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Matthew Schroyer on “What is the best way to get a robotics education today?”
A quality learning experience centered on robotics is hard to find for many students who lack STEM resources through their own schools. Although new science standards hope to improve the situation,...
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Frank Tobe on “Is open source a good business model for robotics?”
To be able to choose between proprietary software packages is to be able to choose your master. Freedom means not having a master. Freedom means not using proprietary software. – Richard Stallman, open...
View ArticleBrian Gerkey on “Is open source a good business model for robotics?”
The IT economy has powerfully demonstrated what happens when companies can leverage open source infrastructure when they build new products and services. A company like Google would never have come...
View ArticleRobert Morris on “Is open source a good business model for robotics?”
The premise of this question is that robotics companies are manufacturers and that there is choice between an open source and closed source business model. Robotics companies are best thought of as...
View ArticleAndra Keay on “What were the highlights at IROS/iREX this year?”
For me, the highlight of IROS was the Uncanny Valley special session, although the sheer size of the IROS conference and the parallel iRex industrial and service robot expo also gave much food for...
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Frank Tobe on “What were the highlights at IROS/iREX this year?”
Two images remain in my mind from IROS 2013 last week in Tokyo. The respect for Professor Emeritus Mori and his charting of the uncanny valley in relation to robotics, and the need for a Watson-type...
View ArticleLynne Parker on “What were the highlights at IROS/iREX this year?”
I found the plenary speeches at IROS to be especially interesting. Marc Raibert gave an entertaining talk on the robots being developed at Boston Dynamics. It’s encouraging to see that robots are...
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AJung Moon on “What were the top stories in robotics from 2013?”
2013 was a year filled with talk of drones. I’m not saying this just because I’m biased by the recent news reporting on how large companies (Amazon, DHL, and UPS to be exact) are exploring the use of...
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Frank Tobe on “What were the top stories in robotics from 2013?”
As Editor and Publisher of the Robot Report, I follow robotics news closely, especially in business and finance. Here are my top picks for 2013: Google sets up Robot Division; acquires 7 startups to...
View ArticleAndra Keay on “What were the top stories in robotics from 2013?”
‘David and Goliath’ was the most exciting story in robotics this year. 2013 has seen huge companies showing an interest in robotics, starting with Apple launching Anki live on stage at their global...
View ArticleDaniel H. Wilson on “If you could enhance yourself by some robotic accessory...
The potential of robotic implants is limitless, but I am not interested in super-human powers. Instead, I’d be happy with human powers, and in particular the ability to remember. Growing up, I would...
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AJung Moon on “If you could enhance yourself by some robotic accessory or...
As a researcher in robotics, I tend to cringe whenever someone asks how long it will take until people start to see terminator-like robots on the streets. It’s a fun question to think about, but it is...
View ArticleMark Stephen Meadows on “If you could enhance yourself with some robotic...
There are two kinds of cyborgs – those that have broken the skin, and those that have not. Iron Man comes to mind as a cyborg of the second category, in that he can remove his enhancement (save for...
View ArticleAJung Moon on “What does it mean to have giants like Google, Apple and Amazon...
We have reasons to feel both excited and uneasy about giant corporations’ investment in robotics. It’s exciting for the robotics community that the giants (Google, Apple, and Amazon) are actively...
View ArticleMark Stephen Meadows on “What does it mean to have giants like Google, Apple...
Google, is the wild card for me. With more acquisitions (DeepMind, Boston Dynamics, Redwood Robotics, Industrial Perception, Meka, Schaft, and others) than Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Microsoft...
View ArticleAlan Winfield on “What does it mean to have giants like Google, Apple and...
Judging by the levels of media coverage and frenzied speculation that has followed each acquisition, the short answer to what does it mean is: endless press exposure. I almost wrote ‘priceless...
View ArticleMark Stephen Meadows on “What does it take to get from imagination to market?”
There are two parts to this process: the invisible and visible. Rodin once said that sculpture is an art dedicated to holes. What he meant is that great work is invisible: if you are building a...
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Andra Keay on “What does it take to get from imagination to market?”
The rise of online crowdfunding platforms over the last decade has created a whole new pathway for some robot startups. In the process, crowdfunding campaigns have helped to catapult hardware and...
View ArticleRobert Morris on “What does it take to get from imagination to market?”
This is a really important question, and one that our community should focus on more. That said, the answer is not truly profound or particularly obscure. It takes three things: doing something people...
View ArticleNicola Tomatis on “What does it take to get from imagination to market?”
RBI Update The short answer is: a lot of patience and perseverance! More seriously, this is one of the most frustrating aspects of entrepreneurship. High-tech entrepreneurs are supposed to be...
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