In Episode 154 of The Robotic Report Podcast, editors Steve Crowe and Mike Oitzman focus on the information of the week.
Stratom President and CEO Mark Gordon joins us in the present day on the podcast. Stratom is a army contractor that makes robots for varied divisions of the US armed forces.
The corporate has additionally expanded to the industrial sector with its subject robotics options, together with purposes reminiscent of mining and development.
Hear in as our pal of the present Aaron Prather, from ASTM, sits down with Meghan Ziemba of Experts of Manufacturing to proceed our interview sequence from the Robotics Summit this spring.
Present timeline
- 8:18: Information
- 20:08: Interview with Mark Gordan, President and CEO of Stratom, together with Zach Savit, Stratoms Senior Supervisor of Enterprise Growth.
- 49:00: Interview by Meghan Ziemba, Experts of Manufacturing, with Aaron Prather, from ASTM Worldwide.
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Within the information this week
- Waymo updates software program after robotaxi drives into phone pole
- Waymo is issuing a voluntary software program recall for all of its 672 robotaxis after one autonomously drove right into a phone pole in Phoenix, Ariz. final month. That is Waymo’s second-ever recall. The Verge first reported the brand new software program recall. Through the incident, which came about on Might 21, an empty Waymo automobile was driving to choose up a passenger. To get there, it drove by way of an alley lined on either side by wood phone poles that had been stage with the highway, not up on a curb. The highway had longitudinal yellow striping on either side to point the trail for autos. Because the automobile pulled over, it struck one of many poles at a pace of 8 MPH, sustaining some harm. Waymo says no passengers or bystanders had been damage.
- Robotic gross sales in North America dip 6% in Q1
- A3 stated robotic gross sales in North America had been down 6% within the first quarter of 2024 in comparison with the identical interval in 2023. Corporations bought 8,582 robots from January by way of March for a complete of $494 million, A3 stated. In Q1 2023, North American corporations ordered 9,168 models for a complete of $597 million.
- North American robotic orders declined by 30% in 2023 after two years of report gross sales.
- North American corporations bought 31,159 robots in 2023, in contrast with 44,196 ordered in 2022 and 39,708 in 2021. A3 attributed the 2023 slowdown to “apparent points” reminiscent of a gradual U.S. financial system, greater rates of interest, and even the over-purchasing of robots in 2022 from provide chain considerations.
- Robotic gross sales to non-automotive corporations improve: Whereas total orders decreased throughout Q1 2024, orders from non-automotive corporations grew 16% over Q1 2023, A3 stated. Non-automotive prospects ordered 4,096 robots in Q1 2024, which accounted for 48% of whole orders.
- Main tractor producers internet hosting annual hackathon
- John Deere, CNHI, and AGCO, held the annual CyberTractor Problem. This occasion encourages school college students to attempt to breach the safety of each the corporations’ cloud-based options and bodily {hardware} reminiscent of tractors, sensible instruments, and completely different IoT units. JD has accomplished this for the final two years, this yr they fashioned a non-profit group with their opponents CNHI and Agco and are operating this as a non-proprietary occasion. That is an modern instance of how hackathons can enhance the product, whereas additionally enabling outreach to a brand new era of engineers, it’s an excellent concept.
Hyperlinks from the present:
Video: Humanoid chauffeur put within the driving seat for robotaxi future