Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

Archives for February 19, 2018

South Korean government to expand robotics and automation sector to $6 billion

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The South Korean government has decided to invest significant resources into expanding the country’s production of industrial robotics and automation systems so that it’s worth $6.15 billion by 2022.

This is according to BusinessKorea.com, which says the plan is intended to increase the number of small and mid-size robot makers with sales of more than $46 million to 25.

The report says government-backed organisations, academic and research institutions, as well as private enterprise will take part in the new initiative.  [Read more…] about South Korean government to expand robotics and automation sector to $6 billion

Tiny robots hold promise of better healthcare treatments

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Tiny little machines small enough to travel through the human body, with blood cells along veins, for example, have long been one of the goals of technologists in healthcare science. 

In the 1966 film Fantastic Voyage, a submarine and its crew are shrunk to microscopic size and inserted into the body of a patient to perform brain surgery.

This may have seemed total fantasy at the time, but technology has advanced so much that it almost seems like a realistic goal now.  [Read more…] about Tiny robots hold promise of better healthcare treatments

Metal products manufacturers in China turning to robots to increase output

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A large number of companies in China which make metal products are concentrated in one particular city, called Yongkang, also known as the “City of Metal”. 

And, according to state news agency Xinhua, many of these companies are turning to robotic assembly lines to increase productivity.

The communist Chinese government outlet quotes one general manager of a company called Haers Vacuum Containers as saying: “A robot assembly line will be launched soon, and we are confident of surpassing the current leading producer this year.”  [Read more…] about Metal products manufacturers in China turning to robots to increase output

South Korea provides skiing competition for robots at Winter Olympics

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Organisers of the Winter Olympics in South Korea provided a showcase for robotic skiing skills. 

The robots that took part may not be quite as good as their human counterparts but were impressive nonetheless.

Billed at the world’s first robot ski tournament, the event was hosted in the ski resort of Hoengseong, on the sidelines of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.  [Read more…] about South Korea provides skiing competition for robots at Winter Olympics

Boston Dynamics terrifies the internet again with robots that can open doors like the dinosaurs did in Jurassic Park

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Boston Dynamics, maker of the most terrifying robots in the world, has again brought the internet to a standstill with a demonstration video of how its robots can open doors for each other. (See video below.)

The company’s new video is reminiscent of scenes in the film Jurassic Park, where agile, fast-moving velociraptor dinosaurs chase a group of humans through a science lab, opening doors as they hunt the humans.

The Boston Dynamics robots were not shown to be going after any humans but the implications are obvious.  [Read more…] about Boston Dynamics terrifies the internet again with robots that can open doors like the dinosaurs did in Jurassic Park

Bionik launches new InMotion Arm for stroke survivors

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Bionik Laboratories Corp. has launched its improved InMotion Arm interactive robotic system for clinical rehabilitation of stroke survivors and those with mobility impairments due to neurological conditions.

The new generation InMotion Arm will provide the same active-assisted robotic therapy, but with a new industrial design that is modern, smaller and sleeker, says the company. The software interface has been redesigned to allow greater ease of use and therefore reduced training requirements for clinical staff.

“The overall design is very different from before and allows us to be more user friendly for the hospital staff and the patient. It’s now a much more modern, smaller, sleeker robot which is important because hospital space is not large,” said Michal Prywata, co-founder, chief technology officer and director of Bionik Laboratories.

[Read more…] about Bionik launches new InMotion Arm for stroke survivors

New Bosch business unit pools software and service expertise

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Industrial giant Bosch is extending its industrial internet software portfolio to complement its digital manufacturing offer, and now has 500 associates in Germany, Hungary and China.

Digitalization and connectivity are transforming manufacturing at breakneck speed. The greatest potential in the long term is not only in hardware or device connectivity, but also smart software – the essential enabler of internet of things applications.

As a result, Bosch has made structural changes to increase its software business: at the beginning of January 2018, a new operating unit, Bosch Connected Industry, began operations with 500 associates in Germany, Hungary, and China.

Bosch is pooling all its Industry 4.0 activities in this new unit, including the fields of software and services. “We want to make the most of the potential inherent in connected industry, which means we need to assemble the best possible team,” says Bosch board of management member Dr. Stefan Hartung, whose responsibilities include manufacturing coordinating and, in turn, Industry 4.0.

[Read more…] about New Bosch business unit pools software and service expertise

Siemens extends digital industrial network

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Siemens has set up 20 centers for digital customer applications in the industrial sector. Each of these MindSphere Application Centers for digital offerings from Siemens spans multiple locations in different countries and specializes in a particular industry in which Siemens is active.

Today, around 900 software developers, data specialists and engineers are already working together with Siemens customers at these centers to develop digital innovations for data analysis and machine learning.

These new solutions are being developed on MindSphere, Siemens’ open, cloud-based operating system for the Internet of Things (IoT). To be close to its customers, the company has distributed its 20 centers across around 50 locations in 17 countries worldwide.

[Read more…] about Siemens extends digital industrial network