Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

Archives for April 9, 2020

Covid-19 pandemic impact: Mobile robotics market to grow to $23 billion by next year

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The Coronavirus outbreak has highlighted use cases for mobile robotics to successfully disinfect, monitor, survey, and handle and deliver materials.

These proven use cases will propel the overall mobile robotics market to $23 billion by 2021, according to a report by technology market advisory firm, ABI Research.

Rian Whitton, senior analyst at ABI Research, says: “Crises shift perceptions on what is possible regarding investment and transformative action on the part of both private and government actors. [Read more…] about Covid-19 pandemic impact: Mobile robotics market to grow to $23 billion by next year

Industrial automation is ‘paying the price for failing to think big and invest bigger’

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The industrial automation sector is “paying the price for failing to think big and invest bigger”, according to a report by GlobalData.

The industrial automation sector was not in a great place before Covid-19 struck, having been slowed by flat capital expenditure and declining industrial production, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

The virus has since closed factory after factory worldwide with workers sent home. The reality is that despite much hype over the years, advanced factory automation has not been substituted for human workers at scale. [Read more…] about Industrial automation is ‘paying the price for failing to think big and invest bigger’

HAHN Group acquires DAHL Automation

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The HAHN Group has acquired DAHL Automation, expanding its competence in the field of intralogistics and autonomous mobile robots.

DAHL Automation is an integrator for robotics, collaborative robots, as well as autonomous mobile robots and automated guided vehicles.

The company has 30 employees currently employed at its headquarters in Meinerzhagen, Germany. [Read more…] about HAHN Group acquires DAHL Automation

10 key considerations when developing your robot’s cloud backend

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If you work in robotics, odds are you’re more interested in robots than data pipelines and cloud architecture.

Unfortunately, the latter are just as much a part of modern robotics as sensors and servo motors. If you hope to successfully develop and scale your robotics operations, you’ll first have to run the gauntlet that is building a cloud-based “backend” – the server side of the network.

Given the inherent complexity of this task, there are plenty of opportunities for oversight. So, before all else, it’s imperative that you and your team take the time to carefully consider and develop a plan of action. [Read more…] about 10 key considerations when developing your robot’s cloud backend

Robots and AI playing their part in coronavirus cleanup

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As China finally ends the lockdown it imposed on Wuhan about two-and-a-half months ago, we look at some of the cleanup operations involving robots and artificial intelligence in the country.

UBTech Robotics has been at the forefront of robotic and AI implementations fighting Covid-19 away from of hospitals. Below are some examples.

Back to school

At the school gates of two major middle schools – Kunming Number 3 Middle School and Kunming Dianchi Middle School – in Yunnan province, southwest of China, students returning from prolonged absence for Covid-19 fear are now greeted by a robot instead of a human. [Read more…] about Robots and AI playing their part in coronavirus cleanup

GÖPEL improves quality control in automotive manufacturing with Universal Robots

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Using the UR10e, the company says it has eliminated the tedious and physically taxing tests manually conducted by employees

Universal Robots says GÖPEL electronic, a manufacturer of testing and inspection systems for electronic assemblies and printed circuit boards, has developed a revolutionary, automated quality control system for its automotive customers using its UR10e cobot.

According to Thomas Schöppe, senior team manager at GÖPEL electronic, the cobot replaces the company’s manual and cumbersome end of line seating test system. He says: “Previously, our employees have to simulate the vehicle-driver interaction.

For example, pressing the seat’s buttons and switches to measure the voltage or current. This process could often result in production errors which proved costly further down the manufacturing line. [Read more…] about GÖPEL improves quality control in automotive manufacturing with Universal Robots

Automation is a ‘critical technology’ to help people during coronavirus crisis, says A3

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Automation technology is playing a critical role helping safeguard people and processes during the global coronavirus crisis, according to the Association for Advancing Automation (A3).

A3 is a US industrial association representing members in robotics, vision and imaging, motion control and motors, artificial intelligence and related automation technologies who are now part of the large ecosystem taking part in the battle against Covid-19.

Jeff Burnstein, president of A3, says: “These critical automation technologies are keeping people safe, helping develop new medicines and treatments, producing key products people need today, and filling other essential roles. [Read more…] about Automation is a ‘critical technology’ to help people during coronavirus crisis, says A3

Kuka secures contract worth ‘millions’ to supply automation technology to manufacture battery packs

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Kuka, one of the world’s largest industrial automation companies, says it has secured a contract “worth millions” in the future-oriented market of electro-mobility.

Kuka says it won the contract for the planning and supply of a fully automated battery pack line. It adds that it is a “major double-digit million euro order”.

Starting 2021, battery systems for fully electric vehicles in the premium segment will be manufactured in this production facility, which will feature at least 50 Kuka robots. [Read more…] about Kuka secures contract worth ‘millions’ to supply automation technology to manufacture battery packs

RE2 Robotics joins PPE Connect PGH to help manufacture face shields

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RE2 Robotics, a Carnegie Mellon spinoff and a provider of robotic mobile manipulator arms, has begun to fabricate face shields for small- and medium-sized clinics in collaboration with PPE Connect PGH and its coalition of local universities and manufacturers.

The goal of PPE Connect PGH is to help healthcare workers on the front line in the fight against Covid-19 to locate sources of existing idle Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Funding for the PPE Connect PGH effort is being provided by the Allegheny County Medical Society Foundation (ACMS) Covid-19 Front Line Relief Fund. [Read more…] about RE2 Robotics joins PPE Connect PGH to help manufacture face shields