TYB
Japan startup unveils 15-foot robot suit for space exploration
Oct 2, 2023
Engineers in Japan have created a 3.5-ton robot suit that resembles a character from a hugely popular animation series, which they hope to use for space exploration and in emergency situations.
Tokyo-based start-up Tsubame Industries developed the 4.5-metre-tall (14.8-feet), four-wheeled Archax robot that looks like “Mobile Suit Gundam” from the 1970s Japanese show of the same name.
Named after the avian dinosaur archaeopteryx, the $3 million (£2.5m) robot has cockpit monitors that receive images from cameras hooked up to the exterior so that the pilot can manoeuvre the arms and hands with joysticks from inside its torso.
The robot, which will be unveiled at the Japan Mobility Show later this month, has two modes: the upright ‘robot mode’ and a ‘vehicle mode’ in which it can travel up to 10 km (6 miles) per hour.
“Japan is very good at animation, games, robots and automobiles so I thought it would be great if I could create a product that compressed all these elements into one,” said Ryo Yoshida, the 25-year-old chief executive of Tsubame Industries.
“I wanted to create something that says, ‘This is Japan’.”
Mr Yoshida plans to build and sell five of the machines for the well-heeled robot fan, but hopes the robot could one day be used for disaster relief or in the space industry.
Mr Yoshida became interested in manufacturing at an early age, learning how to weld at his grandfather’s ironworks and then going on to found a company that produces myoelectric prosthetic hands. He said he is eager to keep Japan’s competitive edge in manufacturing alive.
“I hope to learn from previous generations and carry on the tradition,” he said.
Tsubame Industries is one of several startups working on robotic exoskeletons, with applications ranging from assisting delivery workers with heavy loads, to military “super soldier” suits.
The US military has already unveiled several exoskeleton prototypes, with one such device claiming to offer Marines the strength and ability of up to 10 troops.
“The ultimate goal is to provide troops with an edge by boosting their capabilities and dramatically improving safety and productivity in a variety of logistics applications,” the company behind it, Sarcos Robotics, said in 2020.
https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/japan-robot-suit-gundam-exoskeleton-b2422233.html
Spirit Aero CEO resigns as former Boeing exec named interim head
Oct 2, 2023
Oct 2 (Reuters) - Spirit AeroSystems (SPR.N) CEO Tom Gentile has stepped down in the wake of a series of industrial difficulties, with the major aerospace supplier naming former Boeing (BA.N) executive and Pentagon official Patrick Shanahan as his interim replacement.
Shanahan, who has served on the company's board since November 2021, will become interim CEO effective immediately, Spirit announced Monday.
Spirit said its board will conduct a search to identify a new CEO, while Gentile will stay on as a consultant for three months.
Spirit shares have fallen 45% since the beginning of the year due to financial difficulties, including a two-week work stoppage at its Kansas-based production plant this summer, the discovery of several costly 737 production errors, and more than $200 million in losses on Airbus and Boeing plane production programs.
Shares of Spirit were up 0.2% in early trading.
Gentile was named Spirit's CEO in August 2016, months after he joined the company as its chief operating officer. He oversaw the company during the 737 MAX crisis and pandemic, steering plans to diversify Spirit revenues with more defense and aftermarket work.
The last months of his tenure were marked by a series of supply chain challenges and production defects, most recently misdrilled holes on the 737 MAX aft pressure bulkhead.
In September, Gentile said current contracts with Boeing and Airbus were "not sustainable" due to rising inflation and needed to be renegotiated.
BATTLING STRONG HEADWINDS
Sources said Gentile's position had looked increasingly vulnerable for weeks as support ebbed away from investors and, most critically, the major customer Boeing.
Gentile's departure was a "foregone conclusion" given Spirit's current financial difficulties, but "it's hard to see how anyone could have coped with the headwinds," said Richard Aboulafia, an aerospace analyst with AeroDynamic Advisories.
However, "Shanahan is one of the few people who could be up to the job" given his close relationship with Boeing - Spirit's top customer - and reputation for execution, Aboulafia added.
Over a 31-year career at Boeing, Shanahan was known as "Mr. Fix-It" for his ability to turn around poorly-performing programs. He was put in charge of the 787 Dreamliner in 2008 during a troubled time in the program's development and rose to become Boeing's senior vice president for supply chain and operations in 2016.
His career with Boeing ended in 2017, when he became deputy secretary of defense. He was tapped to succeed Jim Mattis as defense secretary in May 2019, but withdrew in June 2019.
Shanahan said in a statement he intends to stabilize Spirit's operations and "optimize" cash flow.
"I believe Spirit possesses the assets, know-how and talent to satisfy the extraordinary aviation demand and mitigate global supply chain challenges," he said.
Areas where Shanahan may aim to put focus include preparing for upcoming production ramp-ups and reviewing contracts with Airbus, Boeing and other customers, said Alex Krutz, founder of the Patriot Industrial Partners consulting group. The timing of the announcement could also allow Shanahan to meet with key customers and suppliers at an Aerospace Industries Association meeting convening in Wichita, Kansas on Tuesday.
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/spirit-aero-names-board-member-shanahan-interim-ceo-2023-10-02/
veddy nice
Singapore Seizes More Than $2 Billion as Massive Money Laundering Probe Widens
OCTOBER 3, 2023 4:30 AM EDT
Singapore authorities seized or froze assets worth more than S$2.8 billion ($2 billion) in one of the city-state’s largest money laundering investigation, a senior official said on Tuesday while signaling the government could tighten immigration rules to curb illicit inflows.
The amount disclosed to parliament by Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo is higher than the S$2.4 billion previously announced.
The probe is ongoing and authorities continue to interview Singaporeans and foreigners alike, she said. The city-state will review how to tighten its immigration verification checks, though “no screening process is fool-proof,” said Teo, who also heads the Ministry for Communications and Information.
“Singapore takes money laundering seriously,” said Teo. “We do not turn a blind eye to any risks, once we become aware of them. This is not the first time that we have taken serious enforcement action against money laundering offenses. Nor will it be the last.”
Singapore has long capitalized on its reputation for clean governance and zero tolerance for crime to attract foreign investments and the well-to-do. That has been called into question after the authorities seized assets and arrested 10 foreigners — all originally from China — for alleged forgery and laundering proceeds from scams and illegal online gambling.
The island nation is working with international counterparts and local regulators will take action against those who have fallen short, she said.
The case, which erupted into the public view in mid-August, is shining a light on fund flows from abroad and whether the $2 trillion financial sector driving the city-state’s economy has done enough to block dubious transactions. Singapore has seen an influx of affluent Asians, including those from China, seeking safe investments amid crackdowns in the mainland and pandemic restrictions.
Lawmakers had previously submitted dozens of questions to be answered by the government, including the need to tighten existing money-laundering rules, further steps to prevent cross-border crimes and immigration checks.
“Most people are not illegal money launderers or criminals,” Teo said. “If the rules are too tight, then it is the vast majority of innocent applicants who will be unnecessarily penalized.” At least 240 individuals were convicted of money laundering offenses from 2020 to 2022 with the police seizing more than S$1.2 billion worth of assets, she said.
Cross-border wealth inflows into Singapore totaled $1.5 trillion last year, according to an estimate by Boston Consulting Group. This makes the country the world’s third largest offshore financial hub after Switzerland and Hong Kong where the wealthy park their assets.
The authorities said last month additional operations saw the seizure of bank accounts with a value of more than S$1.13 billion and cryptocurrencies of over S$38 million. The police have also issued orders to prevent the sale of more than 110 properties and 62 vehicles totaling over S$1.24 billion.
Banks in the wealthy island-nation are increasing scrutiny of some Chinese-born clients with other citizenships.
Some lenders have been reviewing new account openings and transactions with clients of Chinese origin carrying investment-linked passports, Bloomberg reported. At least one international bank is closing some accounts of clients with citizenship from countries including Cambodia, Cyprus, Turkey and Vanuatu.
https://time.com/6319939/singapore-money-laundering-probe-two-billion-dollars/
3-legged sack race