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Historically, humanoids have been relegated to robotics analysis labs. However, the tides are altering. There are a number of corporations growing humanoids to carry out helpful work in the actual world. And all of it started with Agility Robotics’ Digit humanoid.
Agility Robotics co-founder and chief robotic officer Jonathan Hurst will keynote the Robotics Summit & Expo, which runs May 1-2 in Boston. The occasion will appeal to 5,000-plus attendees and is designed to assist robotics engineers overcome the technical challenges of constructing business robots. The Robotics Summit & Expo is produced by The Robot Report and mum or dad firm WTWH Media.
Hurst’s keynote on May 1 from 9 AM to 9:45 AM known as “Humanoid Robots Get to Work.” It will discover the technological breakthroughs propelling humanoids like Digit into the actual world. Attendees will be taught in regards to the ongoing challenges and alternatives and can go inside Digit’s first pilots with Amazon, GXO Logistics and extra.
“Agility Robotics is the world’s leading developer of humanoid robots for commercial applications,” mentioned Steve Crowe, chair of the Robotics Summit & Expo and govt editor of The Robot Report. “Humanoids from various companies are starting to be evaluated by large companies to augment their workflows. Jonathan has dedicated his career to developing humanoids, and we’re ecstatic he’s coming to the Summit to educate us on this emerging technology.”
Hurst can be a professor and co-founder of the Oregon State University Robotics Institute. He holds a B.S. in mechanical engineering and an M.S. and Ph.D. in robotics, all from Carnegie Mellon University. Hurst’s college analysis focuses on understanding the basic science and engineering finest practices for robotic legged locomotion and bodily interplay.
Agility Robotics’ Digit heads out of the lab
Digit has been in improvement for a number of years now. But in late 2023, Amazon introduced it’s testing Digit in an R&D warehouse close to Seattle. Standing 5ft 9in tall, Digit can elevate and carry as much as 35 lbs (16kg), crouch, attain, decide up and put down. The preliminary use for Digit is to assist Amazon’s human workers with tote recycling.
“Its size and shape are well suited for buildings that are designed for humans, and we believe that there is a big opportunity to scale a mobile manipulator solution, such as Digit, which can work collaboratively with employees,” Amazon mentioned.
GXO Logistics, the world’s largest pure-play contract logistics supplier, can be testing Digit. It’s conducting a proof-of-concept pilot with Digit at Spanx’s facility in Flowery Branch, Ga. In the pilot, Digit is transferring totes off of autonomous cell robots (AMRs) and onto a conveyor. The AMRs, Chucks from 6 River Systems, convey the packed totes to a switch station. Digit then makes use of its notion system to detect the AMR has arrived.
“A lot of customers have dynamic environments, and it’s hard to predict what volumes will be during peak season, let alone Q2 next year,” Adrian Stoch, GXO’s chief automation officer, just lately advised The Robot Report. “How much volume will we receive in the different parts of the warehouse? That’s where having flexibility is critical. Even if that is predictable, we can potentially have Digit support the e-commerce side of the business on Black Friday and then have it walk to another part of the warehouse on any given day.”
Amazon, Disney, Teradyne, Medtronic to additionally keynote Robotics Summit
The Robotics Summit & Expo will function greater than 60 audio system and 40-plus technical periods. Other keynote audio system will embrace:
- Tye Brady, chief technologist, Amazon Robotics
- Ujjwal Kumar, President, Teradyne Robotics
- Disney’s Moritz Baecher, Tony Dohi, Morgan Pope
- Medtronic demoing a distant robotic-assisted surgical system
You can view the entire Robotics Summit agenda right here. Speakers are nonetheless being added. Now in its fifth 12 months, this would be the largest Robotics Summit ever. There shall be greater than 150 exhibitors, networking alternatives, together with the inaugural RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards Gala and a Women in Robotics breakfast, in addition to a profession honest, an engineering theater, startup showcases and extra!
Registration is now open for the occasion. Register by March 8 to benefit from early hen pricing.