When it comes to robotics, China is thinking big—and long-term. The goal: to turn its own economy into a powerhouse powered by robots, while also becoming the world’s leader in manufacturing the technology. “They’re investing in long-term strategic planning and have the muscle to enforce it,” says Frank Tobe, editor of The Robot Report. Lots of […]

Sure, the market for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), more commonly known as drones, is booming.  Revenues should reach $6 billion this year, with an increase of 34 percent, to $11.2 billion by 2020, according to Gartner. And the number of vehicles to be produced in 2017 will grow by 39 percent to 2,991 units, potentially […]

Located in Venice, Calif., TOMS’ flagship store is a cozy shop and café, where you can buy the company’s footwear and eyeglasses or sit in an open-air back patio and sip the brand’s fresh-roasted coffee. But while there’s also lots of messaging all around the place about the company’s mission—buy one product and you pay for another […]

If you enter your local pub and the background music is your favorite song, it might not be a coincidence. There could be a beacon behind it all. That’s because Rockbot, a startup music platform for businesses, is partnering with restaurants and other places of business to use beacons in and around the establishments, the better […]

Robotic systems can offer businesses a great many benefits: reducing costs, increasing productivity and freeing up humans to do less repetitive, more interesting tasks. But for many small to medium-sized businesses, buying, installing and maintaining them can also be quite pricey, especially if it means throwing out and revamping existing production systems. That’s where “robots […]

If you have any doubt about why governments engaged in digital transformation might want to involve their citizens, consider Singapore. Its open data portal has more than 680 datasets from about 70 government agencies and ministries, the public can access for free. Real-time data from government APIs are also displayed as maps or charts. By […]

An often-misunderstood, yet crucial, element in programmer productivity is the opportunity to collaborate. So, a few years ago, when the managers of an online travel company wanted to boost their software engineers’ performance, they turned to Humanyze, a startup specializing in one aspect of “people analytics.” Combining big data analysis with information from sensors and other […]

The startup world is bursting with companies tapping Internet of Things technology for a wide variety of purposes. Here’s our second look at three such businesses. A Wearable for Pregnancy Many women who are expecting, face the same frustration: finding answers to their questions. They don’t get a chance to see their obstetricians that often […]

At Panek Precision in Northbrook, Ill, the robot age is in full swing—and it’s collaborative. Two years ago, the 70 year-old family-run metal-cutting company introduced state-of-the art robots that were much more flexible than the equipment it had used before. Unlike their hulking predecessor, these lighter, more agile babies could be stationed right alongside employees, actually […]

A few years ago, when her mother turned 80, Jean Anne Booth decided it was time for an emergency alert device that could let her know if her mom needed help. The trouble was, her fiercely independent, aging parent would have nothing to do with the usual gadgets, fearing they would brand her as feeble. […]

A favorite source of financing for many Internet of Everything (IoE) startups is crowdfunding—specifically Kickstarter and Indiegogo.  It’s proved to be an effective way both to raise seed money and get a feel for potential market enthusiasm, as well as suggestions from helpful funders. Here’s a look at three startups that recently ran successful campaigns. […]

With packing and shipping products from Lid’s, warehouse duties used to be one heck of a laborious process. Lids, an Indianapolis company, sells fashion athletic headwear, team apparel and other fan novelties. In the old days, order takers—known as pickers—would get a list of items and walk around the warehouse, looking for the right ones and […]

If, several months from now, you notice that the person on the treadmill next to you at the gym has an odd-looking Band-Aid-like thing on his torso, don’t worry: It’s probably just a performance monitor. The product, called AmpStrip and made by Shelton, CT-based FitLinxx, contains tiny sensors that monitor heart rate and other functions and […]

Most of us don’t usually associate California’s Silicon Valley with public transportation. Traffic jams and technology, perhaps. Trains, not so much. But the city of San Jose is in the midst of a pilot using Internet of Everything technology to make it easier for people to use public transportation, particularly on days when the air […]

Forestry research doesn’t usually come to mind when you think of the Big Apple. But the 635-acre Alley Pond Park in New York City is one of the most recent areas wired to be part of a network of research sites in the U.S. called Smart Forests. Equipped with Internet of Everything (IoE) technology, the […]