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Interview: Fast-moving robotics and automation market prompts updates to forecasts

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The global market for robotics and automation systems is growing so fast that it’s causing seasoned industry analysts to revise their forecasts. 

For example, the Boston Consulting Group released a report into the robotics which it has now updated with new numbers.

The causes of the reviews include the relatively new interest in personal robotics technology for the home, and the burgeoning market in collaborative robots for industry.

Another key development is the launch of the Apple HomePod, which, along with Amazon Alexa and Google Home, looks set to automate a huge number of homes to levels never seen before.

[Read more…] about Interview: Fast-moving robotics and automation market prompts updates to forecasts

Harman introduces Sherlock AI system to help its designers and engineers find and put things together more quickly

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Harman International, a design and engineering company which supplies a range of products and services to automotive companies, has introduced a new artificial intelligence system into its company.

The AI system, Sherlock, is described as a “virtual colleague” for Harman employees, and is said to have completely redefined the innovation management workflow in some of the company’s divisions.

Armin Prommersberger, senior vice president technology, lifestyle audio division, at Harman, says Sherlock offers a level of insight into the business that would be impossible to gain without it.  [Read more…] about Harman introduces Sherlock AI system to help its designers and engineers find and put things together more quickly

Mitsubishi improves visualisation on its human machine interface

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The GT2107 Wide Series Human Machine Interface
The GT2107 Wide Series Human Machine Interface

Mitsubishi has updated its human machine interface and integrated what it says is improved visibility and performance. 

The company says the improvements to its GT2107 HMI were driven by “end user demand”.

Mitsubishi says the GT2107 is an interface that monitors and controls machine components with a graphical touchscreen that connects to equipment such as programmable logic controllers, variable frequency drives and servos.

The compact HMI features a 7-inch wide display with 800 x 480 resolution for clear image quality and is equipped with a remote connectivity option through a virtual network computing server. [Read more…] about Mitsubishi improves visualisation on its human machine interface

Bosch to build gigantic semiconductor production plant in Germany

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German industrial giant Bosch is building a massive semiconductor production plant which would represent the single largest investment in the company’s 130-year history. 

The high-tech facility, to be located in Dresden, would employ around 700 staff working on 300-millimeter semiconductor chips which Bosch says has growing applications in the automotive market, smart cities and on the industrial internet, all strong markets for Bosch.

The construction of the high-tech factory is to be completed by the end of 2019, says Bosch, and production is expected to begin at the end of 2021 after a start-up phase. Overall, the investment volume for the site is estimated to be around $1.1 billion.  [Read more…] about Bosch to build gigantic semiconductor production plant in Germany

Seven things to pay attention to when choosing a CDN vendor

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When your site is a slow one, you’re usually recommended to use a Content Delivery Network as it’s considered to be one of the most effective ways to speed up websites. However, it’s not the only benefit you’ll get when applying for CDN services.

Today, we’re going to discuss the main reasons to use a CDN and will give you some tips on how to choose the best CDN vendor.  [Read more…] about Seven things to pay attention to when choosing a CDN vendor

Cognitive technologies and AI poised to transform all manufacturing sectors, says Frost

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Partnership, collaboration, and technology investment crucial for growth opportunities, says Frost & Sullivan’s industrial automation and process control team 

The Internet of Things and data analytics are transforming the manufacturing space, and data is the new currency.

Currently, human intervention is needed for logical and reasonable decision making. However, with the rise of cognitive technologies, machines will be empowered to detect constantly changing manufacturing scenarios and respond in real time with minimum human intervention.

To be successful, manufacturers need to invest in artificial intelligence technology to improve plant efficiency and productivity, and build partnerships and collaborations that drive data-driven intelligence.  [Read more…] about Cognitive technologies and AI poised to transform all manufacturing sectors, says Frost

Book: Cognitive Approach to Natural Language Processing

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Book title: Cognitive Approach to Natural Language Processing
Authors: Bernadette Sharp, Florence Sedes and Wieslaw Lubaszewski

As natural language processing spans many different disciplines, it is sometimes difficult to understand the contributions and the challenges that each of them presents.

This book explores the special relationship between natural language processing and cognitive science, and the contribution of computer science to these two fields.

It is based on the recent research papers submitted at the international workshops of Natural Language and Cognitive Science which was launched in 2004 in an effort to bring together natural language researchers, computer scientists, and cognitive and linguistic scientists to collaborate together and advance research in natural language processing.

The chapters cover areas related to language understanding, language generation, word association, word sense disambiguation, word predictability, text production and authorship attribution.

This book will be relevant to students and researchers interested in the interdisciplinary nature of language processing.

Apple extends Swift programming language to support robotics

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Apple has updated Swift Playgrounds, its educational coding app for iPad, to include what the company describes as “new way to learn to code using robots, drones and musical instruments”.

Swift Playgrounds is aimed at students and beginners learning to code with Swift, Apple’s programming language for building apps.

Apple says it is working with leading device makers to make it easy to connect to Bluetooth-enabled robots within the Swift Playgrounds app, allowing users to program and control popular devices, including Lego Mindstorms Education EV3, the Sphero SPRK+, Parrot drones and more.  [Read more…] about Apple extends Swift programming language to support robotics

Qualcomm says it’s producing 1 million chips a day for IoT applications

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Qualcomm says it is currently shipping more than 1 million chips per day for the internet of things. 

The company made the announcement at its IoT industry analyst workshop.

The company says its production momentum reflects Qualcomm’s “unique ability to invent and deliver the technologies needed for the IoT, and to meet challenging customer requirements for interoperability, connectivity, compute and security”.  [Read more…] about Qualcomm says it’s producing 1 million chips a day for IoT applications

Video: Microsoft looks to strengthen partnerships with industrial companies

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Microsoft has been offering industrial companies a range of digital services based on its Azure platform over the past few years and is probably the leading tech company in the space.

Microsoft’s global infrastructure and Azure cloud platform enables companies with worldwide manufacturing or logistics operations to create software applications either specifically for their own companies or for other companies.

The company has also developed special connectors which can accept data from devices which use the OPC-UA standard, a data transmission protocol which is increasingly being adopted in industry for sensor-laden machines and components.  [Read more…] about Video: Microsoft looks to strengthen partnerships with industrial companies