Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

Archives for October 5, 2018

Sequent Microsystems launches new Raspberry Pi card for industrial automation

by

Sequent Microsystems, a tech startup from Cupertino, California, has launched a Kickstarter campaign for a new industrial expansion card for the Raspberry Pi platform.

The company says the I/O card is “loaded with inputs, outputs, and relays, the card challenges the traditional industrial automation market in features and cost”.

According to the Kickstarter page, the card attempts to integrate as many Industrial Automation functions as possible into the small, credit card format of the Raspberry Pi.  [Read more…] about Sequent Microsystems launches new Raspberry Pi card for industrial automation

Stronger and lighter steel behind container manufacturer’s switch

by

ZPUH JK Milosz Kiedrowski, a container manufacturer located in northern Poland, started in 2001 to closely co-operate with the Swedish company ILAB Container, through which it has access to the Scandinavian market.

In 2008, JK launched the production of light containers made from high-strength steel.

From the very beginning, it was clear to the management of JK that the steel they used must be produced by SSAB due to its superior quality and because a majority of Scandinavian customers expected containers made from SSAB steel.  [Read more…] about Stronger and lighter steel behind container manufacturer’s switch

OmniVision releases high-resolution image sensors for machine vision applications

by

OmniVision Technologies, a developer of advanced digital imaging solutions, has released two new high-resolution additions to its family of global shutter image sensors – the OG02B1B/OG02B10 and the OV9285.

These new sensors are designed to be cost-effective solutions for a wide range of consumer and industrial machine vision applications.

In particular, OEMs developing products for high-growth markets such as AR/VR headsets and accessories, industrial automation, robotics, agricultural drones and 3D modeling will benefit from these higher-resolution global shutter image sensors that can quickly capture precise images of fast-moving or faraway objects while consuming very little power.  [Read more…] about OmniVision releases high-resolution image sensors for machine vision applications

BlueBotics teams up with Forestay Capital in pursuit of new international growth surge

by

BlueBotics, a provider of navigation systems for robots, has teamed up with Forestay Capital in pursuit of new international growth surge.

BlueBotics says Forestay Capital, a tech fund that launched earlier this year, has acquired capital in the company, providing the “impetus for international expansion”.

BlueBotics, which is based in St Sulpice, Switzerland, develops and sells navigation technologies for industrial vehicle automation.  [Read more…] about BlueBotics teams up with Forestay Capital in pursuit of new international growth surge

FactoryFour raises $5 million for manufacturing management software business

by

Startup company FactoryFour has raised $5 million for its manufacturing management software business.

The company says the Series A round will help it provide more manufacturers with software to manage production the way they want to, with “full customizability”.

The round, led by August Capital with Refactor reinvesting after leading the seed round, will help add headcount, improve and broaden the product suite, and establish a West Coast foothold in Los Angeles, California.  [Read more…] about FactoryFour raises $5 million for manufacturing management software business

Samsung and AT&T create US 5G manufacturing ‘Innovation Zone’

by

Samsung Electronics America (SEA) and Samsung Austin Semiconductor (SAS) are working with AT&T to create America’s first manufacturing-focused 5G “Innovation Zone” in Austin, Texas, USA.

With 5G promising to eventually usher in a new era for manufacturing, this new zone will help provide crucial insight into how smart manufacturing can evolve and strengthen the industry at large.

5G is set to be the next generation of mobile communications. Its delivery objectives, covering chipsets, devices, and other equipment, include reduced latency, high data rates, higher system capacity and massive device connectivity.

[Read more…] about Samsung and AT&T create US 5G manufacturing ‘Innovation Zone’

Robotics to aid people with disabilities at work

by

Robots are well on the way to becoming ubiquitous in manufacturing, where they are having an impact on the work environment and on jobs themselves.

But what does this new world of work look like? How does it divide work up between humans and machines? And how might robots help create attractive jobs for people with disabilities so they can be participate in the workforce?

AQUIAS, a project conducted by Robert Bosch GmbH, the Fraunhofer Institutes for Industrial Engineering IAO and for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA, and ISAK GmbH offers some answers.

[Read more…] about Robotics to aid people with disabilities at work

Volkswagen and Microsoft announce strategic digital partnership

by

Entering into a strategic partnership, Volkswagen and Microsoft Corp. will collaborate to develop the ‘Volkswagen Automotive Cloud’, one of the largest dedicated automotive industry clouds for all future Volkswagen digital services and mobility offerings.

The Supervisory Board of Volkswagen AG approved the conclusion of an agreement to this effect between Volkswagen and Microsoft on September 28, 2018.

With Microsoft as its strategic partner, the company is taking a decisive step in its digital transformation into a mobility provider with a fully connected vehicle fleet and the digital ecosystem “Volkswagen We”.

[Read more…] about Volkswagen and Microsoft announce strategic digital partnership