Mississippi State University

• BIRMINGHAM, Ala., March 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Farris, Riley & Pitt, a personal injury law firm with offices in Birmingham, Ala. and Peachtree Corners, Ga., is pleased to announce the promotion of Darius Crayton to the position of Partner within the firm.
• "Darius embodies every value that Farris, Riley & Pitt strives to uphold," Founding Partner Kirby Farris said.
• Prior to joining Farris, Riley & Pitt, Darius represented clients who were victims of work-based discrimination and wrongful termination before serving as a deputy district attorney in Jefferson County.
• "We are delighted to name Darius as a Partner with our firm," said Partner Ken Riley.

• Cotton grows inside a hard, fibrous case called a boll.
• About 100 days after planting, the bolls mature and split open, revealing thousands of fluffy white fibers inside.
• Each boll contains 20 to 40 seeds with fibers attached to them, which is why the cotton plant’s fruit is called seed cotton.
• To harvest the seed cotton, they have to grab and twist it to separate it from the boll without leaving fiber behind.

Why use robotics?

• Traditional mechanical harvesters can be up to 14 feet long and weigh more than 30 tons.
• They remove cotton effectively without damaging the plants but also can cause problems.
• And the machines cost roughly US$1 million apiece but are used for only two to three months each year.
• And small, nimble robots don’t compress the soil as they move over it, so they help maintain soil health.

A bioinspired ‘picking hand’

• An end-effector is a robotic hand that enables the robot to interact with other objects.
• The pins help the hand grasp and pull in the seed cotton.
• Like a lizard snatching prey with its sticky tongue, our end-effector’s three fingers approach the seed cotton delicately.
• A control algorithm monitors each cotton boll to ensure that the robot picks as much seed cotton as possible.

Testing and results

• So far, we have tested the robotic cotton harvester in the laboratory and in cotton fields.
• The detection system found 78% of ripe cotton bolls; the localization system calculated 3D coordinates for 70% of the detected bolls; and the picking system successfully harvested 83% of these bolls.
• Overall, the robot picked about 50% of the cotton bolls that were within its reach.

• One way to make this technology available for small farmers in low-income countries would be to make smaller, semi-autonomous robots that would require fewer sensors.
• Producing higher-value cotton with less damage to plants and soil could improve life for millions of people who earn their livings raising this global crop.

Hussein Gharakhani receives funding from Cotton Incorporated, a nonprofit research and marketing company that works to improve demand for and profitability of cotton.

• BUENA PARK, Calif., Feb. 7, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- For the fourth year, Yamaha has selected 40 exceptional music educators under 40, who possesses action, courage, creativity, and growth characteristics while going above and beyond when instructing music programs.
• "Music educators are undertaking some of the most innovative, creative, and impactful programs to make a difference in strengthening and encouraging arts education nationwide," said Heather Mansell, marketing manager, education group at Yamaha Corporation of America.
• Students, parents, teachers, and local instrument dealers and mentors submitted hundreds of nominations highlighting the positive impact of these music educators on their community and students.
• "Yamaha shares the same commitment to high-quality, well-rounded music education for all, and we look forward to supporting and encouraging the efforts of these 40 outstanding educators and the thousands more like them across the country."

• DENVER, Jan. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Summit Materials, Inc. (NYSE: SUM, "Summit" or the "Company"), a leading construction materials solutions provider, today announces that Jason Kilgore, Charles DePriest, and David Loomes will serve as Executive Vice Presidents of Summit Materials' reporting segments effective January 12, 2024
  "As we undertake the integration of the Argos USA assets and accelerate our strategic progress portfolio-wide, I am pleased to have a distinguished and proven team that will lead our reporting segments," said Anne Noonan, President and CEO of Summit Materials.
• With an extensive career spanning over 30 years in the construction materials industry, Jason Kilgore has been a cornerstone of Summit Materials' leadership for nearly 15 years.
• Jason's financial acumen, coupled with his commitment to excellence, has played a pivotal role in Summit Materials' continued success.
• Charles's tenure with Summit has been defined by visionary leadership, driving transformative initiatives in alignment with the Summit Elevate Strategy.