Latest news with #NOVA
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Mitchell High grad Noah Larson, SDSU team impress NASA with moon rover prototype
Jul. 18—MITCHELL — Who knew that freshman year at college could be a chance to dazzle a group of NASA engineers? Noah Larson, a 2024 graduate of Mitchell High School and a freshman at South Dakota State University, was part of a team of fellow students from Brookings who secured the Best Prototype Award at the Revolutionary Aerospace Systems — Academic Linkage (RASC-AL), an annual contest sponsored by NASA and administered by the National Institute of Aerospace for undergraduate and graduate students. The competition took place in Cocoa Beach, Florida, in June. "It's a competition that NASA puts on yearly. Basically, they will give a theme for the year, or multiple themes," Larson told the Mitchell Republic in a recent interview. "And then schools across the country are welcome to submit proposals for how they'd solve that issue." The theme Larson's team chose was a small lunar rover. Dubbed NOVA for Next-gen Operations Virtual Assistant, the team had to come up with a design for a rover that would be able to do minor repairs, maintenance, and make connections to help set up lunar infrastructure for a lunar base that would be put on the moon by 2038. NASA earlier this year had announced 14 finalist teams in multiple categories. Among those teams were engineering university mainstays like Virginia Tech and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. NOVA was among two teams from SDSU at the competition, where teams had 25 minutes to explain their projects to judges and then took another 20 minutes of questions. The NOVA team, made up of seven freshmen and two juniors, set out on creating their rover late last year. "It had to be under 500 kilograms and be able to lift certain capacities for payloads on the moon," said Larson, who is studying mechanical engineering with a specialization in aerospace engineering. "There is a lot of cutting as much weight as possible while making sure it will still hold under weight." They submitted their proposal and began working on their prototype design right away. The rover prototype is one-sixth scale and equipped to perform a selected number of tasks chosen by the team, so the team chose tasks that could be readily shown off during the competition. All told the rover measured about two-feet by two-feet by two-feet. Larson said the team had focused on making functional the forklift system on the back, which was designed to handle heavier payloads, and the arm on the front to manipulate smaller objects with precision. One challenge that came with the project was implementing designs to help the rover survive working in moon regolith, essentially moon dust that gets anywhere and everywhere and can cause damage to manmade equipment. "It's basically just moon dust, but there is no atmosphere on the moon, so it doesn't degrade. So lunar regolith is basically just little saw blades," Larson said. "So anything on the moon has to be able to take care of dust before it shreds itself apart. The judges really hammered home on how you are going to protect your systems from being destroyed on the moon." Arguably the ace in the hole for the NOVA team was the fact that their prototype actually functioned, at least on a limited scale. While other teams presented models that would represent their designs, the team from SDSU brought an actual, functioning prototype for review. The novelty of seeing the rover moving around and showing off its functions appeared to be enough for the judges to give the award to the NOVA team. "It felt really good to be getting an award like that, especially because a lot of people show up with kind of a model of how their prototype is supposed to look. Some people do show up with a semi-working prototype. So it feels good to actually have something that we designed that can function and we can see work," Larson said. Traditionally, not every team even brings a prototype to the competition, but this year 13 of the 14 finalists did. Having the lone functioning prototype helped the NOVA team stand out, Larson said. With the competition over and the team now returned home, the prototype rover is set to be used as part of a master's thesis project of another SDSU mechanical engineering student. Larson, in the meantime, has returned to Mitchell to take a break from academics and to work at his summer job. Larson has aspirations of working in the aerospace industry, perhaps with military jets or in the realm of space. He has also considered working with Aerofly, a Brooking startup founded by SDSU graduate advisers. A summer job there would be a great way to get experience in the industry, he said. But for now he'll concentrate on his studies and next year's event. There was some concern that recent funding issues would mean the end of the RASC-AL competition, but Larson said he learned recently that the contest is indeed on again for next year. It won't be long before the organizers release the theme for next year's contest. When they do, Larson and his fellow budding engineers will be ready. "The theme should be released in about a month," Larson said. "So once we get that, we'll get to work again." Solve the daily Crossword
Axios
18-07-2025
- Business
- Axios
Houston Public Media faces future without federal funding
Houston Public Media says that any loss of federal funding could affect its ability to continue delivering local news and information to Houstonians. Why it matters: HPM reaches more than 2.7 million people each month across its television, radio and digital platforms. Catch up quick: Congress on Friday voted to cut nearly $1.1 billion in federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) through 2026 and 2027, marking a devastating blow for PBS and NPR. Zoom in: For HPM — which operates NPR affiliate KUHF (88.7 FM) and PBS station KUHT (Channel 8) — federal funds make up $2.2 million annually, or nearly 10% of its yearly operating budget, per the organization. In response, the organization has launched the Resiliency Fund, a $4.4 million campaign to offset the losses over the next two years. The fund aims to safeguard the station's services, including local journalism, educational programming and emergency broadcast alerts. What they're saying:"Public media was created to serve communities first, and that hasn't changed," Lynne Cook, HPM's chief development officer, said in the fund announcement. "Whether it's early education content, live storm coverage or reporting on your local school board, the real impact of these cuts will be felt all across our region. We're asking the community to help preserve something they already own." The organization notes it "has always operated leanly," relying on a mix of community donations, underwriting and federal funding. Popular programming — such as "Morning Edition" and "Wait, Wait... Don't Tell Me!" on the radio, and "NOVA" and "Party Politics" on TV — is costly to license and produce, HPM says. Zoom out: For some vulnerable NPR affiliate stations, CPB funding can make up to 50% of their total budget. Without CPB funding, PBS estimates that roughly 15% of its stations will be unable to operate. The intrigue: While Republicans have made some efforts to defund public media in the past, support for NPR and PBS has historically been considered nonpartisan. The big picture: The cuts are part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to strip funding from public broadcasters.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nova Wellness Group Berhad (KLSE:NOVA) Is Reinvesting At Lower Rates Of Return
Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing amount of capital employed. If you see this, it typically means it's a company with a great business model and plenty of profitable reinvestment opportunities. In light of that, when we looked at Nova Wellness Group Berhad (KLSE:NOVA) and its ROCE trend, we weren't exactly thrilled. This technology could replace computers: discover the 20 stocks are working to make quantum computing a reality. For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on Nova Wellness Group Berhad is: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) ÷ (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.082 = RM9.3m ÷ (RM117m - RM3.9m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to March 2025). Therefore, Nova Wellness Group Berhad has an ROCE of 8.2%. In absolute terms, that's a low return but it's around the Personal Products industry average of 9.9%. See our latest analysis for Nova Wellness Group Berhad In the above chart we have measured Nova Wellness Group Berhad's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you're interested, you can view the analysts predictions in our free analyst report for Nova Wellness Group Berhad . On the surface, the trend of ROCE at Nova Wellness Group Berhad doesn't inspire confidence. To be more specific, ROCE has fallen from 17% over the last five years. On the other hand, the company has been employing more capital without a corresponding improvement in sales in the last year, which could suggest these investments are longer term plays. It's worth keeping an eye on the company's earnings from here on to see if these investments do end up contributing to the bottom line. Bringing it all together, while we're somewhat encouraged by Nova Wellness Group Berhad's reinvestment in its own business, we're aware that returns are shrinking. And investors appear hesitant that the trends will pick up because the stock has fallen 46% in the last five years. Therefore based on the analysis done in this article, we don't think Nova Wellness Group Berhad has the makings of a multi-bagger. Nova Wellness Group Berhad does have some risks though, and we've spotted 4 warning signs for Nova Wellness Group Berhad that you might be interested in. While Nova Wellness Group Berhad isn't earning the highest return, check out this free list of companies that are earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Business Upturn
20-06-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
Grid Dynamics to Unveil Robotic Inspection Solution at Automatica 2025
San Ramon, Calif., United States: Key Takeaways: At Automatica 2025, Grid Dynamics will present TPGen—an AI robotic solution developed in partnership with Wandelbots to automate industrial robotic workflows that involve complex programming. The new solution dramatically reduces programming time—transforming what typically takes weeks of manual robot programming and analysis into automated processes completed in minutes through automatic tool-path generation based on CAD models. TPGen is built on top of the Wandelbots NOVA platform which enables seamless integration with a broad range of robotic manipulators. Grid Dynamics Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: GDYN) (Grid Dynamics)—a leading provider of technology consulting, platform and product engineering, AI, and digital‑engagement services—today announced it will showcase its TPGen robotic solution at Automatica 2025 , the world's leading event for smart automation and robotics taking place in Munich, Germany from June 24-27, 2025. The TPGen solution from Grid Dynamics, developed in collaboration with robotics industry partner Wandelbots , represents a major advancement in streamlining robotic inspection workflows for welding, gluing, and surface processing applications for manufacturers worldwide. Analyzing workpiece geometries, planning the scanning processes, and creating tool-paths are often a bottleneck in applications that involve robotic inspection of weld, seams, and surfaces. These steps might take significant time increasing both the time-to-market and the inspection costs. By eliminating the need for manual analysis and tool-path creation, TPGen enables manufacturers to reduce analysis and programming time, cut operational costs and overhead, lower energy consumption, and shorten time-to-market. The TPGen solution runs on top of Wandelbots' NOVA platform, offering an app for seamless and highly automated feasibility analysis, tool-path generation, and trajectory execution. 'TPGen represents a major shift in how manufacturers approach robot programming for inspection use cases,' said Ilya Katsov, CTO, Americas for Grid Dynamics. 'By automatically creating and optimizing tool-paths from CAD models and enabling truly automated workflows, we're helping our clients reduce analysis time from weeks to minutes while significantly lowering operational costs and energy consumption.' 'Wandelbots empowers partners and customers to transform robotic automation into intelligent, reusable, and scalable solutions,' said Katharina Jessa, Chief Revenue Officer at Wandelbots. 'TPGen by Grid Dynamics is a compelling example of what becomes possible with our platform — automating robot path planning for complex inspection tasks, drastically reducing engineering time and enabling flexible deployment across robot brands. It reflects the power of software-first innovation in solving high-impact industrial challenges.' TPGen capabilities include: Generate tool-paths automatically: Create and optimize tool-paths from CAD models within minutes—even for highly complex geometries—eliminating the need for manual analysis and programming. Analyze feasibility instantly: Perform automatic feasibility analysis based on workpiece CAD models to streamline planning and reduce setup time. Optimize processes intelligently: Minimize cycle time, reduce energy consumption, and refine execution plans based on quality metrics and real-time feedback. Integrate seamlessly: Connect with major robotic arms and camera systems through a hardware-agnostic design. Leverage advanced computer vision solutions: Support integration with custom or third-party data and image analytics solutions through a flexible architecture. Industry professionals and manufacturers interested in experiencing TPGen firsthand are invited to visit Grid Dynamics at Automatica 2025 at Wandelbots' Booth at B6.308. Live demonstrations will showcase the solution's capabilities across various inspection scenarios, highlighting its potential to transform manufacturing operations. Visit this page to learn more information about Grid Dynamics' smart manufacturing and robotics solutions. About Grid Dynamics Grid Dynamics (Nasdaq: GDYN) is a leading provider of technology consulting, platform and product engineering, AI, and digital engagement services. Fusing technical vision with business acumen, we solve the most pressing technical challenges and enable positive business outcomes for enterprise companies undergoing business transformation. A key differentiator for Grid Dynamics is our 8 years of experience and leadership in enterprise AI , supported by profound expertise and ongoing investment in data and ML platform engineering , cloud platform and product engineering , IoT and edge computing , and digital engagement services . Founded in 2006, Grid Dynamics is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices across the Americas, Europe, and India. Follow us on LinkedIn . About Wandelbots Wandelbots empowers enterprises to transform industrial robotics into software-defined, continuously optimizing systems. With its unified platform – including the Wandelbots NOVA Cloud, the Developer Portal and the Wandelbots NOVA Operating System – manufacturing companies automate faster, optimize smarter, and scale global operations with confidence. For more information, visit and follow us on LinkedIn . Forward-Looking Statements This communication contains 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are not historical facts, and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results of Grid Dynamics to differ materially from those expected and projected. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the words 'believes,' 'estimates,' 'anticipates,' 'expects,' 'intends,' 'plans,' 'may,' 'will,' 'potential,' 'projects,' 'predicts,' 'continue,' or 'should,' or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, quotations and statements regarding the expected benefits of our capabilities and our company's future growth including with customers, the TPGen Robotic Solution, and GigaCube strategy. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results. Most of these factors are outside Grid Dynamics' control and are difficult to predict. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to our ability to achieve its expected benefits, as well as any factors limiting our capabilities, the benefits of our services and products, and our company's growth strategy. Grid Dynamics cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. Grid Dynamics cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Grid Dynamics does not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. Further information about factors that could materially affect Grid Dynamics, including its results of operations and financial condition, is set forth under the 'Risk Factors' section of Grid Dynamics' annual report on Form 10-K filed February 27, 2025, and in other periodic filings Grid Dynamics makes with the SEC. View source version on Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with Business Wire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. Ahmedabad Plane Crash
Business Wire
19-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Grid Dynamics to Unveil Robotic Inspection Solution at Automatica 2025
SAN RAMON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Grid Dynamics Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: GDYN) (Grid Dynamics)—a leading provider of technology consulting, platform and product engineering, AI, and digital‑engagement services—today announced it will showcase its TPGen robotic solution at Automatica 2025, the world's leading event for smart automation and robotics taking place in Munich, Germany from June 24-27, 2025. The TPGen solution from Grid Dynamics, developed in collaboration with robotics industry partner Wandelbots, represents a major advancement in streamlining robotic inspection workflows for welding, gluing, and surface processing applications for manufacturers worldwide. Analyzing workpiece geometries, planning the scanning processes, and creating tool-paths are often a bottleneck in applications that involve robotic inspection of weld, seams, and surfaces. These steps might take significant time increasing both the time-to-market and the inspection costs. By eliminating the need for manual analysis and tool-path creation, TPGen enables manufacturers to reduce analysis and programming time, cut operational costs and overhead, lower energy consumption, and shorten time-to-market. The TPGen solution runs on top of Wandelbots' NOVA platform, offering an app for seamless and highly automated feasibility analysis, tool-path generation, and trajectory execution. "TPGen represents a major shift in how manufacturers approach robot programming for inspection use cases," said Ilya Katsov, CTO, Americas for Grid Dynamics. "By automatically creating and optimizing tool-paths from CAD models and enabling truly automated workflows, we're helping our clients reduce analysis time from weeks to minutes while significantly lowering operational costs and energy consumption." "Wandelbots empowers partners and customers to transform robotic automation into intelligent, reusable, and scalable solutions,' said Katharina Jessa, Chief Revenue Officer at Wandelbots. 'TPGen by Grid Dynamics is a compelling example of what becomes possible with our platform — automating robot path planning for complex inspection tasks, drastically reducing engineering time and enabling flexible deployment across robot brands. It reflects the power of software-first innovation in solving high-impact industrial challenges.' TPGen capabilities include: Generate tool-paths automatically: Create and optimize tool-paths from CAD models within minutes—even for highly complex geometries—eliminating the need for manual analysis and programming. Analyze feasibility instantly: Perform automatic feasibility analysis based on workpiece CAD models to streamline planning and reduce setup time. Optimize processes intelligently: Minimize cycle time, reduce energy consumption, and refine execution plans based on quality metrics and real-time feedback. Integrate seamlessly: Connect with major robotic arms and camera systems through a hardware-agnostic design. Leverage advanced computer vision solutions: Support integration with custom or third-party data and image analytics solutions through a flexible architecture. Industry professionals and manufacturers interested in experiencing TPGen firsthand are invited to visit Grid Dynamics at Automatica 2025 at Wandelbots' Booth at B6.308. Live demonstrations will showcase the solution's capabilities across various inspection scenarios, highlighting its potential to transform manufacturing operations. Visit this page to learn more information about Grid Dynamics' smart manufacturing and robotics solutions. About Grid Dynamics Grid Dynamics (Nasdaq: GDYN) is a leading provider of technology consulting, platform and product engineering, AI, and digital engagement services. Fusing technical vision with business acumen, we solve the most pressing technical challenges and enable positive business outcomes for enterprise companies undergoing business transformation. A key differentiator for Grid Dynamics is our 8 years of experience and leadership in enterprise AI, supported by profound expertise and ongoing investment in data and ML platform engineering, cloud platform and product engineering, IoT and edge computing, and digital engagement services. Founded in 2006, Grid Dynamics is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices across the Americas, Europe, and India. Follow us on LinkedIn. About Wandelbots Wandelbots empowers enterprises to transform industrial robotics into software-defined, continuously optimizing systems. With its unified platform - including the Wandelbots NOVA Cloud, the Developer Portal and the Wandelbots NOVA Operating System – manufacturing companies automate faster, optimize smarter, and scale global operations with confidence. For more information, visit and follow us on LinkedIn. Forward-Looking Statements This communication contains 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are not historical facts, and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results of Grid Dynamics to differ materially from those expected and projected. These forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, including the words 'believes,' 'estimates,' 'anticipates,' 'expects,' 'intends,' 'plans,' 'may,' 'will,' 'potential,' 'projects,' 'predicts,' 'continue,' or 'should,' or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, quotations and statements regarding the expected benefits of our capabilities and our company's future growth including with customers, the TPGen Robotic Solution, and GigaCube strategy. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results. Most of these factors are outside Grid Dynamics' control and are difficult to predict. Factors that may cause such differences include, but are not limited to our ability to achieve its expected benefits, as well as any factors limiting our capabilities, the benefits of our services and products, and our company's growth strategy. Grid Dynamics cautions that the foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. Grid Dynamics cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Grid Dynamics does not undertake or accept any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. Further information about factors that could materially affect Grid Dynamics, including its results of operations and financial condition, is set forth under the 'Risk Factors' section of Grid Dynamics' annual report on Form 10-K filed February 27, 2025, and in other periodic filings Grid Dynamics makes with the SEC.
