United Kingdom

Eighty per cent of non-executive directors (NEDs) believe their current board practices and structures are inadequate to oversee AI effectively, according to a new survey from Gartner, Inc. However, 91% of NEDs view AI as an opportunity for shareholder value rather than a risk.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have developed a robotic surgery system capable of performing procedures with the skill level of experienced human surgeons by using imitation learning, a machine-learning technique. This system trains robotic devices to mimic surgical techniques by watching videos rather than relying on hand-coded instructions for each movement. 

Brain Corp announced that its fleet of over 37,000 autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) has covered a cumulative 250 billion square feet worldwide. This development underscores the global rise in automation as industries turn to robotics to streamline operations and mitigate labor shortages. Brain Corp’s robots, powered by its proprietary BrainOS Robotics Platform, are deployed in sectors including retail, warehousing, education, and airports, where they undertake essential tasks such as floor cleaning and inventory management.

Although the Dutch edition of the Salesforce World Tour took place just this spring, Salesforce has decided to hold another large-scale event in the Netherlands: Agentforce World Tour Amsterdam. The rapid rise of AI agents warranted a dedicated event, Agentforce, to highlight the transformative role of AI entities operating alongside humans.

bound4blue has secured a major contract with Maersk Tankers to supply wind-assisted propulsion systems for five MR tankers. Under the agreement, bound4blue will install 20 of its autonomous eSAILs across the vessels, marking the largest single order for the company’s wind propulsion technology. Installations are planned for 2025 and 2026.

At the 2024 Automation and Robotics Conference, Mats Jonsson from Cognibotics demonstrated an advanced pick-and-place robot developed in collaboration with vision technology provider Fizyr. The demonstration highlighted the robot’s unique capabilities in speed, reach, and precision, optimized for high-efficiency automation across industries. Patented by Cognibotics, the robot combines AI with Fizyr’s vision technology to enable precise, adaptable picking and placing in various environments.

Researchers at MIT, Harvard, and Cornell University have found that despite their advanced capabilities, large language models (LLMs) do not construct accurate internal representations, or ‘world models’, that capture real-world structure and rules, which can lead to unexpected errors in similar tasks.

Serve Robotics has announced plans to acquire Vebu, a company specializing in robots for the restaurant industry. The all-stock transaction aims to expand Serve’s service portfolio beyond autonomous delivery into kitchen automation, offering restaurants a more extensive set of automation tools to address labor shortages and enhance operational efficiency. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, and the acquisition is contingent upon standard closing conditions.

Geekplus and Dr. Max Italia have been awarded the Best Use of Robotics or Automation in Retail Award at the Robotics & Automation Awards held in London. This highlights their collaborative efforts in deploying automation technology to enhance warehouse operations. Geekplus joined forces with Dr. Max Italia, a pharmacy management company, for an order fulfillment processes at Dr. Max’s facility in Telgate, Italy.

Yaskawa Europe has introduced a new series of hygienic handling robots designed for high standards of cleanliness in the food industry and life sciences. The first two models in this HD (Hygienic Design) series, the HD7 and HD8, offer payload capacities of 7 kg and 8 kg, respectively. Engineered and produced in Europe with the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA, these robots aim to meet strict hygiene requirements for applications in sectors such as food production, laboratory automation, and pharmaceuticals.