China’s integrated circuit (IC) output increased 8.7 per cent year on year to 37.6 billion units in November, as growth slows amid an intensifying US-China tech war and escalating chip restrictions. Growth of IC output – a broad measure of semiconductor production – has fallen to single digits for the first time this year, according … Read more
Photo: Shutterstock/Phil Pasquini (Shutterstock) General Motors’ Cruise robotaxi mapping unit returned to the Bay Area in September, about a year after one of its cars hit a pedestrian. That didn’t last long, though, as GM announced today that it “plans to realign its autonomous driving strategy and prioritize development of advanced driver assistance systems on … Read more
Engineering graduates in China often lack basic knowledge and their training across disciplines can be limited – and that could be hampering the country’s ability to gain a tech advantage, a survey of universities and companies has found. “The mismatch of engineering graduates’ abilities and company needs, a student appraisal system that is focused on … Read more
Figure Status Update – BMW Use Case Robotics startup Figure recently shared a new video showing several of its humanoid robots performing a task that could be applied to the automotive industry. Figure completed a trial deployment of its advanced Figure 02 humanoid robot at a BMW facility in Spartanburg, South Carolina, a few months … Read more
Last week, AI startup Physical Intelligence unveiled its first general robot model, π₀ (pi-zero), which can do everything from clearing the table after dinner to folding the laundry. Earlier this year, the company was valued at $400 million. Now, a Monday report shows that the startup has reached unicorn status, surpassing a $1 billion valuation … Read more
Boston Dynamics has shared a new video showing how its updated Atlas robot is able to competently handle workplace tasks using AI and machine learning tools that include reinforcement learning and computer vision. The footage shows Atlas operating autonomously, moving engine covers between containers in a relatively fast and efficient manner. “Atlas uses a machine … Read more
Spot at Michelin | Boston Dynamics It’s been four years since the robot wizards at Boston Dynamics declared its dog-like Spot robot ready for the workplace. In that time, the quadruped robot has been trialed in various roles at a number of firms, including for factory mapping at Ford, safety inspections at a Kia auto … Read more
Jim Cramer, the CNBC finance host with such bad takes they sparked an Inverse Cramer movement, has a new message for retail investors: Tesla screwed up its robotaxi launch, and now isn’t the time to go putting your money into Elon Musk’s no-longer-a-car company. Given Cramer’s history, this can only mean that Tesla is going … Read more
Driverless cars are speeding onto America’s streets, but whether the public will trust robotaxis remains an open question. Nearly two-thirds of Americans said they would not want to ride in a driverless passenger vehicle if they had the opportunity, according to a Pew Research Center Survey. That’s because residents in cities that have yet to … Read more
Elon Musk is on a mission to build new supercomputers. As the CEO of Tesla and his new artificial intelligence startup xAI, the tech titan has big plans for how artificial intelligence can help to supercharge his businesses. In January, he wrote on X that Tesla should be viewed as an AI/robotics company rather than … Read more
