Market trends and business perspectives
With a strong Wi-Fi signal and your trusty smartphone, it’s easy to stay connected on land – but how do things change when you’re in the middle of the ocean or orbiting in space?
They’re both extreme scenarios, but which is better for communication? A company called Global Navigation Solutions investigated who can communicate better – crew or astronauts? And came up with a report and an infographic. [Read more…] about Who is more connected – an astronaut or a sailor?
By Thomas R. Cutler
Automated conveying systems in distribution and warehouse environments need to pivot. Dropping in a conveyor system without a warehouse control system (WCS) makes no sense.
Bill Maple, director of software solutions for conveyor company Hytrol, shared new approaches connecting business systems to warehouse automation.
Working closely with a network of integration partners this approach is obvious for new implementations. That said with a strong economy, Maple noted that existing systems are being reconfigured to operate differently, or legacy systems are requiring technology or automation upgrades. [Read more…] about Distribution requires a warehouse control system
Penton’s TU-Automotive has announced the agenda and speaker line-up for TU-Automotive Detroit 2016 (June 8-9, Nov, MI), the world’s largest conference and exhibition dedicated to innovation in automotive technology, covering connected cars, autonomy and mobility.
At TU-Automotive Detroit 2016, the city’s automakers (Ford, General Motors and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) will join international OEMs such as Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan and Mercedes-Benz to discuss their vision for how the car can become the leading “node” of the Internet of Things.
Leading technology disruptors such as Zipcar, Amazon, Via and Renovo Motors will also take center stage during discussions as the ecosystem widens to embrace new players.
The 80+ session agenda and 150+ speaker line-up can be viewed at TU-Automative. [Read more…] about TU-Automotive Detroit conference and exhibition returns for 2016
The global human machine interface (HMI) market is expected to grow at a rate of 6 per cent a year from 2016 to 2020, according to a report by Big Market Research.
In a separate report by Transparency International, the HMI market is forecast to reach $6 billion by the end of the decade.
HMI is a significant tool for communication between humans and machines. It is adopted in plant automation to assist humans to interact with automation machines and gain understanding of plant floor automation process. Operation efficiency is increased and cost associated is reduced with the help of HMI.
The Big Market Research report provides information on the leading market players: Rockwell Automation, GE, Siemens, and Schneider Electric among others.
A study of other prominent vendors, such as Advantech, Atmel, Beijer Electronics, EAO, Eaton, Elektrobit, Elipse Software, Bosch Rexroth, Digital Electronics, Mitsubishi Electric, Progea, Omron, and others has been covered.
Eight years ago, Universal Robots sold the world’s first collaborative robot – long before the term for this emerging robot class was widely used. Fast forward to 2016 and the cobot market with an annual 50 per cent growth is now the fastest growing segment of industrial robotics, forecast to hit $3B in global revenue in 2020.
Odense, Denmark, May 17, 2016: Universal Robots has published a new infographic illustrating the rapid rise of collaborative robots – or cobots.
In 2008 the Danish robot manufacturer sold the first industrial robot able to operate safely alongside employees. The company remains the market leader with more cobots sold than all competitors combined. [Read more…] about A history of collaborative robots, by Universal Robots
Before a robot arm can reach into a tight space or pick up a delicate object, the robot needs to know precisely where its hand is.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute have shown that a camera attached to the robot’s hand can rapidly create a 3-D model of its environment and also locate the hand within that 3-D world.
Doing so with imprecise cameras and wobbly arms in real-time is tough, but the CMU team found they could improve the accuracy of the map by incorporating the arm itself as a sensor, using the angle of its joints to better determine the pose of the camera.
This would be important for a number of applications, including inspection tasks, said Matthew Klingensmith, a PhD student in robotics. [Read more…] about Clever idea to place eyes on robot hand helps machine to map surroundings and location
