Google engineer Blake Lemoine got the idea that Google’s AI system, named LaMDA, was sentient. He is convinced that LaMDA is a person, and worries that the 13th amendment to the U.S. Constitution — that’s the one that forbids slavery — might be in danger of being breached by Google’s ownership of LaMDA. Google disagrees…. Read more »

Bosch Rexroth is investing in hydrogen fuel for internal combustion engines, but that’s not their only foray into green energy. They’re also working toward electrification of mobile working machines with their eLION platform. Electric cars are becoming mainstream and increasingly popular. But what about off-highway working machines? Excavators and forklifts, dump trucks and bulldozers — shouldn’t… Read more »

You know the game called “chicken”? It’s that pleasant little competition where two cars careen towards one another, inviting the prospect of a mutually destructive collision. The game really only works on a level playing field, however. Both parties must stand to lose something of equal value, and both parties must be equally motivated to… Read more »

At some point you will need to shut down because of some kind of malfunction or emergency—do you have a plan in place for shutting operations down safely and quickly to protect your workers and machines? You probably do. But do you also have a plan in place for what to do when the downtime… Read more »

Automation frees human workers from the dirty, dull, and dangerous jobs, improving lives and reducing costs for consumers. Sometimes it also solves problems. That’s the case with Ziggy, a new robot that helps with electric vehicles. Why EVs need help Electric vehicles have some real advantages. While it can take a long time to recoup… Read more »

When you’re building an industrial robot to pick and pack or tighten bolts, your design decisions can be pretty straightforward. Practical issues and branding may cover most of them. When you’re designing cobots (collaborative robots) or service robots, one big decision starts you off. Will you make your robot humanoid or not? Will there be… Read more »

The pandemic may not be over, but Americans are heading back to movie theaters anyway. Summer blockbusters are being released and heat waves will send people into air-conditioned theaters to enjoy thrills and chills on the big screen. There’s a fly in the ointment, though: a popcorn shortage looms. The popcorn shortage isn’t about the… Read more »

Hydrogen fuel is powered by the chemical reaction of hydrogen with oxygen. It’s a zero-carbon fuel, and can be used for cars and also for production of electricity in other situations. It is non-toxic and leaves behind only water. In other words, hydrogen is a cleaner and greener fuel than most alternatives. Filling stations Rexroth’s… Read more »

When you get an error message on your Rexroth CC220 /320, you are sometimes given the option to Clear Error. It’s tempting, right? There’s an error, you push Clear Error, and then everything is right with the world. Not really. Clear Error will completely erase the diagnostic message. It won’t correct the error. So, if… Read more »

The Association for Advancing Automation reports that robot sales increased by 43% in the first quarter of 2022 — and that’s just traditional industrial robots. Including other types of robots would have resulted in even higher numbers. This is a continued surge in automation and the rise of robots. 2021 was a record-breaking year for… Read more »