Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

Archives for August 31, 2020

Elon Musk wants to implant a chip in your brain. Not that there’s anything wrong with it…

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Elon Musk – he of PayPal, Tesla, and SpaceX fame and enormous fortune – now wants to implant a chip in your brain as part of his Neuralink business.

Neuralink is Musk’s brain-to-computer interface company that seeks to connect all humans to artificial intelligence systems which will potentially monitor and control all their movements and thoughts.

The Matrix-style scenario sounds like living in an absolute hellish nightmare, but Musk seems completely oblivious to that likelihood. [Read more…] about Elon Musk wants to implant a chip in your brain. Not that there’s anything wrong with it…

Walmart’s doubling of online sales to boost warehouse robotics sector

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Walmart has reported that its e-commerce sales have almost doubled as a result of the coronavirus lockdown forcing everyone to lock themselves up at home as often as possible and shopping online.

The company reported a staggering 97 percent increase in online sales for its second quarter, total revenue of almost $138 billion, which is an increase of $7.4 billion overall across internet and in-store sales.

Additionally, Walmart’s marketplace has also seen a doubling in the number of sellers included, to more than 50,000. [Read more…] about Walmart’s doubling of online sales to boost warehouse robotics sector

Chinese shipbuilder integrates autonomous navigation system

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Chinese shipbuilder Jiangnan Shipyards Group is integrating autonomous navigation system into its new vessels, according to RivieraMM.com.

The company ordered the integrated automation and control systems from a company called Høglund Marine Solutions, based in Norway.

Integrated automation and control systems, or IACS, are hardware-plus-software solutions that are designed to meet the complete range of automation and control tasks on board modern vessels, according to Høglund. [Read more…] about Chinese shipbuilder integrates autonomous navigation system

Investment in agricultural automation increases as farmers look to offset labor shortages

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Total investment in agricultural robot startups has increased significantly as farmers look to offset labor shortages partly caused by the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report on the Financial Times website.

Citing data collated by DealRoom.co, the news website says investment in vertical and indoor farming startups has grown by more than 40 percent this year compared with last year.

Indoor farming is basically the process of growing inside large buildings, some of which are like greenhouses and use natural light coming through transparent roofs, while others use artificial lights if their roofs are opaque. [Read more…] about Investment in agricultural automation increases as farmers look to offset labor shortages

Rokae unveils robotic system for making knives and scissor blades

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Rokae has unveiled a robotic system for making knives, scissor blades and other metallic objects with sharp edges. 

The company has partnered with Zhang Xiao Quan, a 400-year-old manufacturer of cutting tools, to implement a robotic system in place of what would be a very time-consuming process for a human worker.

In a typical knife manufacturing facility, huge rolls of steel arrive and are cut into blanks, which are then shaped using presses, and then sharpened. [Read more…] about Rokae unveils robotic system for making knives and scissor blades