Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

Archives for May 26, 2016

General Electric opens $11m futuristic robotics and 3D printing plant

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General Electric has launched two new high-tech component production lines at the GE Oil & Gas plant in Talamona, Italy.

A new nozzle production line is the first completely automated line for GE Oil & Gas, and a new additive manufacturing line will use laser technology to 3D print burners for gas turbine combustion chambers.

These new advanced manufacturing lines establishes this site as a centre of excellence for the oil and gas industry. 

The official unveiling of the upgraded turbine and compressor components manufacturing facility is the result of a €10 million, two years’ investment to establish the plant as one of its most cutting production centres. Previous investments in 2013 increased the plant’s production capacity.  [Read more…] about General Electric opens $11m futuristic robotics and 3D printing plant

New poll finds majority of people would be reluctant to be a passenger in a driverless car

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Institution of Mechanical Engineers/ICM Unlimited survey of 2,002 people finds 55 per cent would be unlikely to want to be a passenger in a driverless car

UK Government and companies such as Google, Ford and Uber are all championing driverless car technology, but according to this latest public survey much more work is needed to convince the public of the benefits of driverless vehicles.

According to the survey, carried out by ICM Unlimited on behalf of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, 55 per cent of the 2002 people surveyed said they were unlikely to want to be a passenger of a driverless car, with 40 per cent said they were very unlikely to want to be a passenger. Just 21 per cent of the people surveyed said they would be happy to ride in a driverless vehicle.  [Read more…] about New poll finds majority of people would be reluctant to be a passenger in a driverless car

Foxconn fires 60,000 workers and replaces them with robots

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In what is almost certainly a sign of things to come, in China as well as around the world, Foxconn has fired 60,000 factory workers and replaced them with robots, according to a report in the South China Morning Post. 

The website quotes a local government official saying: “The Foxconn factory has reduced its employee strength from 110,000 to 50,000, thanks to the introduction of robots. It has tasted success in reduction of labour costs. More companies are likely to follow suit.”

Foxconn, a Taiwanese company with factories in China, is one of Apple’s main suppliers, and the factory in question is located in Kunshan, Jiangsu province of China.

Full story at South China Morning Post.

Accenture and SoftBank Robotics combine to offer insight into future of customer relations

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Accenture’s Peter Lacy with Pepper the robot
Accenture’s Peter Lacy with Pepper the robot

In the future, all customer relations could be managed by robots. That’s what science fiction films have been telling us for decades. And now, perhaps more than ever, that vision is becoming more real than ever. 

As part of a newly announced collaboration with SoftBank Robotics to reimagine the future of digital customer interactions, Accenture Interactive demonstrated a new prototype based on the Pepper robot in Paris at Pepper Partners Europe event during InnoRobo (May 24-26), one of the world’s largest robotics events.

Pepper is the ground-breaking humanoid robot with the ability to read emotions that was developed by Softbank Robotics (previously Aldebaran Robotics) and first introduced in Japan in 2014.

The enhanced Pepper-based platform blends human and artificial intelligence, provided by Accenture Interactive, to deliver omni-channel customer service and commerce capabilities – including social media, mobile and in-store applications.  [Read more…] about Accenture and SoftBank Robotics combine to offer insight into future of customer relations

Visual Components going through accelerated growth phase

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visual components

Visual Components is apparently going through a period of accelerated growth in which the company is attending numerous conferences and signing up a variety of partners from different parts of the world. 

Visual Components is an online 3D simulation platform which enables designers to create virtual factories and robotics and automation systems.

Started in 1999, the company’s platform integrates a robot programming application, an engineering tool and a sales tool, among other features.  [Read more…] about Visual Components going through accelerated growth phase

University spin-out company with Sebastian Conran to develop next generation of robots

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sheffield university MiRo_robot2_main

A new company has been formed to bring next generation assistive and companion robots to market by combining University-developed robotics research with the best of British design.

Consequential Robotics has been co-founded by the award-winning designer Sebastian Conran, together with Professor Tony Prescott and Dr Ben Mitchinson from the University of Sheffield.

The company’s main focus will be to develop companion and assistive robotic systems that will enhance quality of life as people age.

From the University-side the company will build on 20 years of research developing robots that behave in a life-like way and that use control systems modelled on the brain.  [Read more…] about University spin-out company with Sebastian Conran to develop next generation of robots

RS Components launches new solutions for industrial motion control

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rs components

RS Components has launched a range of products and solutions for companies involved in motion control applications equip and maintain systems, such as conveyors, used in diverse industries including automotive, packaging, manufacturing and production or in the chemical or food and beverage processing sectors.

Heiko Luckhaupt, marketing manager at RS, says the new line of components will enable companies to “keep current systems up and running for as long as possible”.

RS says budgetary constraint is an increasingly significant factor and many companies do not always have the luxury of purchasing completely new motion control systems.

RS says companies are more often than not faced with the challenge of keeping ageing conveyor systems operational and have key decisions to make about maintenance and partial system upgrades.  [Read more…] about RS Components launches new solutions for industrial motion control

Locus Robotics raises $8m funding for logistics robot solution

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Technology veteran Rick Faulk joins Locus Robotics as new funding raised to accelerate growth and development 

US-based e-commerce fulfillment robotics company Locus Robotics has hired Rick Faulk to serve as the company’s chief executive officer.

The company is heading towards production and sales of its solutions and has appointed Faulk to lead it in this next stage of growth and development.

Locus also says it has raised $8 million in Series A funding. The round was led by additional funding from seed investors. The new capital will be used to expand product development and go-to-market initiatives.  [Read more…] about Locus Robotics raises $8m funding for logistics robot solution