Day: May 26, 2020
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Support for Universal Basic Income growing as economies look to recover from coronavirus devastation
A couple of years ago, RoboticsAndAutomationNews.com published a story about Finland introducing a “Universal Basic Income” for a small number of its citizens as an experiment. The Finnish government’s idea was that it would study the possibility of using UBI as a way to offset the unemployment caused by automation. Although it was well worth…
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University students compete in SICK’s second annual TiM$10k Challenge
For the second consecutive year, sensor manufacturer SICK invited students from universities around the country to participate in the company’s TiM$10K Challenge. The challenge started in 2018 to support innovation and student achievement in automation and technology. Teams were supplied with a 270° SICK LiDAR sensor (TiM) and accessories and challenged to solve a problem,…
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Mitsubishi Electric launches ‘Melfa Assista’ series of collaborative robots
Mitsubishi Electric has launched what is believed to be its first series of collaborative robots, which the company has named “Melfa Assista” (main picture). The “RV-5AS-D” model of the cobot has a 5 kg load capacity and 6-axis movement. The company says the robots can work collaboratively with humans based on safety features such as…
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Heraeus Electronics unveils new copper wire encased in aluminium
Heraeus Electronics, a provider of material solutions for electronics packaging, has launched what it describes as a “next-generation wire for power applications”. The product, named CucorAl Plus, renews Heraeus’ existing CucorAl product and offers “superior electrical and mechanical properties combined with a better processability”, according to the company. Dr Klemens Brunner, president of Heraeus Electronics,…
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Students build robotic garbage-sorting system using B&R technology
A group of students have built a robotic garbage-sorting system using B&R technology. The 13 students were given three days to build a machine that uses robots to sort garbage at the international Smart Green Island Makeathon engineering competition. Austrian automation specialist B&R supported an interdisciplinary team of students from Brno University of Technology, the…
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Mazak launches new 5-axis vertical machining centre
Yamazaki Mazak has unveiled a new high-accuracy simultaneous 5-axis vertical machining centre, the Variaxis C-600, suitable for a wide range of sectors, including the aerospace and automotive markets. Mazak says the C-600, which is the successor machine to the highly successful Variaxis j-600/5X, is being marketed at a “highly attractive price point” to provide a…
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UPS to use drones to deliver medicines to retirement homes in Florida
CVS Health Corporation and UPS subsidiary UPS Flight Forward will use drones to deliver prescription medicines from a CVS pharmacy to The Villages, Florida for the largest US retirement community, home to more than 135,000 residents. The service will use Matternet’s M2 drone system. Drone transport offers a fast delivery option for medicines that are…
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UPS unveils new smart warehouse system which integrates AMRs from Locus Robotics
UPS Supply Chain Solutions has unveiled new warehouse network technology designed to make distribution centers “smarter and more efficient”, and uses autonomous mobile robots from Locus Robotics. UPS says the new Warehouse Execution System (WES) will enable faster order intake and fulfillment to ensure that customers, especially those with fluctuating order patterns, receive their products…
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DB Schenker invests in Volocopter as drone startup builds funds up to €87 million
DB Schenker, a global logistics company, has invested in Volocopter, a startup developing a new type of passenger-carrying drone which can also be used for good distribution. DB Schenker says its investment shows that it is “a pioneer of urban air mobility”. With the new investment, Volocopter has extended its Series C funding to now…
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Bastian Solutions becomes AutoStore’s newest global partner
Bastian Solutions, a Toyota Advanced Logistics company, has become a global integrator for AutoStore, the manufacturer of an automated storage and retrieval system designed around robotic shuttles widely used in the warehousing sector. Bastian Solutions has been a regional partner of AutoStore since 2013 and is one of the leading partners in AutoStore installations. Currently…