Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

Archives for February 29, 2016

SSL developing robotic sample handling assembly for NASA Mars 2020 Project

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ssl mars-surface

Space Systems Loral (SSL) says it will design and build a robotic Sample Handling Assembly (SHA) for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) through MDA US Systems, a division of MDA, managed by SSL.

The arm will be used on a rover vehicle exploring Mars to process and store samples acquired from the planet’s surface.

“Our space-proven technology positions SSL well to help support JPL’s robotic space exploration activities,” said Nick Zello, director, emerging markets operations.

“As an industry partner we bring cost-effective solutions and a highly responsive and flexible environment to assist NASA in its mission to bring the world new insights and discoveries.” [Read more…] about SSL developing robotic sample handling assembly for NASA Mars 2020 Project

Airbus to develop humanoid robots with Japanese and French partners

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Kawada Industries’ HRP-4 humanoid robot
Kawada Industries’ HRP-4 humanoid robot

Airbus Group Innovations (AGI), the global research and technology network of Airbus Group, has agreed a joint robotics research programme with Japan’s National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and France’s National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS).

The programme will be dedicated to the research and development of humanoid robotic technology to perform complex manufacturing tasks in factories. The majority of research will be conducted at the CNRS-AIST Joint Robotics Laboratory (JRL), which was established in 2004 on the AIST campus in Tsukuba, Japan.

Satoshi Sekiguchi, Director General of the Department of Information Technology and Human Factors at AIST, inaugurated the new project together with Jean-Yves Marzin, Head of the CNRS Institute for Engineering and Systems Sciences (INSIS), and Sébastien Remy, Head of Airbus Group Innovations. [Read more…] about Airbus to develop humanoid robots with Japanese and French partners

SS&C automates processes to manage its clients’ $1 trillion of assets

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Picture courtesy rentvine.com
Picture courtesy rentvine.com

SS&C Technologies, a global provider of financial services software and software-enabled services, has automated agent notices processing within SS&C Bank Loan Services.

The company says the new agent notices process streamlines the labor intensive and opaque processes that currently exist in today’s workflows.

Replaced with a fully automated process, managers can provide transparency through an easy-to-access client portal to store and process documentation related to bank loan holdings.  [Read more…] about SS&C automates processes to manage its clients’ $1 trillion of assets

ATS wins $100m automation deal

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ATS Automation Tooling Systems building
ATS Automation Tooling Systems building

ATS Automation Tooling Systems has received an enterprise order from a company which it would only describe as “a North American-based customer that is a global leader in its market”.

ATS adds that it has provided core manufacturing solutions to the customer for a number of years.

The “Order Booking” is valued at approximately $100 million and involves delivery and installation of systems at several locations that will enable the customer to roll out a new global product. [Read more…] about ATS wins $100m automation deal

Artificial Intelligence: Toward a technology-powered, human-led revolution

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artificial intelligence

By Abdul Razack, SVP of platforms, big data and analytics at Infosys

In 2011, Apple’s Siri began guiding, following, organizing, informing, taking notes and tailoring search results for millions of mobile users worldwide. She was one of the first mainstream machine learning tools powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI). And though AI has been around for decades behind the scenes and in academic circles, it was the first time the wider public took note of all the things a computer or personal device can learn to do.

Only in the 21st century has AI come to maturity, and today it is completely changing the way the working world functions. AI is everywhere around us, including at the heart of our discussions on innovation.

We are learning to capture this opportunity in the business world, in order to accelerate growth, and only by embracing technology-led innovation will we be able to unleash our true human potential. Routine tasks, which can consume us by eating away at time and resources, are well-suited for AI and automation, freeing workers to pursue new ideas and new ways tackle challenges that can only be solved with human imagination.  [Read more…] about Artificial Intelligence: Toward a technology-powered, human-led revolution

Industrial Vision Systems aims for the collaborative robot market

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industrial vision systems, machine vision, automotive factory
IVS designed and built a 15 camera integrated machine vision system to automatically inspect a large automotive sub-assembly

The machine vision market is expected to grow from $8 billion in 2015 to $12.5 billion by 2020, according to a report by Markets and Markets. 

With such huge financial rewards potentially available, many machine vision companies are competing to put themselves in a market-leading position going forward.

One of those companies is Industrial Vision Systems, which is already well established with “traditional” robot users such as large automakers.

Now, it’s looking to grow its market by further strengthening its association with collaborative robots. IVS says its machine vision enhances the productivity of co-bots.      [Read more…] about Industrial Vision Systems aims for the collaborative robot market

Surgical robotics market forecast to reach $30 billion globally by 2020

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The global sales of surgical robotic systems is projected to reach $6.4 billion by 2020.

This is according to a new report by Allied Market Research, titled, World Surgical Robotics Market – Opportunities and Forecasts, 2014-2020.

The gynecology application segment accounted for 28 per cent share of the surgical robotic systems market share in 2014, and is expected to maintain its dominance during the forecast period.  [Read more…] about Surgical robotics market forecast to reach $30 billion globally by 2020

Germans developing car wheels that can be steered individually

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car wheels axle chassisWhen first learning to drive, many people find steering a bit tricky. You realise the roads maybe aren’t as straight as you thought they were and you constantly have to turn an inch this way, and an inch that way. Not being used to the relationship between the wheel in your hands and the wheels on the road, you’re not quite sure if the unsteady minute manoeuvers you’re having to make is because you lack the skill, or if the road is wrong, or if the wheels are not all connected up properly. Many cars seem to have some slack between the steering wheel and the road wheels. 

With autonomous cars of course you no longer have to worry about your steering skills. In fact, if Google has its way, you may not even see a steering wheel. For not only did the self-styled archiver of all human knowledge stupefy everyone by presenting us with the crazy idea of driverless cars and actually persuade everyone it’s actually quite a good idea when you think about it, the modern equivalent of Big Brother is now telling us it wants to do away with the steering wheel, the acceleration pedal, the clutch and brake. The weird thing is that their mad ideas make sense to us, even though we have a sneaky suspicion that they really shouldn’t. But paranoia aside, why would you need a steering wheel or anything like that in a car that you don’t have to operate, that moves around by itself? On this evidence, Google will continue to drive people out of their minds, and we will accept it, probably.

Now, of course, everyone and their grannies are developing autonomous car technologies in anticipation of some brave new world where all cars have the same rights as humans. And who better to help us innovate our way into inconsequence than the Germans? Their long tradition of automotive engineering excellence would demand that they come up with at least one screwball idea that people may think is actually quite practical. So in keeping with Google’s continual challenges to conventional thinking, the Germans have been pushing the idea of car wheels all turning and moving independently of each other, theoretically in any direction the autonomous, cloud-connected robot chooses for each one.  [Read more…] about Germans developing car wheels that can be steered individually