Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

Archives for January 2021

SICK develops first IP69K incremental encoder with added ingress protection

by Leave a Comment

Encoder delivers hygienic, long-lasting reliability in demanding food and beverage environments, says SICK

Developed for long-lasting reliability despite frequent high-pressure chemical washdowns in demanding food and beverage applications, SICK’s DBS60I-W is the first IP69K incremental encoder with added ingress protection thanks to a new, patented deflector shield, according to the company.

The SICK DBS60I-W washdown encoder delivers all the high-resolution performance of SICK’s popular DBS60 incremental encoder but in a robust IP69K-rated, 316L (V4A) stainless steel housing.

The specially developed deflector shield is designed to protect the shaft seal from ingress of water and caustic chemicals during high-pressure washdown. As a result, the washdown encoder promises a long product life, protecting machine reliability and availability on food processing, bottling, and packaging lines. [Read more…] about SICK develops first IP69K incremental encoder with added ingress protection

Airbus to develop ‘Moon Cruiser’ concept for ESA

by Leave a Comment

Aerospace giant Airbus has been awarded a CLTV (Cis-Lunar Transfer Vehicle) study for a “Moon Cruiser” by the European Space Agency (ESA).

According to the study concept (two parallel Phase A/B1), the CLTV is a versatile, autonomous logistics vehicle that could, for example, provide timely and efficient support to NASA and ESA in the implementation of the future Artemis Moon missions.

The spacecraft will be based on existing and proven technologies and will complement the multipurpose European Large Logistic Lander (EL3). [Read more…] about Airbus to develop ‘Moon Cruiser’ concept for ESA

Teradyne and Syntiant partner to ‘significantly shorten time to market’ for new AI chips

by Leave a Comment

Teradyne, a supplier of automated test solutions, says the company’s UltraFLEX test platform has enabled AI chip company Syntiant to successfully ship millions of its microwatt-power, deep learning Neural Decision Processors to customers worldwide.

Built from a clean sheet, hardware/software co-design methodology that optimizes silicon and deep learning models together, the Syntiant NDP100 and Syntiant NDP101 Neural Decision Processors bring hands-free, cloud-free, always-on voice and sensor AI applications to battery-powered edge devices.

Pieter Vorenkamp, COO at Syntiant, says: “Our deep learning NDP10x chips leverage our custom designed near-memory compute architecture, so we were looking for a partner with a deep understanding of the AI chip market. [Read more…] about Teradyne and Syntiant partner to ‘significantly shorten time to market’ for new AI chips

Dematic automates Landmark Group’s main distribution centre

by Leave a Comment

Dematic has completed a new automated distribution centre for the Landmark Group in Dubai, UAE, allowing the multinational retailer to consolidate the logistics activities for part of its five existing manual distribution sites.

Mihin Shah, chief supply chain officer of Landmark Group, says: “The automation solution designed by Dematic allows our supply chain network to now operate with enhanced efficiency, productivity and transparency.

“With this investment, we are advancing technological progress and taking a pioneering position in our region.” [Read more…] about Dematic automates Landmark Group’s main distribution centre

HRG unveils ‘Intelligent Patrol Robot’ to fight against pandemic

by Leave a Comment

HRG has unveiled what it calls its “Intelligent Patrol Robot”.

Developed by the Intelligent Equipment Research Institute of HRG Hefei Institute, the new product is designed to carry out patrol inspections in multiple scenarios.

It can achieve a 24-hour observation of 360 degrees horizontal and 180 degrees vertical to effectively reduce human contact during the pandemic. [Read more…] about HRG unveils ‘Intelligent Patrol Robot’ to fight against pandemic

Lenovo unveils ‘the most versatile smart glasses ever’

by Leave a Comment

Lenovo has unveiled what it describes as “the most versatile smart glasses ever designed for the enterprise”. 

The technology giant says its ThinkReality A3 smart glasses can enhance productivity for the office professional and industrial worker in small business or global enterprise, and “everywhere in-between”.

Lenovo introduced the ThinkReality A3 lightweight smart glasses during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) earlier this month. [Read more…] about Lenovo unveils ‘the most versatile smart glasses ever’

NXP unveils new chips featuring enhanced Bluetooth capabilities for automotive and industrial markets

by Leave a Comment

NXP Semiconductors has launched new devices within its KW3x range of microcontrollers (MCUs). The new KW39/38/37 MCUs add Bluetooth 5.0 long-range capabilities and expanded Bluetooth advertising channels.

These enhancements are made while offering seamless migration with hardware, software and tools compatibility with the previous generation of devices, KW34/35/36.

The connectivity MCUs allow Bluetooth LE devices to communicate at distances of more than a mile and increase the amount of Bluetooth advertising channels and advertising data within the Bluetooth standard, the predominant IoT protocol. [Read more…] about NXP unveils new chips featuring enhanced Bluetooth capabilities for automotive and industrial markets

Lidar sensor makers choose Nvidia Drive for development

by Leave a Comment

Baraja, Hesai, Innoviz, Magna and Ouster join Nvidia Drive developer ecosystem

When it comes to autonomous vehicle sensor innovation, it’s best to keep an open mind – and an open development platform, according to chipmaker Nvidia. 

That’s why Nvidia Drive is the chosen platform on which the majority of these sensors run, says the company.

In addition to camera sensors, Nvidia has long recognized that lidar is a crucial component to an autonomous vehicle’s perception stack. By emitting invisible lasers at incredibly fast speeds, lidar sensors can paint a detailed 3D picture from the signals that bounce back instantaneously. [Read more…] about Lidar sensor makers choose Nvidia Drive for development

Why Manufacturers Should Consider Using a Cloud-based MES Platform

by Leave a Comment

Traditional manufacturing execution systems are deployed on a single machine that might be networked to a handful of terminals inside of a machine shop.

While this made sense in an era before widespread Internet adoption, it’s hopelessly dated today. Few people have the technology needed to turn their smart devices into antique telnet clients, and there are even less who would want to.

Cloud-based technology is a much better alternative, but adoption has been surprisingly slow. That’s causing many industry sectors to play a dizzyingly fast game of catch-up. [Read more…] about Why Manufacturers Should Consider Using a Cloud-based MES Platform

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Surveillance Industry

by Leave a Comment

Like other sectors of our lives, the game-changing impact of artificial intelligence in our security systems cannot be ignored.

Let’s face it, despite several innovative and giant strides in security systems, they still depend on human monitoring and unwavering focus. It is an undeniable fact that the attention span of a typical human is short at best.

The need to keep close eyes on things means more cameras and more critical events likely to be missed in real-time. Browsing through tonnes of boring recorded video data after the fact is not an easy task. [Read more…] about The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Surveillance Industry