31 Oct: The Science for Technological Innovation (SfTI) National Science Challenge Board is providing $2m of funding for a project to develop adaptable, cheaply reconfigured, rapidly deployed ‘workforce’ robots able to learn from their environments. Project will examine how robotics can deliver an economic boost to NZ writes Stuart Corner for Computerworld New Zealand. SfTI said the project would take a long-term view and examine how robotics could provide solutions for New Zealand’s economic needs.
Specifically, the programme will look into automated and autonomous technologies for small scale, high value, production; delve into ‘learning’ robots; and look at how robots can operate in rugged outdoor environments.
“Researchers will seek to develop new paradigms in robot autonomy and adaptability, including predictive environmental sensor fusion, and automatic improvement of AI-based interpretation of data,” according to SfTI.
The research group will also investigate workforce robots that could ‘communicate’, learn, and collaboratively work alongside humans, and investigate ‘non-written cues’, and the use of icons to communicate and exchange information.
SfTI said the collaborative structure of the research project across academic, commercial and industrial manufacturing sectors would create a dynamic network of information and expertise that will generate new knowledge, skills and revenue.
“From a commercial perspective the primary sector, including agriculture, horticulture, aquaculture and forestry, will directly benefit from the introduction of highly adaptable robots. Robust robots can assist in pre- and post-harvest processes eg cropping, pruning, monitoring nutrients in run off and leaching, and manage environmental inputs like precision agriculture and nutrient management,” SfTI said.
The project will involve researchers from Lincoln Agritech and SCION, as well as Auckland, Victoria, Massey, Canterbury and Otago Universities.
SfTI Director, Sally Davenport, said: “this is a forward-looking project aimed at underpinning future small-scale production of tailored, high value robots with wide application and an eye on export.”
Davenport said the projects brought to seven the number of spearheads projects funded since the SfTI Challenge launched two years ago with a $32.9m budget. SfTI had also funded a further 28 smaller high-risk, potentially high reward, SEED research projects in that time.
| An SfTI release || October 31, 2017 |||
Sharp & Tappin Technology, a precision engineering company based in Devon, will launch its new advanced composite plate saw at this years Advanced Engineering trade show, which is taking place in Birmingham this week.
The Compcut 200 represents the company’s developing interest in the growing home market for the precision cutting of composites. This new machine has been designed to offer composites R&D teams and test centres affordable access to an easy to use though inherently sophisticated and robust plate saw.
“From our long experience of tackling the challenges of composite machining and taking a good look at the market, convinced us that there was a niche for a unit like the Compcut 200,” said Ben Sharp, Managing Director at Sharp & Tappin.
“We are confident that the 200 offers a tremendous range of features and benefits at an affordable price – easy to use with the minimum of operator training yet capable of consistently delivering very high-quality cuts.”
According to the manufacturer, the Compcut 200 enjoys a host of well thought out features that include:
Sharp & Tappin’s expertise in precision composite cutting is appreciated by its customers. “Our Compcut saws give us the ability to quickly and repeatedly produce high quality test specimens with a near zero scrap rate, - in reality the resulting specimens exceed the requirements of the common International standards,” commented Paul Yeo, Technical Director at CTE (Composite Test & Evaluation Ltd).
“The latest generation Compcut saws produce specimens to such a high-quality edge finish that no post preparation of the specimens edges to remove machining marks is required – significantly reducing the amount of specimen preparation times, which offers our customers significant cost and timescale benefits.”
“Above all, the machines are very simple to use and it’s not necessary to be an experienced CNC machinist to operate the unit – within an hour of training you will be producing accurate specimens.”
| A Sharp&Tappin release || October 31, 2017 |||
31 Oct: T
Britain’s manufacturing sector could unlock £455bn over the next decade and create thousands of jobs if it cracks the fourth industrial revolution and carves out a successful post Brexit future.
That is the conclusion of a government commissioned review on industrial digitalisation, published today and led by industry chief Jürgen Maier, the UK and Ireland boss of German engineering giant Siemens.
Continue here to read the full article on The Guardian || October 31, 2017 |||
31 Oct: "One bump, anything could've made that collapse", Tony Black told Radio NZ having being called out to fix a shopping canopy in an Auckland shopping area. The alarming thing is that this is not an isolated case that the company have been called out to fix with the item raising a number of concerning factors.
Continue here to read the full article || October 31, 2017 |||
Palace of the Alhambra, Spain
By: Charles Nathaniel Worsley (1862-1923)
From the collection of Sir Heaton Rhodes
Oil on canvas - 118cm x 162cm
Valued $12,000 - $18,000
Offers invited over $9,000
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242
Mount Egmont with Lake
By: John Philemon Backhouse (1845-1908)
Oil on Sea Shell - 13cm x 14cm
Valued $2,000-$3,000
Offers invited over $1,500
Contact: Henry Newrick – (+64 ) 27 471 2242