Latest news with #AMR
Fox Sports
2 hours ago
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Kyle Kirkwood Turns Up Heat in First Road America Practice
INDYCAR Two heat waves are arriving this weekend at the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America Presented by AMR. One is a weather system expected to hike air temperatures into the mid-90s Saturday and Sunday at the iconic Road America circuit in Wisconsin. The other is named Kyle Kirkwood. SEE: Practice Results Kirkwood, who has won the last two NTT INDYCAR SERIES races, continued his hot form Friday by leading the first practice with a top lap of 1 minute, 44.9881 seconds in the No. 27 Siemens Honda fielded by Andretti Global. Kirkwood is third in the series standings, two points behind second-place Pato O'Ward and 75 behind leader Alex Palou. 'Good start,' Kirkwood said. 'Definitely a session that was hindered a little bit by the red and the timing (of red flag). Happy to be quick once again here. We were quick last year, so I guess that's a good positive to take away from today, and hopefully that trend continues. 'But the weather is going to be so much different tomorrow that I'm not sure what we learned from today is going to be applicable tomorrow or the next day. We'll see what happens.' The air temperature, in the low 80s Friday, is expected to climb at least 10 degrees into the mid-90s Saturday and Sunday. That will reduce the grip of the Firestone Firehawk tires and test the stamina of drivers. Devlin DeFrancesco, 25th in points, ended up a surprising second at 1:45.1414 in the No. 30 Manitou Group Honda of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. Team Penske began its rebound from a tough event last Sunday night at World Wide Technology Raceway by placing third and fourth on the 14-turn, 4.014-mile natural-terrain road course. Reigning Road America winner Will Power was third at 1:45.1795 in the No. 12 Verizon Team Penske Chevrolet, while two-time Road America winner Josef Newgarden was fourth at 1:45.2228 in the No. 2 PPG Team Penske Chevrolet. Christian Lundgaard rounded out the top five at 1:45.2246 in the No. 7 Arrow McLaren Chevrolet. Scott McLaughlin helped Penske's recovery by clocking in sixth at 1:45.3191 in the No. 3 XPEL Team Penske Chevrolet. McLaughlin, Newgarden and Power finished 24th, 25th and 27th, respectively, last Sunday night on the oval at WWTR. Championship leader Palou was ninth at 1:45.3664 in the No. 10 SOLO Cup Chip Ganassi Racing Honda. Palou led with seven minutes left in the 75-minute session, but nearly the entire field pitted late for Firestone Firehawk alternate tires, which provide more grip and speed but have less durability. That shuffled the order considerably until the checkered flag, although a red flag with five minutes left caused by a trip into the Turn 1 gravel by 2019 Road America winner Alexander Rossi in the No. 20 ECR Java House Chevrolet interrupted some late attempts to dash up the speed charts. Up next is pre-qualifying practice at 11 a.m. ET Saturday, followed by NTT P1 Award qualifying at 2:30 p.m. ET. FS1, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network will provide live coverage. The 55-lap race starts at 1:30 p.m. ET Sunday (FOX, FOX Deportes, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network). recommended
International Business Times
7 hours ago
- Business
- International Business Times
Nvidia and Foxconn Plan to Deploy Humanoid Robots in New Houston AI Server Factory
Taiwan's Foxconn ( and U.S. artificial intelligence chipmaker Nvidia (NVDA.O) are in discussions to deploy humanoid robots at a new Foxconn facility in Houston, which will manufacture Nvidia's AI servers, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter. This would mark the first time Nvidia products will be produced with the help of humanoid robots, and also Foxconn's first AI server factory to integrate them on a production line, the sources said. A deployment, which is expected to be finalized in the coming months, would signal a breakthrough in adopting human-like robots, potentially reshaping modern manufacturing practices. Foxconn, collaborating with Nvidia, is developing its own humanoid robots. It has also conducted trials using robots made by China's UBTech ( though it remains unclear which model will be used in Houston, how many units will be involved, or what their exact appearance will be. According to the sources, the goal is to introduce humanoid robots by the first quarter of next year, coinciding with the start of Nvidia's GB300 AI server production at the new Houston site. Although their precise tasks haven't been disclosed, a Foxconn presentation from May revealed that the robots are being trained to perform functions like picking and placing objects, inserting cables, and carrying out various assembly tasks. One source noted that the Houston factory is particularly suitable for humanoid robot deployment, as it is newly built and offers more space compared to other AI server manufacturing locations. Both Nvidia and Foxconn declined to comment on the matter. The sources requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly. Leo Guo, general manager of the robotics business unit at Foxconn Industrial Internet ( a subsidiary handling the group's AI server operations, said at an industry event in Taipei last month that Foxconn plans to unveil two humanoid robot prototypes in November at its annual technology show. One version will walk on legs, while the other will utilize a wheeled autonomous mobile robot (AMR) base—an option expected to be more cost-effective, he said, without offering additional specifications. In April, Nvidia announced plans to build AI supercomputer manufacturing hubs in Texas, partnering with Foxconn in Houston and Wistron ( in Dallas. Both are expected to ramp up production over the next 12 to 15 months. For Nvidia, this marks a deeper commitment to humanoid robotics, a field where it already provides platforms to robot developers. CEO Jensen Huang predicted in March that humanoid robots will be widely used in factories within five years. Automakers like Mercedes-Benz ( BMW ( and Tesla (TSLA.O) have also tested humanoids. China too is investing heavily, seeing robots as key to future factory labor. (With inputs from agencies)
Fox Sports
9 hours ago
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Packers' Star Josh Jacobs To Ride in Fastest Seat at Road America
INDYCAR Green Bay Packers superstar running back Josh Jacobs will ride in the Fastest Seat in Sports on Sunday, June 22, leading the NTT INDYCAR SERIES field to the start of the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America Presented by AMR in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Jacobs signed with the Packers in March 2024 and enjoyed a stellar first season in Green Bay, rushing for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns en route to being named to the Pro Bowl for the third time in his career. A national champion in 2017 at Alabama, Jacobs was drafted in the first round in 2019 by the Oakland Raiders. He finished his first season with 1,150 rushing yards, breaking the franchise rookie rushing record set by Hall of Famer Marcus Allen. Jacobs was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team and was named the Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Pro Football Writers Association. Jacobs' best season came in 2022 for the Raiders. He led the NFL in rushing with 1,653 yards, was named a first-team NFL All-Pro and earned a Pro Bowl berth. He also received the inaugural Jim Brown Award as the league's best running back for his performance in the 2022 season. The Packers' Jacobs joins a long list of celebrated INDYCAR Fastest Seat in Sports passengers as he leads the field to green in a custom INDYCAR SERIES car with a special back passenger seat. This high-speed, high-octane, super-charged thrill ride already was taken this season by NFL legend Tom Brady and baseball legend Alex Rodriguez. Others who took the high-speed thrill ride last year included music superstars Diplo, Jon Bon Jovi and Riley Green, actors Judge Reinhold and Dylan Sprouse, reality TV star Mary Bonnet and American Olympic gold medalist Sam Watson. Coverage of the XPEL Grand Prix at Road America Presented by AMR begins at 1:30 p.m. ET Sunday, June 22 on FOX, FOX Deportes and the FOX Sports app. The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is North America's premier open-wheel racing series with drivers competing at speeds of 200+ mph across a thrilling and demanding set of ovals and road and street circuits. The full schedule is available here. recommended
Time of India
12 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Nvidia, Foxconn in talks to deploy humanoid robots at Houston AI server making plant
By Wen-Yee Lee TAIPEI: Taiwan's Foxconn and U.S. artificial intelligence chips maker Nvidia are in talks to deploy humanoid robots at a new Foxconn factory in Houston that will produce Nvidia AI servers, two sources familiar with the matter said. This would be the first time that an Nvidia product will be made with the assistance of humanoid robots and would be Foxconn's first AI server factory to use them on a production line, the sources said. A deployment, expected to be finalised in the coming months, would mark a milestone in the adoption of the human-like robots that promises to transform manufacturing processes. Foxconn is developing its own humanoid robots with Nvidia and has also trialed humanoids made by China's UBTech. The sources said it was not clear what type of humanoid robots are being planned for use in the Houston factory , what they will look like or how many will be deployed initially. They said the two companies are aiming to have the humanoid robots at work by the first quarter of next year when Foxconn's new Houston factory will begin production of Nvidia's GB300 AI servers. And while it was not clear what exactly the robots will be doing at the factory, Foxconn has been training them to pick and place objects, insert cables and do assembly work, according to a company presentation in May. Foxconn's Houston factory was ideally suited to deploy humanoid robots because it will be new and have more space than other existing AI server manufacturing sites, one of the sources said. Nvidia and Foxconn declined to comment. The sources did not wish to be identified as they are not authorised to speak to the media. Leo Guo, general manager of the robotics business unit at Foxconn Industrial Internet, a subsidiary of Foxconn that is in charge of the group's AI server business, said last month at an industry event in Taipei that Foxconn plans to showcase at the company's annual technology event in November two versions of humanoid robots that it has developed. One of those will be with legs and the other will use a wheeled autonomous mobile robot (AMR) base, which would cost less than the version with legs, he said, without disclosing details. Nvidia announced in April that it planned to build AI supercomputer manufacturing factories in Texas, partnering with Foxconn in Houston and Wistron in Dallas. Both sites are expected to ramp up production within 12 to 15 months. For Nvidia, using humanoid robots in the manufacturing of its AI servers represents a further push into the technology as it already supplies humanoid makers with a platform they can use to build such robots. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang predicted in March that their wide use in manufacturing facilities was less than five years away. Automakers such as Germany's Mercedes-Benz and BMW have tested the use of humanoids on production lines, while Tesla is developing its own. China has also thrown its weight behind humanoids, betting that many factory tasks will eventually be performed by such robots.
Fox Sports
a day ago
- Automotive
- Fox Sports
Red-Hot Kyle Kirkwood Can Round Out Resume at Road America
INDYCAR Kyle Kirkwood checked a major personal box last weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway by earning his first victory on an oval in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES. An opportunity to check another box comes Sunday at Road America. To be considered an all-around standout in the series presenting the most diverse set of venue challenges, a driver should excel on street circuits, road courses and oval tracks. Kirkwood has won races at the first two; only a road course win has eluded him – so far. SEE: Event Details Kirkwood is one of 14 drivers scheduled to compete in this weekend's XPEL Grand Prix at Road America Presented by AMR that have won races in this series. Ten of those have won races on all three types of circuits, with series points leader Alex Palou the most recent to join the club with his oval victory in the Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge. Hitting for INDYCAR's cycle is important to Kirkwood, who prior to conquering WWTR had only won on street circuits (four times). '(Last weekend's victory) puts a stamp down a little bit more like, 'Hey, this kid might actually be able to contend for a championship and do things,'' the Andretti Global driver said at WWTR. 'Everybody knows you've got to be diverse in this series. You've got to win at multiple circuits. You've got to win at multiple venues. Whether it's a short oval, long oval, street course, road course, whatever it might be, you've got to win at all of them.' The other active drivers with series wins on all three types of circuits are Scott Dixon, Marcus Ericsson, Colton Herta, Scott McLaughlin, Josef Newgarden, Pato O'Ward, Palou, Will Power, Graham Rahal and Alexander Rossi. McLaughlin and Herta joined the group last year with oval victories. Kirkwood's pursuit of the INDYCAR Triple Crown is just one of the many storylines to watch in this weekend's race (Sunday, 1:30 p.m. ET, FOX, FOX Deportes, FOX Sports app, INDYCAR Radio Network). Can Palou Get Back on Track? Palou salvaged an eighth-place finish in last weekend's Bommarito Automotive Group 500 presented by Axalta and Valvoline to somewhat mitigate the points damage created by Kirkwood and O'Ward – his two closest challengers for the season title – finishing first and second, respectively. While Palou's finishes of 25th and eighth in races held this month have allowed some slippage in his points lead, he is still in a commanding position. He leads O'Ward by 73 points and Kirkwood by 75 points, both amounts more than the equivalent of a single race. Nine races remain. Palou should feel confident in his ability to bounce back. The next two races are on road courses where he has combined to win three times and earn a pole (last year at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course). His wins in 2023 at Road America and Mid-Ohio were part of a three-race winning streak. Palou Among Six Road America Winners Unlike last week when there were only three active drivers had won races at WWTR, twice as many drivers will roll into Road America as past winners. Power (2014, 2024), Dixon (2017, 2020), Newgarden (2018, 2022) and Palou (2021, 2023) lead the way with two wins each at the 14-turn, 4.014-mile road course. Rossi (2019) and Felix Rosenqvist (2020) each have one win on the circuit. INDY NXT by Firestone has been racing at the facility since 2016. Among the current INDYCAR SERIES drivers who won races in that series at Road America are Herta (2018), Rinus VeeKay (2019), Kirkwood (2021), David Malukas (2021), Christian Rasmussen (2022) and Nolan Siegel (2023). So, yeah, a lot of drivers know where victory lane is located. Team Penske Swept Last Year's Competitive Race Last year, Roger Penske's three drivers became the first trio in four years to occupy all three steps on the same podium when Power, Newgarden and McLaughlin did so at Road America. Prior to that, Andretti Global went 1-2-3 at Mid-Ohio in 2020 with Herta, Rossi and Ryan Hunter-Reay. While Team Penske walked away with top honors a year ago, the 55-lap race was statistically one of the track's most balanced. Seven drivers exchanged the lead 13 times, both records for the event. Power's victory pushed him to the series lead, which now is noteworthy. No one other than Palou has led the standings after the races since then. Teams Relatively Even With Hybrid Wins The NTT INDYCAR SERIES is soon to celebrate the one-year anniversary of using hybrid technology, and there has been team parity aplenty in that span. Team Penske, Chip Ganassi Racing and Andretti Global each have won five times in the 17 races in the hybrid has been used. Arrow McLaren has won twice. As with most categories over the past year, Palou leads all drivers in hybrid wins with five, Kirkwood has three such wins. Four drivers have won twice (McLaughlin, Power, O'Ward and Herta). Newgarden has won one. Hybrid technology made its debut last July at Mid-Ohio. O'Ward won that race. Road America's Schedule After a two-day show at WWTR, INDYCAR's traditional three-day weekend is back in play at Road America. Friday's practice at 4:30 p.m. ET will be live on FS2, the FOX Sports app and the INDYCAR Radio Network. Saturday, the televised action shifts to FS1 with the second practice at 11 a.m. ET followed by qualifying for the NTT P1 Award at 2:30 p.m. ET. Ahead of Sunday's race on FOX and FOX Deportes is the morning warmup at 10 a.m. on FS1. recommended
