Savigent acquired by Symphony IndustrialAI: Symphony IndustrialAI, a company that has provided software and sensors for industrial customers for 50 years, has acquired Savigent. Savigent makes workflow orchestration software that helps customers track operations across OT and IT systems. As digital transformation efforts speed up post-pandemic, expect more of these deals designed to place higher-level functions on top of existing industrial automation systems. The price of the deal was undisclosed, but Savigent last reported revenue, in 2019, of $12.8 million. (Symphony Industrial AI)

Delivery robots get legal rights in some states: A few months back, I wrote a column arguing that we should create registries for public-facing robots so when things go wrong, we can figure out who is responsible. It appears that delivery robots are getting some legal rights in some states. They’re acquiring the rights of a pedestrian on local sidewalks in Pennsylvania, for example. But there’s been no progress when it comes to creating registries. To be sure, I’d love to get my Amazon packages that much faster, but I already have to dodge kids on bikes, trash cans, and poorly place street furniture on my walks. I don’t want to have to avoid a 550-pound robot that can travel at 12 miles per hour, too. (Axios)

This news is for all the sensor geeks: Researchers at the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a new, lightweight accelerometer that uses a laser to measure acceleration as opposed to measuring mechanical strain. The resulting sensor is lighter and thinner than existing sensors, and it doesn’t have to undergo periodic recalibrations. For more on the sensor and a program called NIST on a Chip, which collects NIST’s measurement science technology and expertise and attempts to package it for external users in commerce, medicine, defense, and academia, check out the article. (NIST)

Thinking up a data defense: Consumers and even corporations are concerned about all of the data that’s sucked up by the big tech firms. But there’s not much they can do, especially consumers. However, a new paper by student researchers proposes three ways the public…