Robot makers pledge not to weaponise their creations

A growing number of robot makers are pledging not to weaponise their creations.

This week, an open letter – currently signed by six robotics companies – pledges not to support the use of their creations for deadly purposes.

Here’s a copy of the full letter:

“General Purpose Robots Should Not Be Weaponized

We are some of the world’s leading companies dedicated to introducing new generations of advanced mobile robotics to society. These new...

7 October 2022 | AI

Cyberselves reaches finals of global competition for ‘teleporting’ humans into sense-relaying robots

UK robotics firm Cyberselves has reached the finals of a global robotics competition for its tech which “teleports” humans into robots that can relay what they see, hear, and feel.

The Sheffield-based company entered the prestigious Avatar XPRIZE global robotics competition and is one of just two British firms to make it to the finals. The other company is Edinburgh-based Touchlab.

Daniel Camilleri, Co-Founder and CTO at Cyberselves, said:

“We are...

23 November 2021 | IoT

Robotics4EU wants input to guide Europe’s robot future

A three-year EU project funded by the Horizon 2020 programme called Robotics4EU wants input from the community to guide Europe’s robot future.

Robotics4EU aims to boost the adoption of robotics in Europe across a continent that is becoming increasingly sceptical of autonomous systems.

The initiative has released two surveys aimed at different stakeholders:

Robotics development community: https://www.research.net/r/3VQ6VXLPolicy and decision-makers:...

22 March 2021 | Enterprise

Construction begins on £22.4 million National Robotarium in the UK

The UK has begun construction of a £22.4 million National Robotarium in Edinburgh which aims to solidify the country as a leader in AI and robotics.

UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart said:

“The creation of the UK’s first National Robotarium in Edinburgh will place Scotland at the forefront of a technological revolution that is changing the way we work.

This exciting new facility, supported by £21 million from the UK Government, will create...

4 March 2021 | AI

Research: Higher robot densities linked to increased productivity

Research has found a link between higher densities of robots in a population and increased levels of productivity.

The study – conducted by supply chain specialists Balloon One – analysed countries with similar levels of manufacturing output and looked at their densities of robots and GDP per hours worked.

The UK, in particular, is falling behind in robot density:

(Credit: Balloon One)

The UK is the glaring example here but, aside from some...

19 January 2021 | AI

AMP Robotics raises $55 million to advance its waste-reducing mission

Denver-based AMP Robotics has raised $55 million for its AI-powered system which aims to reduce global waste.

Coming off the hottest year on record, with the US experiencing its first-ever “gigafire”, the worst Amazon fires in a decade, and devastating typhoons swamping the Indian subcontinent – to name just a few climate-related disasters – it’s more clear than ever we need to turn words into actions when it comes to reducing our environmental...

4 January 2021 | AI

Hyundai is acquiring lifelike robotics pioneer Boston Dynamics

Hyundai is acquiring Boston Dynamics, a pioneering robotics creator behind the infamous robotic dog ‘Spot’.

Spot went viral for being eerily close to being able to mimic the movements of a real dog. People were quick to note the similarities between Spot and the fictional unstoppable killer robots which appear in an episode of Charlie Brooker’s dystopian TV show Black Mirror.

https://twitter.com/malaymango/status/1309713556854599681

Boston Dynamics is famous...

17 December 2020 | IoT

British Army chief: A quarter of soldiers could be robots by 2030

The head of the UK’s military has said that he expects up to a quarter of soldiers could be robots by the 2030s.

Sir Nick Carter – a decorated general with service in Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Basra – made the comments to Sky News on Sunday.

“I suspect we could have an army of 120,000, of which 30,000 might be robots,” Sir Nick said.

In a paper called The Internet of Battle Things – published by the US Army Research Laboratory in 2016 – the...

9 November 2020 | IoT

WEF: Inequality likely to worsen as robots set to do half of work by 2025

A report from the World Economic Forum (WEF) predicts that robots will do half of all work tasks by 2025, with inequality likely to worsen as a result.

Concerns about the impact of automation on jobs are not exactly new, but most felt the timeline for significant change would be longer – providing more time for mass reskilling of the workforce.

The pandemic we find ourselves in is creating “a double disruption of jobs” with businesses reducing their employees while...

21 October 2020 | AI

Japan wants to establish global standards for human-assisting robots

Japan has opened a consultation with the International Standards Organisation (ISO) in a bid to establish standards for human-assisting robots.

Part of the reason for Japan's huge investments into robotics is the country's ageing population. Robots designed to help the elderly are becoming increasingly commonplace.

Japan has already created a national standard for robot-to-human interactions across a large number of settings including medical, commercial, and...

3 September 2020 | AI