Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

ocean

Blue Ocean Robotics raises $12 million to develop service robotics market

by Leave a Comment

Blue Ocean Robotics, said to be the “world’s first” robot venture factory, has raised almost $12 million to develop its position in the service robotics market.

Blue Ocean Robotics is entering new robot markets with service robots for the healthcare, hospitality, construction and agriculture industries.

The new investment is described as a recognition of the strength of Blue Ocean Robotics’ business model and success. [Read more…] about Blue Ocean Robotics raises $12 million to develop service robotics market

IBM joins the Mayflower autonomous ship project

by Leave a Comment

IBM has joined a global consortium of partners, led by marine research organization ProMare, that are building an unmanned, fully-autonomous ship that will cross the Atlantic in September 2020, on the fourth centenary of the original Mayflower voyage 400 years ago.

The Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS) will use IBM’s Power servers, AI, cloud and edge computing technologies to navigate autonomously and avoid ocean hazards as it makes its way from Plymouth, England to Plymouth, Massachusetts.

If successful, it will be one of the first self-navigating, full-sized vessels to cross the Atlantic Ocean and will open the door on a new era of autonomous research ships. [Read more…] about IBM joins the Mayflower autonomous ship project

Boeing to acquire Liquid Robotics to ‘enhance autonomous seabed-to-space information services’

by

Developer of Wave Glider ocean robot boosts Boeing’s ocean data collection capabilities

Boeing has reached an agreement to buy Liquid Robotics, a builder of autonomous maritime systems and developer of the Wave Glider ocean surface robot, to grow its seabed-to-space autonomous capabilities.

Leanne Caret, president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space and Security, says: “With Liquid Robotics’ innovative technology and Boeing’s leading intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance solutions, we are helping our customers address maritime challenges in ways that make existing platforms smarter, missions safer and operations more efficient.”

In September 2014, Boeing and Liquid Robotics entered into a teaming agreement resulting in extensive integration on the Sensor Hosting Autonomous Remote Craft (Sharc), a version of the Wave Glider. [Read more…] about Boeing to acquire Liquid Robotics to ‘enhance autonomous seabed-to-space information services’

Tech-Link partners with Blue Ocean Robotics on atmosphere disinfection system

by

Tech-Link Engineering has formed a strategic partnership with Blue Ocean Robotics to offer an ultra-violet disinfection robot solution.

The partnership affirms both Tech-Link and Blue Ocean Robotics’ efforts in delivering emerging technologies to battle against Hospital Acquired Infections and improve the quality of healthcare services.

As an official sales partner, Tech-Link says it brings together Blue Ocean Robotics’ expertise in automating disinfection procedures to promote safer, efficient and more productive work environment.  [Read more…] about Tech-Link partners with Blue Ocean Robotics on atmosphere disinfection system

Robots planning to defend world’s oceans against alien invasion

by

A US non-profit company has designed an innovative method of controlling the spread of lionfish threatening to devastate fish stocks and coral reef ecosystems in warmer ocean waters.

Robots In Service of the Environment (Rise) joined deep ocean research charity, Nekton, on its maiden voyage in the North Atlantic to test a prototype being developed to operate remotely in deep water to locate and deliver a fatal electric shock to the invasive species.

Nekton’s research vessel was off the Bermudian coast conducting the XL Catlin Deep Ocean Survey, a pioneering multi-disciplinary marine research programme assessing the health and resilience of the deep ocean.  [Read more…] about Robots planning to defend world’s oceans against alien invasion

Liquid Robotics and Hydro Systems deliver Japan’s first long-term ocean observation network

by

Liquid Robotics and its Japanese partner Hydro Systems Development (HSD) have delivered the first fleet of Wave Gliders to the Japan Coast Guard.

Liquid Robotics and HSD will assist the Japan Coast Guard in deploying eight Wave Gliders for a multi-year mission providing autonomous observation and situational awareness of ocean currents, wave activity, and weather along Japan’s coastlines.

This is the first ocean observation network in Japan’s history that will provide comprehensive and economical monitoring of Japan’s ocean conditions.  [Read more…] about Liquid Robotics and Hydro Systems deliver Japan’s first long-term ocean observation network

Liquid Robotics ocean robot swims 3,000 miles to protect fish in Hawaii

by

liquid robotics wave rider

Liquid Robotics says its Wave Glider ocean robot swam 2,808 nautical miles (5,200 km) to the Big Island of Hawaii after successfully completing a four-month patrol mission of the Pitcairn Island Marine Sanctuary.

This achievement represents a fundamental enabling capability for unmanned systems as it proves the feasibility and flexibility of autonomous mission deployment.

Using the Wave Glider platform, Liquid Robotics’ customers are able to deploy sensors in the most remote marine locations without sending a large ship for recovery.  [Read more…] about Liquid Robotics ocean robot swims 3,000 miles to protect fish in Hawaii

Liquid Robotics’ ocean robots surpass one million nautical miles at sea

by

Liquid Ocean robotics vessel
Liquid Ocean robotics vessel

Liquid Robotics, which makes wave and solar powered ocean robots, says its fleets of Wave Gliders have reached 1 million nautical miles at sea—an important milestone for the unmanned surface vehicle (USV) industry.

The Wave Glider is the first USV to complete missions from the Arctic to the Southern Ocean, operate through 17 hurricanes/typhoons, and achieve a Guinness World Record for the “longest journey by an autonomous, unmanned surface vehicle on the planet”.

One million nautical miles is the equivalent to 1.29x round trip journey to the moon (at the moon’s furthest point) or approximately 46 times around the world.  [Read more…] about Liquid Robotics’ ocean robots surpass one million nautical miles at sea

Marine robots: AMS ‘Datamarans’ set to provide unprecedented insights into the world’s oceans

by

 

The total surface of Planet Earth spans some 510 million square kilometres, and the ocean accounts for more than 70 per cent. If there’s one man who would be familiar with these kind of numbers it’s Eamon Carrig, co-founder and chief roboticist at Autonomous Marine Systems (AMS), a US robotics startup which could scarcely have more compelling origins. (See video below.)

AMS was started by three aerospace engineers – Carrig, T.J. Edwards, and Walter Holemans, although Holemans has since left the company.

“We had all been working together on spacecraft mechanisms – TJ and Walt mostly mechanical, me mostly electrical and software – since 2006,” says Carrig in an exclusive interview with RoboticsandAutomationNews.com.

“Specifically we worked on satellite separation systems, which are the last systems that have to work to get a satellite on orbit. In my career as a sep system engineer, we produced about 15 systems for flight. I would have bet my life on every single system we delivered.” [Read more…] about Marine robots: AMS ‘Datamarans’ set to provide unprecedented insights into the world’s oceans