This Week in Power & Motion: New Boston Dynamics AI Institute to Advance Robotics Technology

There is much going on in the world of fluid power and motion control, from technology introductions and industry advancements to new trends and industry leaders. Each week the Power & Motion team collects some of the latest industry news to help keep our readers up to date on what's happening in the industries in which they work.

STLE Announces Upcoming Event Schedule

The Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE) has announced the schedule for its remaining 2022 event as well as those set to take place in 2023.

Upcoming events focused on trends and engineering advancements for lubrication and reliability include:

Second Annual STLE Tribology and Lubrication for E-Mobility Conference, November 30-December 1, 2022 (abstract submission deadline: August 15, 2022)
77th STLE Annual Meeting & Exhibition, May 21-25, 2023 (abstract submission deadline: October 1, 2022)
2023 STLE Tribology Frontiers Conference, November 13-15, 2023 (abstract submission deadline: April 15, 2023)

Edward P. Salek, CAE, STLE executive director, states in the organization's press release announcing the event schedule that there are radical shifts taking place in the field of tribology and lubrication. As such, STLE will provide industry members with the insights they need to address these changes during its events.

Other professionals and academia will address the changes taking place while providing information on research and methods for enabling advancements in tribology and lubrication.

Hyundai Motor Group Launches Boston Dynamics AI Institute

Hyundai Motor Group has announced it will work with Boston Dynamics — a developer of robots which was acquired by Hyundai in 2021 and operates as an independent business — to establish the Boston Dynamics AI Institute. This new entity will focus on making fundamental advances in artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and intelligent machines states Hyundai in its press release announcing the new institute.

The goal is to have the institute be a research-first organization says Hyundai which works to solve current challenges associated with the development and implementation of advanced robots. Hyundai and Boston Dynamics are looking to attract those with high levels of expertise in AI, robotics, computing, machine learning and engineering to work at the institute where they will collaborate on advanced robots.

According to Hyundai, the institute will bring together the best features of university research labs with those of corporate development labs. Four core technical areas will be of focus to aid with the advancement of robots:

cognitive AI,
athletic AI,
organic hardware design, and
ethics and policy.

"Our mission is to create future generations of advanced robots and intelligent machines that are smarter, more agile, perceptive and safer than anything that exists today," said Marc Raibert executive director of Boston Dynamics AI Institute, in Hyundai's press release announcing the institute's launch. "The unique structure of the Institute — top talent focused on fundamental solutions with sustained funding and excellent technical support — will help us create robots that are easier to use, more productive, able to perform a wider variety of tasks, and that are safer working with people."

Launching the new Boston Dynamics AI Institute will enable advancements in various robot designs such as the pictured Factory Safety Service Robot, which is based on Boston Dynamic's Spot model, introduced by Hyundai in 2021.

Allied Electronics & Automation Becomes Sponsor of Women in Electronics

As part of its inclusivity efforts, Allied Electronics & Automation has become a silver-level sponsor of Women in Electronics (WE). WE is a non-profit which aims to expand opportunities for and empower women and diverse talent in the electronics industry through various initiatives.

According to Allied's press release announcing the sponsorship, its involvement with WE will help fund the organization’s efforts to promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), improve environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies and support the continued growth of the electronics industry.

Like many industries, there is a need to attract more diverse talent to not only provide good jobs to all members of society but also to aid with ongoing labor challenges. More diversity brings new ideas and processes which can benefit businesses as well.

"Allied is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace environment, and we are very proud of our continued efforts to further improve on our current successes," said Katie Cartwright, VP of People at Allied Electronics & Automation, in the company's press release. "Sponsoring Women in Electronics gives us access to memberships that will allow our employees to capitalize on the organization’s wealth of personal and professional career development resources and allows us to bolster our own DEI and ESG initiatives while funding work aimed at improving those initiatives throughout the industries we serve."

REE Automotive Introduces Electric Class 3 Box Truck

REE Automotive, a developer of electric vehicle technology, has introduced the P7-B Class 3 box truck built on the company's P7 cab chassis. The new truck is just one in a fleet of vehicles that will be available for testing and evaluation by customers which make use of the company's REEcorner x-by-wire technology.

The REEcorner integrates vehicle components including steering, braking, suspension and powertrain into a singular package located in the area between the chassis and the wheel. It is independently powered and modular in design to enable each corner of the vehicle to be customized as needed. Included in the REEcorner is a high rpm electric motor, single wheel steer-by-wire and brake-by-wire technology, preventative maintenance AI and more which enable optimal control of all corner movements of the vehicle.

REE's new P7-B truck is designed to meet the needs of the growing mid- and last-mile delivery market which has become a key sector for electric vehicles as their size and range needs fit well with current battery capacities. By creating its own truck model, REE is able to not only demonstrate the capabilities of its REEcorner but also provide customers with a complete vehicle offering, making it a single source supplier. This ensures all components work well together—a critical aspect for electric vehicles—and the truck is optimized to the individual needs of the customer.