Enabling The Next Generation Of Smarter Self-Navigating Robots Using Hybrid ToF Technology


Previous generations of robot vacuum cleaners have used a random pattern for cleaning that is inefficient and slow. Next-generation robots are much smarter and generate a map of the environment using sensors to localize themselves. This provides users with a floorplan of their home, from which the rooms and areas can be selected for cleaning or restricted from access. The new robots accomplish ... » read more

How Do Robots Navigate?


Have you ever been amazed by the graceful movement of robots and self-driving vehicles in unfamiliar surroundings? The latest technological advancements have introduced self-cleaning robots, autonomous vehicles with incredible navigation abilities. This entails navigating through unfamiliar surroundings, capturing clear video footage, and performing processing at the edge. What's truly remarkab... » read more

A New Class Of Actuators Mimicking Human Muscle


Developing robots with human-like muscles that produce autonomous movement is not possible using traditional rigid, high-voltage electronics. However, recent research funded by FlexTech, a SEMI Technology community, shows promise in incorporating microcircuits to do just that by directly controlling and operating HASEL actuators. The innovation could guide intelligent, goal-oriented robots in ... » read more

Robots Need More Human Skills


Robots need freedom. At least if they are working intelligently with humans. Out of the cage, into the open shop floor of a factory. However, with freedom, great challenges await robots, which previously only knew their small world behind protective grids and their highly specialized activities. Here they have to cope with humans who are vulnerable, sometimes unpredictable, but in any case al... » read more

New Robots Require New Ways To Think About Processors


We’re on the cusp of a revolution in robots. After years of relatively moderate growth, sales of commercial and industrial robots are slated to grow by 25% to 35% per year over the next decade, according to Boston Consulting Group, and could reach $260 billion by 2030 to meet the demands of manufacturers, retailers and others to streamline supply chains, enhance safety and boost productivity.... » read more

Are Today’s MEMS Gyros “Good Enough”?


The gyroscope market is heating up, fueled by increasingly autonomous vehicles, robots, and industrial equipment, all of which are demanding greater precision and ever-smaller devices. Gyroscopes historically have been a staple in navigation for years. However, classic designs are macro-mechanical, and high-performance units can be very expensive. For lower-performance applications, micro-el... » read more

Week In Review: Manufacturing, Test


Market research In the second quarter of 2019, TrendForce said that the top-5 foundry rankings remained identical with that of last year. But sixth to tenth place showed some changes. Who is up or down in what is a tough business climate? Global fab equipment spending will rebound in 2020, growing 20% to $58.4 billion after dropping 19% to $48.4 billion in 2019, according to SEMI. However, ... » read more

April’19 Startup Funding: Corporate Gushers


It was another rich month for startups, large and small. In April’s top 11 funding rounds, five were investments by big corporations or corporate venture capital funds—an investor consortium led by the SoftBank Vision Fund, PayPal, Ford Motor, NTT DoCoMo, and HAPSMobile, a joint venture of SoftBank Group and AeroVironment. Those 11 investments totaled $3.74 billion. Intel Capital was als... » read more

Week in Review: IoT, Security, Auto


Internet of Things A dairy barn without any people working in it. An automated greenhouse for produce. Coming soon, little robots that will weed crop fields and look for diseased plants. This is Rivendale Farms, in the countryside west of Pittsburgh, which is 175 acres serving as a beta site for agricultural Internet of Things technology. The small farm has about 150 Jersey cows, each of which... » read more

Machine Learning’s Limits (Part 1)


Semiconductor Engineering sat down with Rob Aitken, an Arm fellow; Raik Brinkmann, CEO of OneSpin Solutions; Patrick Soheili, vice president of business and corporate development at eSilicon; and Chris Rowen, CEO of Babblelabs. What follows are excerpts of that conversation. SE: Where are we with machine learning? What problems still have to be resolved? Aitken: We're in a state where thi... » read more

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