For six straight quarters, there have been more than 300 drugs on the official drug shortage list, including essential medications like chemotherapy medications and pain medications. The Department of Health and Human Services blames the problem on “market failures and misaligned incentives.” Congress has been calling for U.S. manufacturers to bring home production of generic… Read more »
Robot-assisted surgery is now a basic part of healthcare, but robotics has not followed through on its promises in some of the other applications of robotics to healthcare. Arm robots are an example. Upper limb robots Arm robots, or upper limb robots, are specialized devices designed to assist stroke survivors in recovering arm and hand… Read more »
Elon Musk had promised — or at least predicted — that Optimus, the humanoid robot under development by Tesla, would be in the auto factories this year. That timeline has changed. Now he’s saying that Optimus will be in Tesla factories by next year, and might be available for other companies’ use by 2026. A… Read more »
Industrial robots in the factory are unquestionably useful. Their use is well established and also increasing over time. Then there are robots in other settings where they are becoming useful as makers learn what’s really needed and create valuable automation, such as in construction and agriculture. But there are also some fields in which robots… Read more »
It’s Prime Day, the day when Amazon and myriad copycats offer amazing deals. You need a robovac or a laptop? Get them half off if you’re quick enough. For many of us, Prime Day is either a rehearsal for Black Friday or a fun diversion for our coffee breaks. For warehouse workers, it’s another story…. Read more »
Rexroth electric industrial motion control is some of the best motion control on the planet. Of course, that’s a good thing. But it also has a drawback: you probably spend very little time troubleshooting your Rexroth drives, controls, and servos. You may go years or even decades with no problems with your Rexroth motion control… Read more »
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is introducing new safety rules to protect workers from extreme heat as climate change brings on more and longer heat waves. The new heat safety rules require employers to develop a Heat Injury and Illness Prevention Plan (HIIPP). Some of the requirements: provide 1 quart of drinking water… Read more »
a Chinese manifesto of rules for ethical user of humanoid robots was presented at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai this month. The Guidelines for the Governance of Humanoid Robots are the first ethical code covering embodied AI. The rules were produced by the Shanghai Law Society, the Shanghai AI Industry Association, the… Read more »
Bill Ford, great-grandson of Henry Ford, asked stakeholders to get together to decide on an ethical system for driverless cars. The problem isn’t whether to allow passengers to eat in the cars or how to respond to drivers’ road rage. It’s who should live and who should die. The car decides If a self-driving car… Read more »
