Latest news with #BrianHart
Associated Press
23-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Black-I Robotics Wins Global Robotics Innovation Challenge
Chewy, Inc. identifies best robotics solution to warehousing's toughest issue 'With AI-powered vision, our system can safely identify and pick large, soft bags from pallets and place them into shipping boxes—automating a task that requires high labor costs.'— Brian Hart, CEO, Black-I Robotics TYNGSBOROUGH, MA, UNITED STATES, June 23, 2025 / / -- Black-I Robotics, headquartered in Tyngsborough, has won the prestigious Chewy Challenge, an international competition to identify the most advanced robotic solution for one of the warehouse industry's most stubborn challenges: autonomously handling soft, heavy loads—typically 40 pounds or more—inside fast-moving, high-volume distribution centers. The Chewy Challenge was sponsored by Chewy, Inc., the online marketer of pet-related products, including pet food and kitty litter, and MassRobotics, the largest independent robotics hub dedicated to accelerating innovation and adoption in the field of robotics. The prize was $30,000. 'Chewy's packaged products come in variable shapes and sizes, with different surface textures and levels of deformability, presenting a multi-layered manipulation challenge,' according to Brian Hart, CEO of Black-I Robotics. 'The packages' irregular geometry and low structural stiffness reduce the effectiveness of conventional suction or parallel-jaw gripping techniques, while inconsistent stacking and presentation on pallets further complicate object recognition and grasp planning. The challenge is multiplied when building mixed case pallets, which is often required. This was a deeply technical challenge.' Twelve elite teams from across the globe were chosen to compete. Over several months, they worked side-by-side with Chewy's robotics team, gaining hands-on insight into the company's fulfillment challenges, workflows, and performance standards. To support development, the Chewy team provided contestants with photos and videos of fulfillment operations, access to the Chewy robotics lab, and a comprehensive NVIDIA Omniverse simulation package, including a digital twin of the warehouse and 3D assets for a subset of Chewy's product line. The challenge aimed to enable teams to validate their solutions, whether as simulation-based prototypes or as physical systems ready to interact with the real world. 'Our experience building heavy-lift mobile robotic arms for government and private clients laid the foundation for Black-I's solution,' Hart says. 'By combining our proprietary mobile arm with AI-empowered intelligence and utilizing an autonomous mobile robot chassis, we present a practical solution that delivers value today—without requiring major changes to a facility's physical infrastructure. With AI-powered vision, our system can safely identify and pick large, soft bags from pallets and place them into shipping boxes—automating a task that all too often leads to frustration, injury and inefficiency. We're honored to be recognized as the best solution to this complex challenge. Chewy's continuous feedback was invaluable, and we thank MassRobotics for their support.' 'We're delighted that one of MassRobotics' own, Black-I Robotics, won this very competitive contest,' says Tom Ryden, executive director of MassRobotics. 'We've actively supported Black-I's efforts for many years, and have been impressed at how the company has worked so successfully to develop a robot solution for the logistics industry that is truly revolutionary. Congrats to the Black-I team!' For further information, contact CEO Brian Hart at 978-703-1236 or [email protected]. Visit us at Brian Hart Black-I Robotics [email protected] Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Toronto Sun
13-06-2025
- Business
- Toronto Sun
B.C. Ferries contract plays to China's military aspirations, expert warns
B.C. Ferries has hired Weihai shipyards to build roll-on, roll-off ships. An expert says China's interest in such ferries is military An aerial view of the China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards in Weihai, Shandong. Photo by China Merchants Industry An expert in Chinese state influence operations is warning that B.C. Ferries' contract with a Chinese shipyard to build four large ferries might help China prepare to invade Taiwan. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Brian Hart, deputy director and fellow of the China power project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington D.C., says China wanted to become an expert in roll-on, roll-off passenger ferries because they can be used as troop transports in any military action. 'They've started to adapt some of those roll-on, roll-off passenger ferries to be able to support military operations, including amphibious landing operations,' he said. China, which insists Taiwan is an integral part of China, has long been feared in the West to be preparing to seize the island by military force. However, Hart said China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyard, while state controlled, is not owned by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation, which has been tasked with building China's navy, making it 'less problematic' than other shipyards in China. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. He is also glad to see that B.C. Ferries has taken the step to install all of its IT and vessel software in Canada after the ships are built, because not doing so could have left the corporation open to cybersecurity risks. 'I think that's a good best practice if a company is still buying from a Chinese shipyard,' said Hart. 'It helps, not with just cybersecurity, but also potentially with technological transfer to to China, which is an issue in itself.' Benjamin Fung, a professor in McGill's school of information studies, said that allowing China access to the internal systems of the ferries could have given the country the ability to plant a Trojan horse that could be used to stop them from working in a moment of geopolitical crisis. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. He said this has been evidenced in Russia's attack on Ukraine where Vladimir Putin's army used cyberattacks in the lead-up to the invasion. 'Given the geopolitical tension, it is difficult to guarantee the security of the ferries during 'critical moments', such as military action in the Taiwan Strait,' said Fung in an email to Postmedia. 'China may not have much interest in the confidentiality of the ferries, but it is possible to make the ferries stop functioning.' Part of the problem for companies like B.C. Ferries is that China has come to so thoroughly dominate the global shipbuilding industry, building roughly 60 per cent of all ships worldwide, that the ferry company didn't have much choice when going through the procurement process. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Although B.C. Ferries has used shipyards in countries like Poland, Romania and Germany in the past, this isn't always possible, according to Hart. 'I think it's a challenge where China's rise and dominance has undercut other players in the industry, like Japan and Korea. It's also undercut U.S. and other countries ability to kind of maintain their own domestic shipping industry.' The head of the union representing B.C. Ferries workers is pushing both the provincial and federal governments to spend more on domestic shipping so that issues like this don't arise in the future. Eric McNeely, president of the B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers' Union, said it isn't that companies like Seaspan in B.C. don't have the capacity, but that they can't compete with Chinese firms that have massive state subsidies and cheap labour. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Society has become a little accustomed to trying to seek out the most cost-effective method, right off the kick and not really looking at what that means long-term,' he said. 'That's okay, maybe for an iPhone that you have for two years. But it's a little different when you're looking at ships that are going to be in service, carrying humans for 40, 50 or 60 years.' McNeely acknowledged that building the ships at home would likely take longer and cost more, but said it could benefit B.C. by creating thousands of jobs and developing a world class shipbuilding industry in a country with one of the world's largest coastlines. He said he worries about the safety of his members who will be sent to China to oversee the project given the arrests of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor in 2018 after Canada detained Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Neither B.C. Ferries CEO Nicolas Jimenez or board chair Joy MacPhail were available for comment Thursday. Postmedia asked the corporation whether it knew the reasoning for why China has come to specialize in roll-on, roll-off ferries and what the added time and cost would be if it were to build the ferries domestically. The corporation was also asked who it had consulted in the provincial and federal governments about the contract offer to Weihai and whether the province could force B.C. Ferries to retract the contract if it wanted to. It didn't answer the questions, but said its contract is 'consistent with established practice across the Canadian marine sector' noting that over 100 ships have been constructed in China over the past decade for companies such as Seaspan, Canada Steamship Lines and federal ferry corporation Marine Atlantic. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. B.C. Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth has been critical of the deal but there is no indication he plans to intervene to force B.C. Ferries to build elsewhere. In a statement to Postmedia on Thursday, his ministry said it had been informed of the decision ahead of time, at which point Farnworth put his concerns to the ferry service about signing a contract actively engaged in a trade war with Canada. 'While it's disappointing there could not be more Canadian content in this contract, it's clear B.C. needs these new boats and needs them quickly,' said Farnworth. The ministry disputed the notion that the government can do anything about the contract, despite the fact that the provincial government is the corporation's only shareholder and MacPhail is a former NDP cabinet minister. Read More Toronto Maple Leafs Columnists Columnists Toronto & GTA Sunshine Girls
Vancouver Sun
13-06-2025
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
B.C. Ferries contract plays to China's military aspirations, expert warns
An expert in Chinese state influence operations is warning that B.C. Ferries' contract with a Chinese shipyard to build four large ferries might help China prepare to invade Taiwan. Brian Hart, deputy director and fellow of the China power project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington D.C., says China wanted to become an expert in roll-on, roll-off passenger ferries because they can be used as troop transports in any military action. 'They've started to adapt some of those roll-on, roll-off passenger ferries to be able to support military operations, including amphibious landing operations,' he said. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. China, which insists Taiwan is an integral part of China, has long been feared in the West to be preparing to seize the island by military force. However, Hart said China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyard, while state controlled, is not owned by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation, which has been tasked with building China's navy, making it 'less problematic' than other shipyards in China. He is also glad to see that B.C. Ferries has taken the step to install all of its IT and vessel software in Canada after the ships are built, because not doing so could have left the corporation open to cybersecurity risks. 'I think that's a good best practice if a company is still buying from a Chinese shipyard,' said Hart. 'It helps, not with just cybersecurity, but also potentially with technological transfer to to China, which is an issue in itself.' Benjamin Fung, a professor in McGill's school of information studies, said that allowing China access to the internal systems of the ferries could have given the country the ability to plant a Trojan horse that could be used to stop them from working in a moment of geopolitical crisis. He said this has been evidenced in Russia's attack on Ukraine where Vladimir Putin's army used cyberattacks in the lead-up to the invasion. 'Given the geopolitical tension, it is difficult to guarantee the security of the ferries during 'critical moments', such as military action in the Taiwan Strait,' said Fung in an email to Postmedia. 'China may not have much interest in the confidentiality of the ferries, but it is possible to make the ferries stop functioning.' Part of the problem for companies like B.C. Ferries is that China has come to so thoroughly dominate the global shipbuilding industry, building roughly 60 per cent of all ships worldwide, that the ferry company didn't have much choice when going through the procurement process. Although B.C. Ferries has used shipyards in countries like Poland, Romania and Germany in the past, this isn't always possible, according to Hart. 'I think it's a challenge where China's rise and dominance has undercut other players in the industry, like Japan and Korea. It's also undercut U.S. and other countries ability to kind of maintain their own domestic shipping industry.' The head of the union representing B.C. Ferries workers is pushing both the provincial and federal governments to spend more on domestic shipping so that issues like this don't arise in the future. Eric McNeely, president of the B.C. Ferry and Marine Workers' Union, said it isn't that companies like Seaspan in B.C. don't have the capacity, but that they can't compete with Chinese firms that have massive state subsidies and cheap labour. 'Society has become a little accustomed to trying to seek out the most cost-effective method, right off the kick and not really looking at what that means long-term,' he said. 'That's okay, maybe for an iPhone that you have for two years. But it's a little different when you're looking at ships that are going to be in service, carrying humans for 40, 50 or 60 years.' McNeely acknowledged that building the ships at home would likely take longer and cost more, but said it could benefit B.C. by creating thousands of jobs and developing a world class shipbuilding industry in a country with one of the world's largest coastlines. He said he worries about the safety of his members who will be sent to China to oversee the project given the arrests of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor in 2018 after Canada detained Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou. Neither B.C. Ferries CEO Nicolas Jimenez or board chair Joy MacPhail were available for comment Thursday. Postmedia asked the corporation whether it knew the reasoning for why China has come to specialize in roll-on, roll-off ferries and what the added time and cost would be if it were to build the ferries domestically. The corporation was also asked who it had consulted in the provincial and federal governments about the contract offer to Weihai and whether the province could force B.C. Ferries to retract the contract if it wanted to. It didn't answer the questions, but said its contract is 'consistent with established practice across the Canadian marine sector' noting that over 100 ships have been constructed in China over the past decade for companies such as Seaspan, Canada Steamship Lines and federal ferry corporation Marine Atlantic. B.C. Transportation Minister Mike Farnworth has been critical of the deal but there is no indication he plans to intervene to force B.C. Ferries to build elsewhere. In a statement to Postmedia on Thursday, his ministry said it had been informed of the decision ahead of time, at which point Farnworth put his concerns to the ferry service about signing a contract actively engaged in a trade war with Canada. Farnworth told Postmedia in an interview that he had learned of the choice about a month in advance but said B.C. Ferries had told him it would have cost B.C. Ferries an additional $1.2 billion to build the ships in Europe. 'I know B.C. Ferries will be wanting to build more ships in the future, and I want to ensure that as much of that as possible is done here in B.C. and Canada,' said Farnworth. 'I've asked for work within my ministry in terms of what is required to ensure that happens. I know right now that Seaspan is full with the work they're doing for the federal government.' The ministry disputed the notion that the government can do anything about the contract, despite the fact that the provincial government is the corporation's only shareholder and MacPhail is a former NDP cabinet minister. As for concern over the dual commercial-military uses of Chinese shipyards, Farnworth said that the Asian country is hardly unique in combining the two. 'Shipyards all over the world are used for building commercial vessels and for military vessels. Our shipyards build military vessels as well' he said. 'That is why I think it is important that we look at how we can ensure that we can build ships here in our own country, in the future.'
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How foreign buyers are inadvertently feeding China's shipbuilding juggernaut and fueling its naval rise
China's shipbuilding industry is massive, pumping out commercial and military vessels. The blur between commercial and military shipbuilding has given China an edge in the industry. New research notes that foreign buyers are fueling China's shipbuilding prowess. The Chinese shipbuilding industry eclipses the rest of the world by capacity. The juggernaut boasts a dominant commercial sector and substantial growth in its navy. A new research paper from the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank shows that foreign buyers are inadvertently fueling China's naval rise. The authors, Matthew Funaiole, Brian Hart, and Aidan Powers-Riggs, found that "a disproportionate share of China's commercial shipbuilding occurs at shipyards that are closely intertwined with the country's sprawling defense industrial base." Due to the close ties between China's commercial shipbuilding, which is largely supported by foreign buyers, and China's military shipbuilding, "foreign firms have funneled billions of dollars of revenue into entities that are central to China's naval modernization," they wrote. In the new CSIS report, China's shipbuilding is broken into four tiers, with higher ones having closer ties to military building. While Tier 1 and 2 yards represent just 15% of active shipyards in China, they produce 40% of its commercial output by tonnage. And over 75% of the production at these yards goes to foreign buyers outside of China or Hong Kong. Additionally, the authors explained, "foreign firms have also provided China's defense contractors with key dual-use shipbuilding technology through joint ventures, licensing agreements, and direct purchases" that have helped China overcome technological obstacles as it expands its capacity. Even when military and commercial production aren't linked, China's overall shipbuilding capabilities, techniques, personnel, and infrastructure give it an edge. The report also said that China's industrial policies, too, are causing issues for the US and its allies. Japan and South Korea are losing market share, and China's expansion into the high-value markets like cruise ships is hurting European shipbuilders. And that comes, the CSIS report notes, as "China's key naval shipbuilders continue to benefit from access to financial markets in the United States and its allies." China's industry has over 230 times the capacity of the US, per Office of Naval Intelligence estimates, representing over 50% of the total global shipbuilding capacity. South Korea and Japan are second and third, respectively, to China. US officials and analysts have pointed to these Pacific allies as examples of what's possible in shipyard modernization and effectiveness. Some of the biggest shipbuilding capacity in China comes from yards operated by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation and its subsidiaries. The CSIS researchers note that "the firm built more commercial vessels by tonnage in 2024 than the entire US shipbuilding industry has built since the end of World War II." China's vast industry, many shipyards, and investments have allowed it to grow a regional navy into a formidable force. The People's Liberation Army's Navy is the largest in the world, with a battle force of over 370 ships and submarines, per the Pentagon's report on China's military released last December. That includes more than 140 major surface combatants. The PLAN is on track to increase that number to about 425 by the end of the decade. US shipbuilding, on the other hand, has atrophied, making revitalizing the industry an uphill battle. The US builds top warships, from modern, technologically advanced carriers to stealthy subs, but they're often delivered late and over budget. Getting the industry back on its feet is a priority, but it won't happen overnight. And there's a lot of ground to cover to compete with China's shipyards. These numbers have raised alarms in the US Navy and among leadership in DC, including in the Trump administration. There have been calls for strengthening the US shipbuilding industry and getting to the root of major delays and cost overruns of big warship programs and discussions on how to solve longer-term issues related to a smaller workforce and hollowed industrial base. In a China context, there are concerns that the US can't build the naval force it needs for a war and that it will not be able to sufficiently repair or replace damaged and destroyed vessels as it could during the Second World War. The CSIS findings highlight the continued growth in China's capacity and the impact that it has on the US and its allies. The report offers a few policy recommendations, including severing US financial and business ties with CSSC, leveraging diplomacy to encourage other countries to limit their ties, and making investments in US shipbuilding capacity. Key to the latter is a focus on the shipbuilders, particularly the workforce. Lawmakers, experts, and officials have said that the loss of skilled workers and the inability to recruit new workers due to a lack of sufficient investment in wages and career opportunities are central to this issue. The US Navy's plans to continue building and maintaining its fleet will come with a hefty price tag — $40 billion each year through 2054, according to the US Congressional Budget Office's assessment of the Navy's 2025 shipbuilding plan. But right now, the US Government Accountability Office has determined that "none of the seven shipbuilders that construct Navy battle force ships are currently positioned to meet the Navy's ship delivery goals." Read the original article on Business Insider
