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Innovations centered on the megatrend of artificial intelligence (AI): the finalists for the 2021 KUKA Innovation Award have been selected. Five teams convinced the international jury with their robotics concepts on the topic of AI. A monetary prize of 20,000 euro awaits the winner.

AI is becoming increasingly important for industry and the combination with robotics, in particular, is opening up completely new possibilities and applications.

An international jury of experts evaluated the concepts for the Artificial Intelligence Challenge and selected five finalists. The teams are provided with a KUKA robot free of charge and are being trained and coached by KUKA experts throughout the competition. The five finalist teams now have until the virtual Hannover Messe in April to implement their ideas. They will present their applications to a large specialist audience at the international industrial trade fair before the jury chooses the winner of the renowned competition during the fair.

These are the finalists of the Artificial Intelligence Challenge:

Implicit knowledge instead of complex programming codes: the goal of the team from theBrandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenbergis intelligent robot programming based on manual manufacturing sequences. The individual process steps are recorded by means of innovative data gloves and reproduced on the industrial robot using an AI-based self-learning system. The operator is freed from the need to formulate explicitly what the task is and how the robot has to perform it. Instead, the implicit knowledge of the operator during the manual manufacturing process is accessed. A corresponding skill sequence is automatically generated with this information, and the robot carries out its task without the need to write a single line of code.

Humans can often easily explore closed spaces with their hands and pick up objects without even looking. The application by the international team of researchers fromthe Indian Institute of Science and the U.S. Massachusetts Institute of Technologyaims to bring such capabilities to robots. The goal is for robots to explore, recognize and pick up objects in vision-denied environments using the sense of touch. To this end, the BlindGrasp team is designing a novel gripper with tactile sensing capabilities that gathers the contact and proximity information. This data, coupled with the force-sensing capabilities of KUKAs lightweight robot LBR iiwa, is used by a machine learning agent to learn motion policies and thus safely explore the environment and pick up objects.

Team Chorrobot

The goal of Chorrobot fromBelgiums Katholieke Universiteit Leuven and Flanders Make@KU Leuvenis to leverage artificial intelligence in order to enhance the productivity of car manufacturers as well as small and medium-sized enterprises by facilitating and expediting the deployment of bimanual robot manipulation tasks. The concept enables users without extensive expertise in robotics to demonstrate some aspects of the task and to intuitively specify other aspects via a graphical user interface. This approach facilitates the commissioning of challenging bimanual tasks including fixtureless assembly operations that involve non-rigid and non-fixed elements as well as bimanual inspection operations in unstructured environments.

Particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, collaborative robots could help to reduce human-to-human interaction. However, configuring these machines for a set of given tasks still requires a great effort. The team from theA*STAR Institute for Infocomm Research in Singaporeis developing a programming-free approach that leverages the latest developments in AI capabilities. The technology enables more natural and safer human-robot collaboration. This allows the robot to support operators, especially in a high-mix low-volume manufacturing environment. The concept from Team CHRIS is comprised of intuitive object and task teaching, activity understanding as well as multimodal perception (vision, touch and speech) and reasoning.

The COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing are increasing the reliance on remote work. However, the impact of online tools for the construction industry is limited. Team CRC from theChair for Individualized Production / RWTH Aachen University & Robots in Architecture Researchis therefore integrating automation technology into online collaboration. Cloud Remote Control enables users to run robots, monitor processes and adapt tool paths from the comfort of their home or international office. This increases accessibility to worldwide robotic production, adding layers of Industrie 4.0 device communication and artificial intelligence to path planning. In this way, Cloud Remote Control empowers teams to remain safely at a distance while still collaborating closely on automated construction.

KUKA launched the innovation competition in 2014, focusing on different technologies each year. The goal of the award is to promote and expedite the transfer of technology from research to industry. All information about the competition as well as the topics and winners in recent years can be foundhere.

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Artificial Intelligence Challenge: These are the finalists for the 2021 KUKA Innovation Award - MarketScale

09 February 2021

Clark Wilson LLP

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Welcome to the world of reproductive technology.

Many people experience the human desire to build a family, butcan't do so naturally. The reality is approximately one ineight Canadian couples face challenges with infertility. Most of usknow at least one person or couple who cannot have children,struggled to have children, or face medical or health issues thatmake child-bearing difficult or impossible.

Assisted human reproduction is a broad spectrum of medicallyassisted fertility solutions and treatments that continues to growand expand with increasing technological and scientificdevelopments. Some of the most common assisted human reproductivetechnologies include ovulation induction, artificial insemination,in-vitro fertilization, donor conception, and surrogacy. There arealso some more holistic approaches such as fertility acupuncture,Chinese medicine and herb use, vitamin therapies, and othertherapeutic or naturopathic aids. This article will focus on thescientific and legal inter-plays.

The concept of how family is created has evolved withtechnology, and will continue to do so with more excitingdevelopments on the horizon with the use of artificial intelligence(AI):

The above AI technology, together with more women considering technology-aidedpregnancy and freezing their eggs as a result of thepandemic, leads to interesting legal questions about theexpansion of fertility law, and further solidifies the fact thatbaby-making is an ever-growing science.

If you are considering reproductive technology as an intendedparent, AI fertility, donor ova/sperm, or surrogacy, a fertilitylawyer will you help navigate this process, and ensure that youunderstand your rights and obligations.

The content of this article is intended to provide a generalguide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be soughtabout your specific circumstances.

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Segev LLP

With the release of updated anti-money laundering regulations set for mid 2020, businesses engaged in the cryptocurrency & blockchain world will want to familiarize themselves with the proposed changes.

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Valentine's Day Series Part 3: Making Babies Without Making Love: Artificial Intelligence And The Future Of Fertility - Technology - Canada - Mondaq...

Among the most significant technological advances of the last few decade, artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, have the potential to revolutionize the restaurant industry. Already automation is making its way into fast food kitchens, where its taking on repetitive tasks such as flipping burgers and working the fry station.

AI, the smart technology that powers robocalls and helps forecasting models to predict the weather, may also soon play a role in the food service industry, not just by taking on simple tasks but also by dealing with higher order responsibilities like ordering food and writing menus.

OpenAI, a San Francisco-based software company that develops and deploys artificial general intelligence (AGI), recently put its GPT-3 software to the test. GPT-3 is a third generation, deep learning language model that draws upon information it finds anywhere on the internet to develop answers to user queries.

OpenAI put GPT-3 to the test by asking it to develop recipes based on simple language requests like beef bourguignon and Mexican lasagna. The recipes GPT-3 compiled were then prepared and evaluated by a group of volunteers. Well-known recipes developed by the likes of Julia Child, Wolfgang Puck, and Rachael Ray served as benchmarks for the evaluators.

Though GPT-3 produced some interesting results, its recipes, with one exception, were not scored as high as those developed by human chefs.

Nonetheless, the study illustrated AIs potential to take over higher order tasks like menu development and recipe creation. Thus the day might not be very far off when the product development chef at a restaurant chain is actually a piece of AI software.

For the full report on OpenAIs AI vs. Famous Chef Recipes culinary challenge, go to refluxgate.com/ai-vs-famous-chef-recipes.

Winter is a season during which restaurants have traditionally promoted game dinners. This year, given the unique circumstances under which we are all living our lives, those sorts of events arent easy to put together.

Delaneys Market has developed a strategy by which the Log Cabin-Delaney Group can deliver a socially-distanced game dinner experience.

Delaneys Market locations will be featuring a Game Dinner at Home this month. The four-course meal includes bison meatballs, a venison hunters stew, a wild pheasant turnover, and a wildberry cobbler with whipped cream.

Each take-home package is designed to serve two, and Delaneys Market is providing a cooking video to help those receiving the package finish the meal preparation.

Contact one of the three Delaneys Market locations - Longmeadow, Westfield, or Wilbraham - on Wednesday, Feb. 17 to order the Game Dinner package, which will be ready for pickup on Saturday, Feb. 20.

Pancake Sundaes Diner and Bakery in Westfield, a family-owned breakfast and lunch restaurant, has been turning out its own unique style of morning food since it opened in 2015.

Run by the husband-and-wife team of Frank and Shelly Baldwin, Pancake Sundaes is currently limiting its operation to Saturdays and Sundays from 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Pandemic-constrained operating hours arent curbing Frank Baldwins creativity, however. Every weekend he puts together an inventive menu of breakfast specialties to supplement Pancake Sundaes basic repertoire.

Offerings can include the likes of bacon-chocolate chip pancakes, apple crisp French toast, and Baldwins Dirty Philly omelet thats filled with shaved ribeye, sauteed onions, and fried peppers.

Theres usually an exhaustive list of eggs Benedict variations; homemade corned beef hash and crispy Homies are menu regulars. Each weekends specials can be found on Pancake Sundaes Facebook page, Facebook.com/pancakesundaes.

The restaurant, which is currently offering limited indoor dining as well as contactless to-go service, answers at (413) 572-6832.

Maxs Tavern at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield will be presenting its winter food and wine pairing dinner, Cabs & Slabs, on Thursday, Feb. 25.

The dinner this year is different from past such events. In addition to Napa Valley Cabernet varietals, the Cabs include a Washington State vintage by Canvasback Winery of Red Mountain, WA.

Maxs Tavern Chef Nathaniel Waugamans menu for the evening has a game dinner sensibility, featuring Wagyu beef tartare, braised wild boar shank, Denver lamb ribs, and a grilled bison strip loin.

The five-course menu will also include a chocolate raspberry mousse bar for desert.

Reservations for the dinner are available from 5:30 p.m. on through the evening. Cost to attend is $115 per person, not including tax or gratuity.

Call (413) 746-6299 for reservations.

The Munich Haus German Restaurant in Chicopee will be featuring a Valentines Dinner menu on Feb. 12-14.

Available as either a dine-in or a take-home option, the menu includes an appetizer, a choice of any two schnitzel or chicken entrees with side dishes and salad, and a house-made dessert (either red velvet cheesecake or a Black Forest cake heart) to share.

Upgrades are available, including a sausage sampler, salmon filet, or filet mignon option. Selected wines by the bottle are also available.

Reservations for on-premises dining are required, and take-home packages must be pre-ordered. Contact the Munich Haus German Restaurant at (413) 594-8788 for more information.

February limited-time offerings at participating Dunkin locations are, not surprisingly, Valentines Day-themed.

The chain is offering two heart-shaped donut selections - a brownie batter donut filled with brownie-flavored buttercream and a Cupids choice donut filled with Bavarian kreme and iced with pink, strawberry-flavored icing.

Featured beverages this month include a mocha macchiato and a pink velvet macchiato that features red velvet flavoring. Both drinks are available either hot or iced.

Participating McDonalds restaurants are spicing up mid-winter by bringing back Spicy Chicken McNuggets, a menu item that was last featured in Fall 2020.

Mighty Hot Sauce, spicy, garlicky, and slightly sweet, will also be around for the duration of this limited time only offering.

The Spicy McNuggets feature a tempura-style coating enlivened with cayenne and chile pepper. Pricing is the same as for the chains regular McNuggets items.

Partners Restaurant in Feeding Hills will be hosting dinner by candlelight on Valentines Day weekend. For dine-in purposes Mark and Sue Tansey have put together a special prix-fixe, four-course dinner for Friday and Saturday evenings, Feb. 12 and 13. Three dinner to-go packages will also be available.

The dine-in menu, which will be available from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. both evenings, includes a choice from among five entree options: braised short ribs, grilled salmon, chicken saltimbocca, ricotta ravioli, and filet mignon Oscar. Reservations are required for socially-distanced, on-premises dining.

Finish-at-home dinners include short ribs, chicken saltimbocca, or seafood casserole; sides, salad, and a dessert selection are included. Takeout orders must be placed by Thursday, Feb. 11.

More details on these special Valentines Day offerings can be found at the restaurants Facebook page, facebook.com/Partners.RestaurantCatering

Partners Restaurant answers at (413) 786-0975.

Chez Josef in Agawam is offering a delivery or pickup date night this year in the form of a Valentines Dinner for Two To-Go.

The all-inclusive, heat @ home package include a selection of hors doeuvres, a salad course, and a choice of two entrees.

Main course selections include filet mignon, parmesan chicken breast, seared sea bass, or lentil-stuffed sweet pepper. A surf and turf upgrade is also available. Dessert is part of the take-home package, as is a bottle of house wine.

In addition Chez Josef is offering individual meal selections as well as a brunch box that can be customizes to serve either two or four.

Curbside pickup is available at Chez Josefs Agawam location; local delivery is also available. An online ordering platform is available at linktr.ee/chez2go; questions about menus, pricing, and delivery area can also be phoned in to (413) 355-5393.

Hugh Robert is a faculty member in Holyoke Community Colleges hospitality and culinary arts program and has nearly 45 years of restaurant and educational experience. Robert can be reached on-line at OffTheMenuGuy@aol.com.

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Off The Menu: Artificial intelligence lends hand in recipe development - MassLive.com

It is no secret that the hiring process is being taken virtual. Several companies are using applicant tracking systems and other recruiting software to improve their hiring process, making it faster and more effective. One technology that has the potential to be extremely helpful to the hiring process is artificial intelligence. However, recruiting AI is not without its issues. The visual deep dive below explains the process in more detail, but let's look at the pros and cons of recruiting AI. Cons of Using Artificial IntelligenceUnfortunately, recruiting AI has the potential to develop bias similar to humans. If the AI is trained with data that reflects a human recruiters bias, the AI will learn the pattern and repeat it. This is exactly what happened in 2018 with Amazons recruiting AI. Their AI was trained off of ten years of their hiring data where the machine learned to identify males as more qualified than females. This hurts a company's potential for success immensely as focusing on physical or personal factors like gender immediately minimizes the talent pool. It excludes candidates who could be extremely successful in the position for a reason that has nothing to do with their qualifications.

Additionally, several HR professionals do not believe they are prepared to begin using a recruiting AI. The technology is definitely new to most people and there will be a learning curve when it is first implemented. Because the AI learns by taking in data from the recruiters, more pressure is put on the recruiters to use the AI effectively so it doesnt learn any bad patterns and behaviors like the one explained in the paragraph above. Initially, HR professionals and recruiters will have to work extra hard to ensure the AI runs smoothly.

Most of the cons to using recruiting AI can be solved by good programming. Programming the AI with unbiased data will help the technology to act in the desired way. With unbiased data, the AI wont consider factors like a candidates gender, age, or race. It will take into account their skills and background as well as their interests. The machine should also be able to consider if the candidate would truly want to work for that company, if the person and the company are a good fit together.

Once the AI is programmed to be unbiased, it can do a much better job than human recruiters at eliminating unconscious discrimination from the recruiting process. This will help to add diversity to a company, which is extremely beneficial. Diversity adds greater creativity and innovation to a business. Diverse people contribute different ways of thinking, helping the business conquer problems in new ways. Diversity also leads to higher profitability. The most diverse companies have greater rates of financial success and long-term profitability.

Overall, if trained correctly, a recruiting AI can be very beneficial. It can make the process easier, faster, and more fair to diverse candidates. However, if it is programmed poorly, the cons certainly outweigh the pros. Hopefully with time, recruiters and HR professionals will be able to perfect the use of recruiting AI and reap the benefits of a quicker and more effective hiring process. Recruiting AI can increase a companys diversity and profitability all while making hiring an easier process.

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How Using Artificial Intelligence Will Change the Way We Hire for Diversity (infographic) - Digital Information World

(Image: Thinkstock)

There has never been more demand for ways to translate strategy into action and action into outcomes.

The way companies sell, and consumers buy, has dramatically changed; especially post COVID-19.

(Related:Ways to Stress Test Your Business for Coronavirus Impact)

Bold changes are needed to support those changes.

Technologies to support the new virtual selling process are and should continuously be changing.

Onboarding has to be quicker and more effective.

Getting agents and advisors into production sooner has to be scalable, cost-effective and skill-development-sustainable, with development assets and systems playing a more critical role.

We have to have a method, system, and platform to help agents and advisors:

How do we do all this, on a budget and while seamlessly implementing these changes?

Thats where Im at right now, in the research and planning phase.

Its amazing how many companies are now marketing their services to the sales industry. Some seem useful, others seem like Johnny come lately, and a couple Im going to try.

Because a lot of what I do has been virtual for some time, Im always looking for a way to use services that combine or package some of the things I do anyway, like email marketing, creating landing pages, and making outbound calls.

Part of what I do is to help sales managers, agents and marketing teams improve their conversion rates by becoming more relevant to all customer interactions. Ive been looking for an AI-enabled platform to store my material, scripts, email templates and rebuttals, in a way that makes the conversation with prospects more relevant, so agents can close more.

I doubt getting email marketing, creating landing pages and making outbound calls in one platform is possible. Even if I could eliminate the cost of just one of these (I know Mailchimp can do the email and landing pages) Id consider it; I like to split test things, anyway.

It would be nice if an AI platform could deliver my content, in real time, during a call or presentation, to provide the right message at the right time for the salesperson.

(I know, Im a dreamer, but, if an 18-wheeler can be driven across the country using AI am I really asking too much?)

I recently came across a platform by a company called Sales Talk Technology, a platform with sales intelligence, sales content, and analytics in one place.

They use the right words workflows built-in,customization available, automate sales tasks,seamless integration into someones current CRM, etc.

But can I upload my content, customize it for markets agents/advisors work, could SalesTalks AI make my scripts, rebuttals, and templates available in real time, so agents and advisors could use them to improve their conversion rates, by becoming more relevant in all customer interactions, in real time?

I dont know, but that system is one of three Im going to try; Im telling you so, if you have any ideas, you might comment and let us all become aware of COVID-19-inspired innovation.

I know this much: We all have to make it possible for agents and advisors to be more engaging with prospects, at the right time with the right message, right?

If it was only possible. Stay tuned Ill let you know what I find out.

Connect with ThinkAdvisor Life/Health onFacebook,LinkedInandTwitter.

Lloyd Lofton is the founder of Power Behind the Sales and the author ofThe Salesheros Guide To Handling Objections.

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Post-COVID-19, Artificial Intelligence and Being Relevant - ThinkAdvisor