Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

Archives for April 5, 2018

Exclusive interview: Sarcos Robotics aims to augment human strengths

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Exclusive interview with Ben Wolff, CEO of Sarcos Robotics

Hollywood actress Sigourney Weaver is most famous for two things: one is making vests popular and the other is having an epic dust-up with a massive alien on the deck of a spaceship, toe to toe, mano-a-mano, or womano-a-womano, or womano-a-alieno, or whatever. 

In space, no one can hear you mangle the Spanish language.

The vest is of less interest to this website, but the battle suit Weaver wore to take on what is arguably the most terrifying alien in cinematic history is of great interest because it was an exoskeleton, although most people probably didn’t know what it was called at the time.

The film was, of course, Aliens, released in 1986, and in donning the exoskeleton, Weaver instantly acquired what seemed like hundreds of times her natural body strength.  [Read more…] about Exclusive interview: Sarcos Robotics aims to augment human strengths

Honeywell launches new software for connected distribution centers

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Honeywell has launched a new software platform for distribution centers that the company says streamlines and simplifies complex e-commerce fulfillment operations.

The Momentum warehouse execution system from Honeywell Intelligrated brings together automated equipment, workflows, orders and labor in a unified platform to provide distribution center operators real-time visibility and help make operations more efficient.

The system provides e-commerce fulfillment, store replenishment and wholesale distribution center operations with shortened order cycle times, improved order accuracy and faster deliveries.  [Read more…] about Honeywell launches new software for connected distribution centers

The route to fulfilment: Exclusive interview with DHL robotics boss

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Exclusive interview with Denis Niezgoda, robotics accelerator lead at DHL

In this exclusive interview, Robotics and Automation News talks to Denis Niezgoda, robotics accelerator lead at DHL, who gets into details of the company’s automation strategy, highlights some challenges, and provides plenty of insight into numerous interesting initiatives DHL is currently engaged in. 

DHL, as many will know, is the world’s largest logistics company, and Niezgoda says that the German giant is forecasting “solid improvements” in global shipments, especially in its freight forwarding business – ocean freight, road freight, and rail freight – which are among its core business activities.

Denis Niezgoda, robotics accelerator lead at DHL

“One of the biggest growth factors is online shopping or e-commerce, where we see steady, low double-digit growth – not just only in domestic shipments, but what is getting much more interesting in the past one or two years is cross-border shipments,” says Niezgoda.  [Read more…] about The route to fulfilment: Exclusive interview with DHL robotics boss

Fetch Robotics expands autonomous mobile robot fleet

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Fetch Robotics, one of the first and leading makers of warehouse robots, has expanded its VirtualConveyor family of Autonomous Mobile Robots with the addition of CartConnect and RollerTop robots.

The company says it now has “the most flexible and broad range of workflows for material handling and transport”.

Through the FetchCore Cloud Robotics Platform, mixed fleets of “VirtualConveyor” robots uniquely complement any warehouse optimization strategy for mixed inventory and workflow environments associated with the largest third-party logistics companies, retailers, and manufacturers in the world.  [Read more…] about Fetch Robotics expands autonomous mobile robot fleet

Manufacturers ‘slow’ to introduce digital supply chains, says new report

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Manufacturing companies are slow to integrate digital supply chains into their networks, according to a new report by Deloitte and the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation. 

Deloitte, one of the largest management consultancies in the world, says the lag is occurring despite the “significant advantages” digital supply networks, or DSNs, can provide.

The study, Embracing a digital future: How manufacturers can unlock the transformative benefits of digital supply networks, reveals a disconnect between executives’ opinions of their DSN efforts and actual implementation.  [Read more…] about Manufacturers ‘slow’ to introduce digital supply chains, says new report

Robotic arms being employed as camera operators

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If you’re an enthusiast who occasionally makes a YouTube video, you probably use the webcam integrated with your computer. 

But if you’re more serious, you probably buy yourself good-quality video and audio equipment and your productions are of a higher standard.

Take one step further on from that and what’s possible is that you avail yourself of the services of a camera operator, someone who can move the camera to follow you around as you show us how to make that croissant and coffee we all so desperately need first thing in the morning.  [Read more…] about Robotic arms being employed as camera operators

Robot density rises globally, South Korea ahead

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The automation of production is accelerating around the world: 74 robot units per 10,000 employees is the new average of global robot density in the manufacturing industries (2015: 66 units). By regions, the average robot density in Europe is 99 units, in the Americas 84 and in Asia 63 units.

The top 10 most automated countries in the world are: South Korea, Singapore, Germany, Japan, Sweden, Denmark, USA, Italy, Belgium and Taiwan, according to the 2017 World Robot Statistics, issued by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).

“Robot density is an excellent standard for comparison in order to take into account the differences in the automation degree of the manufacturing industry in various countries,” says Junji Tsuda, President of the International Federation of Robotics.

[Read more…] about Robot density rises globally, South Korea ahead

Teradata and Cisco work on smart cities solution

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Teradata is working with Cisco on a digital transformation solution with a focus on smart cities and communities.

Combining the merits of Cisco’s IoT platform, Cisco Kinetic for Cities, with the Teradata Analytics Platform, the solution will help cities become smarter and more connected by providing a powerful solution for integrated data exchange.

The Cisco platform collects, aggregates and normalises real-time data securely across city networks. Teradata is among the first enterprise data analytics companies to integrate with this platform to provide smart data management, such as analytics, persistent data lifecycle management and data enrichment, that delivers business insights to cities and communities.

[Read more…] about Teradata and Cisco work on smart cities solution

DHL expands e-commerce fulfilment internationally

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DHL Parcel and DHL eCommerce are now offering online retailers a global solution for their e-commerce fulfilment needs with a global fulfilment platform and new fulfilment centers in the UK, Americas and South-east Asia.

Today’s e-commerce market is placing aggressive demands on the retailer to provide fast fulfilment and delivery, and doing so without increasing costs. This is simply not possible for most merchants because they lack capital or the ability to manage the complexity.

DHL has built a new IT platform that provides access to a network of fulfilment centres and is closely integrated with DHL’s shipping capabilities to allow our customers to meet their fulfilment and shipping requirements in a much more efficient fashion.

[Read more…] about DHL expands e-commerce fulfilment internationally

Amazon plans fulfilment centre in Missouri, US

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Amazon.com, Inc.  is planning its first Missouri fulfilment centre in St. Peters, creating more than 1,500 full-time jobs and opportunities to engage with Amazon Robotics in a highly technological workplace. Amazon currently operates a sortation centre in Hazelwood, where it employs hundreds of associates.

Amazon employees at the more than 800,000 square foot fulfilment centre will pick, pack and ship small items to customers such as books, electronics and toys.

The facility will feature innovative technology such as Amazon Robotics that will assist employees in fulfilling customer orders.