Archives for May 24, 2018

InterDrone adds content and networking events for key unmanned aerial vehicles sectors

May 24, 2018 by Sam Francis

InterDrone, the international drone conference and exposition, has further expanded its enterprise-specific content with the addition of the “Enterprise After Hours” and vertical-specific tracks throughout the show.

InterDrone, which is the largest commercial drone show in North America, will be held September 5-7 at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas, and is expected to draw more than 3,500 unmanned aerial vehicles professionals from around the world.

The Enterprise After Hours will take place in the evening on Wednesday, September 5, and are concurrent special networking events with dedicated rooms and discussion in the following verticals:

construction;
aggregates and mining;
inspection, which will include both energy and infrastructure inspection;
precision agriculture;
public safety; and
surveying and mapping.

OhmniLabs launches ‘first’ open telepresence robotics platform

May 24, 2018 by Sam Francis

OhmniLabs, a Silicon Valley-based robotics company, has launched what it claims is “the first open telepresence robotics platform”.

Called the Ohmni DevKit, the tools are designed to enable faster, cheaper, and easier development of custom robotics applications built on top of telepresence.

The new Ohmni DevKit is based on the affordable, production-grade Ohmni telepresence robot and is designed for maximum hardware and software extensibility. [Read more…] about OhmniLabs launches ‘first’ open telepresence robotics platform

ZF launches essentially driverless forklift truck

May 24, 2018 by Sam Francis

Automotive technology developer ZF Friedrichshafen has launched a forklift truck which is basically driverless.

The company calls the vehicle a “highly automated forklift” which can “see, think and act”.

ZF says it transferred expertise from different departments from across the company to the industrial technology division in order to develop the new forklift. [Read more…] about ZF launches essentially driverless forklift truck

Research: Consumer robotics market to rise to $23 billion by 2026

May 24, 2018 by Anna

The consumer robotics market is evolving rapidly and covers a wide array of products, from homecare systems to children’s toys to smart ‘humanoid’ robots that provide personal and social engagement.

According to ABI Research, a market-foresight advisory firm providing strategic guidance on the most compelling transformative technologies, the entire consumer robotics market will reach 100 million shipments and US$23 billion in revenue by 2026.

Home-care robots are already the primary driver of revenue for the wider consumer robotics market. This trend is expected to increase, following a banner year of revenue and shipment growth from floor care market leader iRobot.

Comau partners with Nordica Sterling

May 24, 2018 by Anna

Comau has a new system integrator partner in Florida, USA, Nordica Sterling. Nordica Sterling specialises in the design, manufacture and installation of full turnkey robotic and industrial automation solutions.

As an international partner in robotic automation, Nordica Sterling Robotics and Automation provides solutions that are designed to ensure optimum performance and cost effectiveness through increased efficiency and productivity.

James Lakin, Comau Robotics NAFTA Partner Manager says, “Nordica Sterling offers a wide range of impressive solutions that span across all industries. This is an asset we value in a system integrator partner and we look forward to expanding our automation horizon as a team.”

Infineon invests $2 billion in new semiconductor factory in Austria

May 24, 2018 by Sam Francis

Infineon Technologies says it is preparing for long-term growth by investing €1.6 billion ($1.9 billion) in a new 300-millimeter chip factory in Villach, Austria.

Infineon says its new factory for power semiconductors will consolidate its position as the “market and technology leader” in this segment, and will create the foundation for long-term, profitable growth.

A fully automated chip factory for manufacturing 300-millimeter thin wafers will be constructed at the Villach location in Austria alongside the existing production facility. [Read more…] about Infineon invests $2 billion in new semiconductor factory in Austria

Smart cities: Bosch and e.Go bring free automated parking to Aachen, Germany

May 24, 2018 by Sam Francis

This is what stress-free parking will look like in the future: pull up, step out of the car, pull out your smartphone, and use an app to tell your car to go park.

This future will arrive in Aachen before the year is out, when the new parking garage for the production engineering cluster on the RWTH Aachen campus, built by Immofinanz in 2018, is equipped with Bosch automated valet parking.

Now Bosch and the Aachen-based automaker e.Go have agreed to collaborate on this. [Read more…] about Smart cities: Bosch and e.Go bring free automated parking to Aachen, Germany

All Nippon Airways and Honda Aircraft Company sign deal to expand business jet market

May 24, 2018 by Anna

ANA Holdings Inc. and Honda Aircraft Company have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a strategic partnership supporting the expansion of the business jet market around the globe by using Honda Aircraft’s technologically advanced HondaJet.

ANA, ANA Holdings’ flagship carrier and largest airline in Japan, which currently operates about 260 commercial aeroplanes throughout the world, will introduce current business jet users and its commercial flight customers to the HondaJet by maximising the utilisation of the aircraft.

ANA will use the HondaJet for its charter and feeder flights connecting them to the existing broad network at major travel hubs in North America and Europe.