Archives for June 11, 2017

Apple unveils home automation device and the most expensive desktop computer ever

June 11, 2017 by Abdul Montaqim

apple ceo tim cook — Apple CEO Tim Cook welcomes developers from 75 different countries to WWDC 2017

So the rumours were true about the home automation device. Some of the other rumours ahead of the ongoing Apple Worldwide Developers Conference were also true, but then there have been some surprises as well.

First, the home automation device. Apple has launched what it calls HomePod – a voice assistant much like Amazon Alexa-enabled Echo and Google Home – within which Siri will live.

The question with such voice devices is always, how good are they at conversation with humans? In general, natural language processing technology is not yet able to understand human speech well enough to make such devices easy to use. [Read more…] about Apple unveils home automation device and the most expensive desktop computer ever

Opinion: North America and its chief robotics officers will drive ‘Industry 5.0’

June 11, 2017 by Sam Francis

By Matt Rendall, CEO and co-founder of Otto Motors, and host of the forthcoming Drive Manufacturing Summit

Manufacturers in North American know robotics and automation; they have studied and put into practice the Ford Production System and the Toyota Production System to continuously improve operations, with much of those improvements made by the use and integration of automation.

As such, the sector has traditionally been one of the first industries to grab hold of burgeoning robotics technologies and incorporate them into process.

This said, something has changed in the last 10 years – while manufacturers have focused on continuous improvement within their space, the technology sector has also been making leaps and bounds in innovation, with new capabilities spanning cloud computing, big data, and mobile computing. [Read more…] about Opinion: North America and its chief robotics officers will drive ‘Industry 5.0’

MIT spin-out Tulip raises $13 million to ‘digitally transform manufacturing’

June 11, 2017 by Sam Francis

New Enterprise Associates leads $13 million round, with participation from Pitango, to expand product research and development and continue growing customer support capabilities

Tulip, the MIT spin-out which has developed a Manufacturing App Platform, has raised $13 million in Series A financing.

New Enterprise Associates led the round with participation from Pitango Venture Capital and many returning angel investors.

Tulip says it will use the capital to grow its world-class product, design, and research teams, while expanding its customer support capabilities in response to significant customer growth. [Read more…] about MIT spin-out Tulip raises $13 million to ‘digitally transform manufacturing’

China’s fast-growing automotive market presents opportunities for all

June 11, 2017 by Sam Francis

China’s auto market is creating “explosive growth opportunity” for companies prepared to adapt their approach, according to a new report by Gao Feng.

The report, Rising Opportunities in China’s Automotive Independent Aftermarket, was produced by Bill Russo, Jason Zhang, Jackie Tang and Peter Hu.

The authors say China’s automotive market has “entered a new phase” which brings “enormous opportunities”. [Read more…] about China’s fast-growing automotive market presents opportunities for all

Chinese government’s plan to grow robotics and automation industry seems to be working

June 11, 2017 by Sam Francis

China’s plan to expand the nation’s robotics and automation industry seems to be working, according to a new survey by TheRobotReport.com.

The website tracks robotics companies worldwide and editor Frank Tobe says he wrote about 194 robot companies in China in 2015, but now that number has more than doubled to greater than 500.

The Chinese government launched a “robot revolution” as part of its Made in China 2025 program a couple of years ago, partly because it has become the world’s biggest buyer of robots and would like some of those robots to be made by domestic companies. [Read more…] about Chinese government’s plan to grow robotics and automation industry seems to be working

Microtechnology exhibition to showcase innovations in watchmaking and medicine

June 11, 2017 by Sam Francis

It’s not one of the most famous exhibitions in the world, and not the biggest, but that’s probably appropriate for EPHJ, because it’s all about small things, or – more accurately – what’s called the “microtechnology” sector.

Microtechnology includes such things as watchmaking, jewellery making, and precision instrumentation for medicine, all of which are relatively large business sectors in Switzerland, where EPHJ is being held, on 20-23 June 2017 – Geneva, to be exact.

Now in its 16th year, the event is described as “an unmissable event for high-precision manufacturers, with exhibitors from the worlds of watchmaking and jewellery, microtechnology and medtech”. [Read more…] about Microtechnology exhibition to showcase innovations in watchmaking and medicine