Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

Archives for October 20, 2016

Smart cities: A matrix of information superhighways

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tokyo
Tokyo, the world’s most populous city, with almost 40 million residents. Picture by Moyan Brenn, via Wikimedia

Johannes Petrowisch, partner account manager at industrial automation software company Copa-Data, discusses the role of data collection and analysis in the smart cities of tomorrow

The largest ant colonies in the world contain over 300 million individuals and cover areas that are several kilometres wide. Ants mostly rely on tactile and chemical means of communication to keep these huge systems in order.

Luckily, as humans, we have additional tools at our disposal to make our homes and cities more efficient, more organised and, to put it simply, better places to live in.
[Read more…] about Smart cities: A matrix of information superhighways

Can foreign tech companies win in China?

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tech in asia
Picture by Andre Gunawan, Tech in Asia

China-based investment expert Edward Tse, CEO of Gao Feng, considers the fortunes of outside tech companies entering China

Clearly, China’s regulatory regime regarding the internet, in particular social media, is far more restrictive than that of the US and many other western countries in general.

The “Great Firewall” has proven itself repeatedly to be a thorn in the side of foreign companies, and not all have been able to overcome this hurdle.

Most have tried, but with varying degrees of success.  [Read more…] about Can foreign tech companies win in China?

Rethink Robotics signs exclusive distribution deal with Hunan Cothink in China

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rethink-robotics-baxter

Hunan Cothink will distribute Sawyer and Baxter robots throughout the country

Rethink Robotics has reached an exclusive agreement with collaborative robotics provider Hunan Cothink Robotics Technology Company to distribute its robots to the entire Chinese manufacturing community.

Rethink Robotics and Hunan Cothink originally announced a partnership in February of this year that awarded Hunan Cothink distribution rights in northern and southern China, but the success of the relationship and the demand for Rethink Robotics’ smart, collaborative robots has led to a new, exclusive deal that covers the entire Chinese geography.

Earlier this year, Hunan Cothink was formed as a separate division with a new sales and support organization that is designed to bring Rethink’s robots to the Chinese market and help Chinese manufacturers build smarter factories. Hunan Cothink also distributes Rethink Robotics’ Baxter robot worldwide.  [Read more…] about Rethink Robotics signs exclusive distribution deal with Hunan Cothink in China

Additive manufacturing or 3D printing? What’s the difference?

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“Additive manufacturing” is increasingly used interchangeably with “3D printing”, so they essentially mean the same thing. The only difference seems to be that “3D printing” is used more by maker communities – hobbyists and inventors – and still retains some sort of novelty value, whereas “additive manufacturing” – despite being the newer term – is more likely to be preferred in industry circles, perhaps because it has the sound of an established technology. 

But it’s not really an “established” technology in the sense that it’s only been around for a relatively short time.

According to 3DPrintingIndustry.com, it was only in 2007 that a 3D printer was available for less than $10,000 – from a company called 3D Systems, which is today one of the most well-known providers of the technology.

The most advanced 3D printers still cost quite a lot of money, especially those used by high-end manufacturers, but there are good-quality, entry-level machines available today for as little as a few hundred dollars.  [Read more…] about Additive manufacturing or 3D printing? What’s the difference?