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by Andra
The impact on businesses of the ongoing US ban on commercial UAV operation can be seen in a snapshot of this week’s drone news. Drones are very affordable these days, and there is nothing to stop anyone purchasing a drone and deploying it for fun. But you can’t use drones in anyway for ‘commercial purposes’ …
by Andra
“Yet another ‘follow me’ drone’ says Chris Anderson – after three projects launched this weekend, including his own 3DRobotics’ open source ‘follow me’ feature for android. Extreme sports photography is the most popular application of consumer drones and at first glance it seems like a no-brainer given the success of GoPro, the rise of the …
Continue reading “Game of drones – extreme sports photography”
by Andra
120,000 robotics patents have been published in the last 10 years, tripling in rate from 2004 to 2013, according to the UK Intellectual Property Office Informatics Team. Unsurprisingly, there was a huge drop in robotics patent applications in 2009-2010, although not all industries were as affected by the global financial crisis as robotics was. The preeminent …
Continue reading “Global trends in robotics from patent analysis”
by Andra
The rise of online crowdfunding platforms over the last decade has created a whole new pathway for some robot startups. In the process, crowdfunding campaigns have helped to catapult hardware and robots into the public eye, captivating our imaginations. Quite simply, crowdfunding is a form of entertainment just as much as it is a form …
Continue reading “From imagination to product – crowdfunding your startup”
by Andra
Some thoughts on Robot Launch 2014 and why startups should enter: The world may be a harsh critic, but most good ideas die because they are given too much love. You’re probably loving your startup or project to death right now, and your friends and family are supporting you. And the more time you spend …
by Andra
If CES shows us anything it’s that consumer robots aren’t exciting, they’re appliances. But it’s exciting that we have a growing field of consumer robots, smart devices and appliances. According to the IFR, the International Federation of Robotics, the consumer robot segment is the smallest robotics segment but it has the greatest potential for growth, …
Continue reading “Doggone it, there are no exciting consumer robots”
by Andra
At least, Google is certainly getting more roboticists with the Nest acquisition that was announced today, even if smart consumer appliances are just barely on the robotics spectrum. Alongside Google’s recent acquisition of eight robotics companies, there has been a slow and steady flow of robotics talent into the Silicon Valley based behemoth. The small …
Continue reading “More robots or roboticists for Google with Nest acquisition?”
by Andra
Food drone delivery ideas are taking off all over the place. But is it a business or just an advertizing stunt? Tacocopter was one of the first although still more of a theory than a practice. Stanford Robotics Club is carrying on the mission and delivering subs to students. Joining the ranks are an African beer …
Continue reading “Food delivery drones. But is it a business?”
by Andra
The report is out – there should be rejoicing up and down robot street! Why? Because one of the tech industry’s most respected analysts is being very bullish about robots as the next technology trend. These are the figures that you wave around on SandHill Rd. This is what VCs and angel investors read. But …
Continue reading “Robots: the “ables” of the next technology trend”
