Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

Archives for February 1, 2019

Omron launches smart camera with ‘world’s first’ multi-color light and high-resolution image sensor

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Omron Automation Americas has released a brand-new FHV7-series smart camera featuring what it says is “the world’s first” multi-color light alongside a range image sensors (0.4 MP to 5 MP, with 12 MP coming in the near future).

This unique technology is designed to achieve the industry’s highest standards of precision in vision inspections on high-mix production lines.

Consumers’ quality and safety expectations are becoming increasingly strict, and corporate social responsibility is growing in importance.  [Read more…] about Omron launches smart camera with ‘world’s first’ multi-color light and high-resolution image sensor

Omron takes its ‘Factory Harmony’ exhibit to ATX West

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Industrial automation company Omron has taken its interactive “Factory Harmony” exhibit to ATX West to demonstrate the factory floor of the near-future.

The company followed up its showing at the Consumer Electronics Show with an exhibit of advanced artificial intelligence, automation and robotics at ATX West 2019.

Known for its industry-leading core technology, Sensing & Control + Think, Omron will bring its new interactive Factory Harmony exhibit to ATX with a team of experts who collaborate with customers to provide customized automation solutions for factory line efficiency and business growth.  [Read more…] about Omron takes its ‘Factory Harmony’ exhibit to ATX West

Columbia University engineers create ‘a robot that can imagine itself’

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Columbia University engineers say they have created “a robot that can imagine itself”, taking the industry one step closer to self-aware machines. (See video below.)

Robots that are self-aware have been science fiction fodder for decades, and now we may finally be getting closer.

Humans are unique in being able to imagine themselves – to picture themselves in future scenarios, such as walking along the beach on a warm sunny day.  [Read more…] about Columbia University engineers create ‘a robot that can imagine itself’

OnRobot’s Nasa technology-based ‘Gecko’ gripper named finalist in the 2019 Edison Awards

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OnRobot, a global leader in end-of-arm tooling for collaborative robots, announced today its Gecko Gripper has been named a finalist in the Applied Technology’s Robotics category in the 2019 Edison Awards.

The Edison Awards, named after Thomas Alva Edison, recognizes and honors the world’s best in innovators and innovations. The Awards will announce gold, silver and bronze award winners at the Edison Awards Gala held Thursday, April 4, 2019, in New York City.

OnRobot provides hardware and software that is used with collaborative robots – or cobots – from a variety of robot manufacturers, such as Universal Robots, Kuka, Fanuc and Yaskawa. Recently, OnRobot announced general availability of its Gecko Gripper.  [Read more…] about OnRobot’s Nasa technology-based ‘Gecko’ gripper named finalist in the 2019 Edison Awards

Industrial Internet Consortium and OpenFog Consortium merge

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The Industrial Internet Consortium and OpenFog Consortium have united their organizations.

The IIC, now incorporating OpenFog, is the single-largest organization focused on industrial internet of things, artificial intelligence, fog and edge computing.

The IIC and OpenFog are said to be the two largest and most influential international consortia in Industrial IoT, fog and edge computing.  [Read more…] about Industrial Internet Consortium and OpenFog Consortium merge

Nidec to acquire 70 percent stake in Desch Group

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Nidec Corporation has agreed to acquire a 70 percent ownership of a privately owned German company, Desch Antriebstechnik and its group companies in Germany and China, from its owners.

The transaction will be made through Nidec-Shimpo, a Germany-based affiliate of Nidec’s subsidiary, Nidec-Shimpo Corporation.

Desch was founded in 1906 and manufactures and sells large precision gearboxes. It has approximately 400 employees and last year had revenues of around $100 million.  [Read more…] about Nidec to acquire 70 percent stake in Desch Group

Mitsubishi Electric to build net zero energy building test facility

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Mitsubishi Electric Corporation plans to build a new test facility for its broad and integrated portfolio of technologies for net Zero Energy Buildings (ZEB) at its Information Technology R&D Center in Kamakura, Japan.

The facility will accelerate the company’s development, evaluation and demonstration of ZEB technologies to meet the growing demand for buildings that combine comfort and superior energy savings.

Mitsubishi Electric’s ZEB technologies are part of the company’s wide-ranging effort to help achieve the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The new facility, which will cost approximately 3.6 billion yen, is scheduled to start operating in June 2020.

[Read more…] about Mitsubishi Electric to build net zero energy building test facility

Report: US vertical farming market worth $3 billion by 2024

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The US vertical farming market is projected to reach values of around $3 billion by 2024, growing at a CAGR of more than 24% during 2018-2024, according to a new report from Research and Markets.

The vertical farming technique offers speedier supply chain for seedling production and with an eight-week turnaround time of seedling ordering system.

These systems will help farmers to meet the growing demand and offer promotions and special offers to consumers in the US market.

[Read more…] about Report: US vertical farming market worth $3 billion by 2024

NXP and Kalray partner on autonomous driving computer platform

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NXP Semiconductors N.V. has announced a new strategic partnership with Kalray, a pioneer in processors for new intelligent systems.

The partnership will combine NXP’s portfolio of functional safety products for ADAS and Central Compute with Kalray’s high-performance intelligent MPPA (Massively Parallel Processor Array) processors.

The new platform is significant because it addresses the performance, safety and near-term commercial needs of levels 2 and 3 driving with an eye to longer-term release in level 4 and 5 autonomous vehicles.

[Read more…] about NXP and Kalray partner on autonomous driving computer platform