Brian Heater
Hardware Editor
The Latest from Brian Heater
WWDC returns to Apple Park June 5
There are some things you can set your watch to. The occasional global pandemic excepted, developer season is certainly one. After Google I/O and Microsoft Build, WWDC will return to Apple Park in Cup
Covariant’s CEO on building AI that helps robots learn
Covariant was founded in 2017 with a simple goal: helping robots learn how to better pick up objects. It’s a large need among those looking to automate warehouses, and one that is much more complex
Locus Robotics CEO on the future of warehouse automation
Any doubts that ProMat has become a robotics event were laid to rest the moment you walked on the floor at Chicago’s McCormick Place. Locus Robotics planted its flag in a big, expensive way front an
Turntable LIVE (née tt.fm) raises $7M ahead of public launch
The Turntable wars were one of the more fascinating stories to emerge in 2021 startup land (though I suspect those involved might dispute the matter). After years away, the beloved but bygone collabor
Apple discusses iPadOS 16.4’s new Pencil hover features
In October of last year, Apple announced that hover was being added to the Apple Pencil’s bag of tricks. What might sound like a minor update to non-artists represents an important addition to workf
6 River Systems co-founder on the state of warehouse robots
Robots have conquered ProMat. The supply chain and logistics show is a kind of perfect microcosm of where the industry is heading. Many of the show’s main attractions have moved from center stage to
Conventional wisdom
If you’d told me five years ago that I would be flying to Chicago in March to attend a supply chain and logistics show, you would have been greeted by a momentary blank stare, followed by the image
Boston Dynamics puts its robots to work
At first glance, Boston Dynamics is a strange fit for a show like ProMat. For decades, the firm has presented a flashy image to the world — a company well known for robotic highlight reels, from
Pickle launches its truck unloading robot arm
Somewhere along the way, ProMat turned into a robotics show. It’s no surprise, of course. Logistics and automation go hand in hand these days. In the decade since Amazon absorbed Kiva, same- and nex
Meet the new face of Agility Robotics’ Digit
There’s a broad range of thought on robot faces. It’s a surprisingly difficult aspect to get right for some very good reasons. For one thing, we’re hardwired to recognize and intuit faces, so sm
Goodbye, Google Glass, we knew you well
Update: Google tells TechCrunch that it remains committed to augmented reality, stating, “For years, we’ve been building AR into many Google products and we’ll continue to look at ways t
Mistaking performance for competence
A year or two before launching Actuator, someone on staff floated the idea of my writing a weekly robotics newsletter. I balked at the suggestion. Surely, I suggested, we would be struggling to fill t
Ember is in the baby bottle business now
Ember has been a fascinating company to watch. The Los Angeles-based startup entered the scene with a self-heating mug, only to leverage its temperature tech learnings to enter the cold chain space, w
Nimble makes the leap to fully automated third-party logistics warehouses
There’s a long-standing debate in the world of logistics robotics. On one side stand the greenfield folk, who insist that the best possible experience is one built from the ground up, with these aut
Verity raises $32M as IKEA stores deploy its inventory drones
There’s no shortage of startups attempting to put drones to work. There is, however, a longstanding question around the efficacy of such plans. Drones — especially the smaller variety —
Torch is building solar-powered outdoor sensors to spot wildfires early
The Nest Protect is the single best piece of smart home hardware I’ve ever purchased. Not everything in your home would benefit from being connected, but smoke detectors really do. They go a long wa
Apple’s AR/VR headset reportedly being pushed out due to ‘huge pressure to ship’
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Apple is building a mixed reality headset that’s set to ship this year. The company’s MR (AR+VR) hardware ranks among its longest-lasting rumor cycles. S
Mistakes were made (and that’s fine)
Forgive the scattered nature of this week’s Actuator. No big, overarching monologs this week — just a handful of things I’ve been thinking about lately that I’d like to get down on paper. I su
Wing likens its drone ‘delivery network’ to rideshare
Drone delivery is one of those ideas that’s been sold as “the next big thing” forever. Regardless of how bullish you happen to be on the technology, there’s undeniably a lot that has to be fig
Google I/O returns to Mountain View May 10
Google just revealed that its annual developer conference, I/O, will be returning to the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, California, on May 10. Like last year’s event, the in-person eve