Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

Archives for July 7, 2016

Honeywell to buy Intelligrated

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honeywell intelligrated

Honeywell has signed an agreement to acquire privately held, supply chain and warehouse automation provider Intelligrated for $1.5 billion from a company backed by the Permira funds.

The purchase price translates to approximately 12 times Intelligrated’s estimated 2016 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. The company’s 2016 sales are estimated to be approximately $900 million.

The transaction is expected to close by the end of the third quarter, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory review. Upon approval, Intelligrated will be part of Sensing and Productivity Solutions in Honeywell’s Automation and Control Solutions business.  [Read more…] about Honeywell to buy Intelligrated

German robots win football competition

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robot football

A well-trained team of robots from Germany has won the robot equivalent of the World Cup. 

The event, officially called the Stanford Platform competition, pits teams of five Nao robots – originally developed by Aldebaran – against each other in a knockout tournament.

And as with many human World Cups, the robot tournament was won by a team from Germany, ironically called B-Human.

Full report at Telegraph.co.uk

Diamonds are a tool’s best friend, says Daimler

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diamonds are a girl's best friend

Daimler is planning to invest in bling bling – especially ice, because it believes diamonds are a tool’s best friend 

Daimler-Benz, which also owns the Mercedes marque, is backing a new generation of engineering tools coated with diamonds because it says “innovative high-performance tools are of great economic importance”. 

The company has awarded its annual Bertha Benz Prize 2016 to a young engineer – Dr-Ing [Doctor of Engineering] Fiona Sammler – for her scientific study of diamond-coated tools, which the company says is an “important research contribution to the development of lightweight construction”.

The potential of diamond coated tools is large, claims Daimler, adding that the gems’ “incredible hardness” means they are capable of fiber-reinforced plastics, aluminum-silicon alloys, wood, as well as stone and concrete, ceramics and glass cutting.

[Read more…] about Diamonds are a tool’s best friend, says Daimler

Large Kuka shareholder Voith sells stake to Midea

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One of Kuka’s biggest shareholders has sold its stake in the robot-maker ahead of a possible takeover by Midea, the Chinese manufacturer of household appliances. 

Midea has offered to buy the whole of Kuka for $5 billion, and already owns a significant share in the German company.

Now, a large, family-owned company called Voith is to sell its share in Kuka to Midea.  [Read more…] about Large Kuka shareholder Voith sells stake to Midea

BMW, Intel and Mobileye team up to launch fully autonomous cars by 2021

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bmw intel mobileye

Fleets of fully autonomous cars to be used as basis for new mobility services in urban environments

BMW Group, Intel and Mobileye are creating an open platform for the next generation of cars to create the safest autonomous platform, from door locks to the datacenter. The three companies say they share a common vision and goal, to align the industry on a standards-based platform to quickly bring autonomous vehicles to market. 

BMW Group, Intel, and Mobileye say they are joining forces to make self-driving vehicles and future mobility concepts become a reality. The three companies from the automotive, technology and computer vision and machine learning industries are collaborating to bring solutions for highly and fully automated driving into series production by 2021.

The companies say the future of automated driving promises to change lives and societies for the better. But the path to get to a fully autonomous world is complex and will require end-to-end solutions that integrate intelligence across the network, from door locks to the data center. Transportation providers of the future must harness rapidly evolving technologies, collaborate with totally new partners, and prepare for disruptive opportunities.  [Read more…] about BMW, Intel and Mobileye team up to launch fully autonomous cars by 2021

GateHouse Logistics joins Industrial Data Space

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gatehouse logistics

Supply chain data unifier joins association of business leaders to identify, analyze and evaluate best practice requirements for open Industry 4.0 ecosystems across all industrial sectors

Data tracking unifier GateHouse Logistics today announces that it has become a member of the Industrial Data Space (IDS) user association to participate in the development of reference architecture for Industry 4.0 software solutions and business models. 

Launched by European research organisation Fraunhofer in January 2016, the association brings together science and industry to develop open architecture models for all sectors turning to the applied use of Industry 4.0. Examples include smart manufacturing, and smart supply chains. 

The association has its roots in Germany and aims to become a global organisation open to all researchers and industry members.  [Read more…] about GateHouse Logistics joins Industrial Data Space

Protecting humans from robots in the workplace

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fanuc industrial robot

In advance of the Next-Generation Collabrative Robots & Automation Technologies 2016 conference (August 17-18, Detroit MI), we spoke to Matt Epperson, compliance safety and health officer, Department of Labour, Occupational Safety and Health Administration

With the industry now witnessing an influx of next-generation collaborative robotics and automation technologies, how important is it for the automotive industry and technology providers to come together and share best practices for driving safer, faster and more profitable manufacturing and maintaining a solid life-cycle?

It is more important now since there are many unknown variables related to this new technology. It is very important for industry to share ideas and best practices when it comes to protecting their workforce from workplace injuries.  [Read more…] about Protecting humans from robots in the workplace