate the development of AI meeting bots. This funding, led by Ridge Ventures with contributions from Industry Ventures, Y Combinator, IrregEx, Bungalow Capital, Hack VC, and other existing investors, follows a period of significant growth for the company, which reported a tenfold increase over the past year. The total funding raised by Recall.ai now exceeds $12 million, following a $2.7 million seed round in December 2022.

Using more robots to close labor gaps in the hospitality industry may backfire and cause more human workers to quit, according to a Washington State University study.

China has built the world’s first dedicated drone carrier, constructed at a shipyard on the Yangtze River, reports Naval News. This vessel, China’s fourth aircraft carrier, has not been seen until recently, despite being launched in December 2022. Unlike China’s other aircraft carriers, the new vessel seems specifically designed for fixed-wing drones.

Following the successful launch on April 18, the Leiden AI Community will hold its second meeting on May 23. The community aims to exchange knowledge and experience about AI, bringing together academia and industry in this university city.

The global hospitality robots market is projected to grow by USD 471.77 million between 2024 and 2028, according to a report by Technavio. The market is anticipated to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.19% during the forecast period. This growth is attributed to the increasing integration of Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) in the hospitality sector, enhancing customer service and operational efficiency.

Research led by the University of Massachusetts Amherst emphasizes the importance of input from guide dog users and trainers in developing effective robotic guide dogs. This study, which received the Best Paper Award at the CHI 2024 Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, highlights the necessity of understanding the real-world needs of visually impaired individuals for robotic guide dogs to be practical.

Unitree Robotics has introduced the Unitree G1, a new humanoid agent AI avatar. Available from $16,000, the G1 is tailored for both commercial and educational applications. The standard G1 model stands 1270 mm in height, weighs approximately 35 kg including the battery, and is designed with 23 degrees of freedom in its joints.

This year ABB Robotics is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary. Over this period, the company has grown into one of the largest robot providers in the world, offering hardware and, increasingly, associated smart software across various industries. On the eve of this anniversary, which coincides with Vision, Robotics & Motion in the Netherlands, Rocking Robots sat down with Kris Huyck, General Manager Robotics at ABB Benelux.

A team of researchers at Delft University of Technology has developed a drone that flies autonomously using neuromorphic image processing and control based on the workings of animal brains.  Animal brains use less data and energy compared to current deep neural networks running on GPUs (graphic chips). Neuromorphic processors are therefore very suitable for small drones because they don’t need heavy and large hardware and batteries.