Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

Archives for August 24, 2021

Locus Robotics reaches half-a-billion units picked milestone

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Locus Robotics, a provider of autonomous mobile robots for warehouses, says it has surpassed the half-a-billion-units-picked milestone. This new achievement was attained just 94 days after Locus reached their 400 million level.

Rick Faulk, CEO, Locus Robotics, says: “Reaching our half-billion pick milestone this quickly underscores the critical business value that Locus’s proven technology brings to our customers around the world as they face exploding order volumes and limited labor availability.

“As ecommerce volumes increase, the pace of picking with LocusBots is also increasing exponentially. Locus’s first 100-million milestone took 1,542 days while the most recent 100 million picks took just 94 days. [Read more…] about Locus Robotics reaches half-a-billion units picked milestone

Tau invents wire that doubles the power of electric motors and raises €10.25 million

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A startup company called Tau, which specializes in materials science and automotive electrification, says it has delivered a prototype wire that enables electric motors to double their power output without changing their size. 

The technology could mean that electric vehicles and machines of all kinds can keep going for longer on a single charge, and go faster.

Coinciding with the milestone of delivering prototype winding wire to the automotive industry, Tau also concluded its Series A financing round with additional funding from Finindus, a Belgium-based investment company financed by ArcelorMittal and the Flemish Region, and a top-up by German specialty chemicals company Altana. The total raised is said to be €10.25 million. [Read more…] about Tau invents wire that doubles the power of electric motors and raises €10.25 million

Pandemic drives smart appliance and consumer robotics market revenues to $80 billion in 2021

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Consumer robotics and smart appliance vendors will continue to benefit from the boost in consumer spending on home technology in 2021, building on the uplift that started in the second half of 2020.

Global tech market advisory firm ABI Research calculates that the consumer robotics and smart appliance market will generate $80 billion in revenues in 2021, up 40 percent on 2020 revenues.

Growth comes as two dynamics combine, says the analyst. [Read more…] about Pandemic drives smart appliance and consumer robotics market revenues to $80 billion in 2021

Lyro goes global through collaboration with IMI Precision Engineering

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Brisbane, Australia-based Lyro Robotics has been contracted to license their Lyro Machine Intelligence software to US based IMI Precision Engineering.

This technology partnership will deliver smart robots that will replicate the “hands”, “eyes” and “brain” of human capabilities in automation and logistics applications.

The partnership means the two companies will work to deliver a full-stack robotic solution to satisfy the rising global demand for automated bin picking in various industries, such as agriculture, logistics and e-commerce. [Read more…] about Lyro goes global through collaboration with IMI Precision Engineering

Outrider opens ‘industry’s first’ test site dedicated to distribution yard automation

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Outrider, the startup company pioneering autonomous yard operations for logistics hubs, has opened the Outrider Advanced Testing Facility, which it says is “the first-ever test site dedicated to distribution yard automation technologies”.

Located in Brighton, Colorado, this 200,000-square-foot distribution yard with 49 dock doors operates 16 hours per day, five days per week and will expand to 24-hour operation in 2022.

This test facility is being used to validate Outrider’s autonomous capabilities, supporting the scaling of deployments at customer sites. [Read more…] about Outrider opens ‘industry’s first’ test site dedicated to distribution yard automation

The idea of flying bikes is no longer limited to motion pictures

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The splendid idea of flying bikes have enthused our imaginations for ages. And, in the last few years, it has become a reality too.

With the increasing congestion on the highways across the world, getting their car to take off and fly has become an attractive possible alternative for drivers. With such technology on board, the users won’t have to waste too much time in peak hours on roads. In fact, they wouldn’t be on the roads at all, of course.

Hover bikes, also known as flying bikes, are scramblers that can use wings and fly. Such bikes can float by containing at least two driving motors – one at the forepart and the other one at the hind sight. [Read more…] about The idea of flying bikes is no longer limited to motion pictures

Air taxi winners: Watch orders not investment, says IDTechEx

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Air taxi operators are unfazed by the 200 or so organizations designing vertical take-off electric aircraft. The IDTechEx report with the big picture is, Manned Electric Aircraft: Smart City and Regional 2021-2041.

Air taxi operators have placed large orders with a company that models itself on Tesla, entirely making born-electric, conventional take-off, fixed-wing aircraft.

Using extreme lightweighting, efficiency, and aerodynamics, Bye Aerospace has over $250 million of orders for two and four-seaters from air taxi operators and flying schools. It spent only $24 million to have certifiable demonstrators aloft.

Bye is so inundated with orders it has just doubled its prices because the aircraft still cost far less per mile than the polluting traditional equivalents. In the US, 11,000 of those are approaching 50 years old and illegality. Bye deliveries start from 2022. [Read more…] about Air taxi winners: Watch orders not investment, says IDTechEx

Urban air taxi solutions will revolutionize mobility industry, says GlobalData

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The race to develop urban air mobility (UAM) solutions has gathered momentum over the past few years even though the concept has been around for decades.

UAM, in particular electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL), has potential benefits such as easing traffic congestion and enables efficient passenger and cargo transportation, says GlobalData, a data and analytics company.

In a global survey (over 500 respondents) conducted by GlobalData between 6 May and 10 May 2021, 35 percent of the respondents stated that they are aware of UAM/flying vehicles, and 34 percent felt that safety and reliability will be the primary drivers for using UAM solutions. [Read more…] about Urban air taxi solutions will revolutionize mobility industry, says GlobalData

OrionStar launches ‘Lucki’, the robotic waiter

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OrionStar, a service robot solutions company, has launched Lucki, which the company claims is “the world’s first” AI powered, interactive delivery robot designed for restaurants, supermarkets, hospitals and more.

The company says its robot improves delivery efficiency and increases revenue for businesses through customer attraction, dynamic advertising and personalized interactions, offers a Covid-safe contactless delivery, as well as addresses the restaurant and hospitality industry labor shortage.

OrionStar says it is “redefining restaurant delivery robots” and standing out from competitors, adding that Lucki offers consumers a personalized and engaging experience, providing memorable moments for any occasion. [Read more…] about OrionStar launches ‘Lucki’, the robotic waiter

What happens if an accident totaled my car?

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If your car gets totaled in an accident, you generally have three legal resource options:

· You could file an insurance claim.
· You could sue the at-fault party––which isn’t necessarily another individual.
· You pay for your losses out of pocket.

Your next logical steps depend on the facts of your situation. While understanding your options won’t magically fix your damaged vehicle, they could help you plan your next steps. [Read more…] about What happens if an accident totaled my car?