A magnetic tool to enable a robot arm to grip a metallic workpiece includes a hollow housing having a coupling member adapted to attach the tool to the robotic arm. A sleeve depends from the housing having a shaft slidably received therein. The shaft has a first end disposed in the housing and a second end extending axially outwardly from an open end of the sleeve. A magnetic member is disposed on the second end of the shaft. The magnetic member includes a main body having a cavity formed therein. A magnet is slidably disposed within the cavity and attached to an actuator adapted to adjust the distance between the magnet and an inner surface of a magnetic face of the main body of the magnetic member to vary the magnetic attraction force at the magnetic face.

Provided is a device for wirelessly controlling robots suitable for competition or educational purposes, the device including: an input module configured to receive commands from a human user interface, the human user interface sending signals indicative of inputs by a user to control a robot; a protocol translator configured to translate the received commands into a protocol to which the robot is responsive; a wireless output module configured to wirelessly transmit the translated commands to the robot such that the robot executes the commands.

Techniques for navigating semi-autonomous mobile robots are described. A semi-autonomous mobile robot moves within an environment to complete a task. A navigation server communicates with the robot and provides the robot information. The robot includes a navigation map of the environment, interaction information, and a security level. To complete the task, the robot transmits a route reservation request to the navigation server, the route reservation request including a priority for the task, a timeslot, and a route. The navigation server grants the route reservation if the task priority is higher than the task priorities of conflicting route reservation requests from other robots. As the robot moves within the environment, the robot detects an object and attempts to classify the detected object as belonging to an object category. The robot retrieves an interaction profile for the object, and interacts with the object according to the retrieved interaction profile.

This video shows you how to create IBM Watson Workspace chatbots, using Open Source resources and the Watson Workspace framework and SDK, which help you develop applications faster and with less code.

Max the robot

Adam Poulsen

Loneliness can grow more acute in the twilight years, particularly for LGBT+ Australians. Researchers from Charles Sturt University are hoping that with a few tweaks, robots could prove worthy companions.

These are all programmable organisms called xenobots, the creation of which was revealed in a scientific paper in January.

BEIJING -- While other industries struggle, Liu Zhiyong says China’s virus outbreak is boosting demand for his knee-high, bright yellow robots to deliver groceries and patrol malls looking for shoppers who fail to wear masks.

Check out this qz article: The robot that takes your job should pay taxes, says Bill Gates. About 35-40 years ago secretary was the biggest job in most states. Those days are long past. As you can see by advancing the time bar for the USA states map on that page, by 2000 truck driver was the biggest job. So I have a question for Bill Gates: Do you want to tax word processors too? Also, autonomous vehicle technology will surely wipe out most truck driving jobs in the next 20 years. Do you want to tax autonomous truck technology to slow the rate of that transition? Keep in mind that thousands of lives will be saved each year once...

Daron Acemoglu of MIT and Pascual Restrepo of Boston University find that robots really do decrease human employment. As robots and other computer-assisted technologies take over tasks previously performed by labor, there is increasing concern about the future of jobs and wages. We analyze the effect of the increase in industrial robot usage between 1990 and 2007 on US local labor markets. Using a model in which robots compete against human labor in the production of different tasks, we show that robots may reduce employment and wages, and that the local labor market effects of robots can be estimated by regressing the change in employment and wages on the exposure to robots in each local labor market—defined from the national...

Researchers are developing robots that use AI to read emotions and social cues, making them better at interacting with humans. Are they a solution to labor shortages in fields like health care and education, a threat to human workers, or both?

Emiliano Sala was tragically killed in January 2019 in a plane crash over the British channel.

A chronology of key events

Key facts, figures and dates

A newly opened Delaware seafood restaurant has a unique item on its menu: robot servers. The machines are the latest example of intelligent machines working in the restaurant industry.

After nearly eight months of knowledge-gathering street tests and thousands of successful deliveries, Amazon has announced that its delivery robots have begun delivering packages to customers in Irvine, Calif.

How do you help millions of passengers navigate one of the world's largest airports? In Turkey, the answer is a fleet of humanoid robots.

A British firm claims it has been hired by a mysterious robotics company to find the perfect face for a new fleet of humanoid robots.

Robots are showing up in more and more hotels all over the world. A Washington Post reporter's video captures what it's like to interact with one.

• A hospital in India is using robots to screen possible coronavirus patients.
• The humanoid robot, called Mitra, uses a handheld thermal camera to evaluate patients before sending them on to healthcare workers.
• Thermal imaging is being tested in other countries as a way to check for coronavirus symptoms. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

India is yet another country using robots to take some of the burden off of HealthCare workers, with a humanoid robot named Mitra that takes patients' temperatures using a thermal camera.

India's 1.3 billion residents have been under lockdown since March 24, and last week the orders were extended for at least another two weeks. "To save India and every Indian, there will be a total ban on venturing out of your homes," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. In late April, some convenience stores were allowed to reopen, but specific rules vary by state.

The Indian government has also developed a controversial contact tracing app which shares residents' location constantly. More than 90 million people have reportedly already downloaded the app, and in at least one city, not having the app is punishable with six months in jail.

Meanwhile, these robots are being used in a hospital in Bangalore as the first screening for some patients who may have coronavirus. A pharmacy in Italy has implemented similar technology to screen customers for signs of infection. Here's how they work.

SEE ALSO: Stores in Italy are using robots to screen customers for mask wearing and high temperatures before they can go inside as the country reopens

The robots are a safer way for doctors to perform initial screenings of patients.

A tablet on one robot's chest allows doctors to video chat with patient without putting their own health at risk.

A thermal camera-equipped robot takes a patient's temperature without needing to touch them.

Using this information, healthcare providers can send patients to the appropriate specialist, and patients who are unlikely to have coronavirus won't be unnecessarily exposed.

After receiving a temperature reading, the robot gives the patient instructions for their next steps.

Some experts have suggested that temperature guns are not always accurate because they must be held at a specific distance, but the tablet mostly avoids that problem by instructing patients on where to stand.

Even the most accurate thermometers aren't a perfect measure to stop the virus, though. Infected people can go up to 14 days without showing symptoms, and some people never develop symptoms.

Source: Business Insider

• Colombian delivery app Rappi is testing pilot robot deliveries in Colombia.
• Rappi operates in several Latin American countries, and last year SoftBank invested one billion dollars into the startup.
• Deliveries are made using Kiwibot, a delivery robot from a Colombian owned company in California.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Colombian delivery app Rappi is yet another company turning to robots to reduce reliance on human workers during the coronavirus pandemic. 

In addition to Colombia, Rappi operates in Mexico, Peru, Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil. Last spring, SoftBank invested $1 billion — one-fifth of its Innovation Fund for Latin America — in the startup. It was founded in 2015, and other investors include Sequoia Capital, Andreesen Horowitz, and Y Combinator.

Colombia is currently under a lockdown set to end in May, though it may be extended again. Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported on the lack of coronavirus testing throughout Latin America, making it difficult to assess how widespread the virus is in the region.

Like in other countries, the Colombian delivery app is using robots to complete orders at a time when people are at risk of catching the virus from interacting with others. So far, the robots are part of a pilot in Medellin, with potential to expand.

Here's what it looks like. 

SEE ALSO: Nonprofits, truck drivers, food banks, and others are turning to a little-known Google Maps feature to navigate life amid the coronavirus pandemic

Rappi is using robots for deliveries in Medellin, the capital of Colombia.

Typically, Rappi works similarly to GrubHub or DoorDash, with delivery drivers picking up orders and bringing them to customers' doors.

As the coronavirus spread between people, options for contactless delivery became more popular.

Deliveries in the pilot program use Kiwibot robots, from a California company with a Medellin office.

The four-wheeled delivery robots have orange flags to call attention from walkers, drivers, and bikers.

Customers stuck at home because of the coronavirus can order and pay for meals digitally, and then last mile delivery is completed by the robots.

Robots can carry deliveries up to five square inches in size, and are disinfected between orders.

Source: The Star

Kiwibots have a stereo camera system to sense its surroundings as it moves.

The sensor system allows it to react to lights and obstacles.

Kiwibots are equipped with corner recognition, which allows them to create safe paths on sidewalks.

Kiwibot emphasized its robots ability to "seamlessly mesh into the fabric of urban landscapes," with technology like street crossing mode.

Source: Kiwibot

Rappi says it completes about 120 deliveries each day with the 15 robots in the pilot area.

Source: The Star

It plans to run the program until July, and then potentially expand to other cities.

Kiwibots have previously been used for deliveries at colleges including UC Berkeley, and Kiwibot says it has made more than 30,000 deliveries since it started in 2017.

Source: The New York Times

The Amateur Traveler talks to Spencer Quong who is a adventure travel guide about his recent trip to Botswana in south central Africa. After reading the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency his traveling companions were drawn to this country and its incredible wildlife.

Hear about travel to Botswana on safari as I, the Amateur Traveler, relates stories from his recent experience on mobile safari in Botswana's Okavango Delta and a Safari Camp experience in the Kalahari desert on a press trip with Botswana Trek.

Get the latest cybersecurity news, opinion and advice.

(University of Surrey) A new research study, investigating how service robots in hotels could help redefine leadership and boost the hospitality industry, has taken on new significance in the light of the seismic impact of the Covid-19 outbreak on tourism and business travel. The study by academics at The University of Surrey and MODUL University Vienna focuses on how HR experts perceive service robots and their impact on leadership and HR management in the hotel industry.

In this week's UK Tech Weekly Podcast host Matt Egan is joined by PC Advisor staff writer Chris Minasians chats about Facebook's new like buttons, the team has contracted smartphone fever from the Mobile World Conference in Barcelona and finally, acting editor of Macworld UK David Price, discusses Donald Trump boycotting Apple.  

See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this week's UK Tech Weekly Podcast host Matt Egan is joined by online editor at Techworld.com Scott Carey to discuss all of the news coming out of Microsoft's Build 2016 developer conference, before being joined by producer Chris to talk about the company's genocidal AI chatbot Tay's public meltdown (13:00). Then, acting editor at Macworld.co.uk David Price jumps in to discuss the apparent resolution to the Apple vs FBI fight (29:00).  

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Producer Chris dives in this week to discuss the HTC 10 release, and why it's difficult to get excited about good mobile phones. Then Techworld.com editor Charlotte Jee chats Facebook chatbots and other F8 news (12:30). Finally, editor at Digitalartsonline.co.uk Neil Bennett jumps in to discuss the new Amazon e-reader (31:00) Kindle Oasis and why everyone is kicking off about the price.  

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The gang muck in to discuss the hottest tech topics of the week (as is tradition). Deputy Editor of Macworld UK David Price asks Jim Martin what was hot at MWC, where phones are birthed or something. Then Techworld Online Editor Thomas MacAuley chats about the government's digital strategy. First question: does it have one? Finally Tamlin Magee, Computerworld UK's Online Editor explains how to hack a robot and why people will almost certainly use this for EVIL. Thanks for listening.  

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What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of drones? Widely known originally for their use for military purposes, increasingly, researchers, aid organizations, governments and private companies are exploring the many ways drones can be used for good. Otherwise known as unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs, these flying robots have started to transform various industries, including [...]

Helping health care workers treat patients and public safety officials contain the pandemic, these robots offer lessons for future disasters

It’s been a nerve-wracking few years for the traditional auto industry. One Silicon Valley VC firm speculates on its future in an interview with Bloomberg.

Konrad Karcz, Professor of Medicine and Head of Minimally Invasive Surgery at the Ludwig Maximilian University Clinic in Germany, spoke about the potential for chatbots to measure body temperature and other medical indicators in patients.

While human touch remains an important part of the process, artificial intelligence is stepping in, too, especially where people can't.

1 Seychellois Rupee = 0.7074 Botswana Pula

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