Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Abdul Montaqim

From zero to infinity: Exclusive interview with Geek Plus boss

by

Exclusive interview with Lit Fung, Geek Plus Robotics general manager in Hong Kong

It’s probably safe to say that the vast majority of warehouses in the world operate in the traditional way, manually, with some automated technology, such as forklift trucks and conveyors. 

A small but growing proportion are either fully or partially roboticised.

Some might not need it, but in most cases, bringing in the robots and introducing the latest computer technologies would very likely lead to increases in efficiency and production.  [Read more…] about From zero to infinity: Exclusive interview with Geek Plus boss

Dynamic vision sensors and event cameras could reduce machine perception’s computing workload

by

Rewired’s Santiago Tenorio and Jae Yong-Lee explain dynamic vision sensors and event cameras in this exclusive interview

Just about every machine that moves requires some sort of sensing technology which informs it of its exact location and its position within its environment and its proximity to other objects within that environment. 

One of the most well-known computational solutions for such sensing systems is called “simultaneous localisation and mapping”, or SLAM, which can be found in things like robotic vacuum cleaners, warehouse robots and other moving vehicles.

In recent years, another technology called “light detection and ranging”, or LiDAR, has also received much attention because it seems to be popular with automakers.  [Read more…] about Dynamic vision sensors and event cameras could reduce machine perception’s computing workload

ABB to invest €100 million in global innovation and training centre at B&R location

by

One year after announcing its acquisition of Bernecker + Rainer Industrie-Elektronik, ABB is to invest €100 million in Austria to build a state-of-the-art innovation and training campus at the home of B&R in Eggelsberg, Upper Austria.

It is the largest organic investment in industrial automation in ABB’s more than 130-year history and lays the foundation for around 1,000 new high-tech jobs in Austria.

The new innovation and training campus will develop technologies for the factory of the future, based on ABB Ability, in which production will be undertaken autonomously by smart and cloud-connected machines and robots.  [Read more…] about ABB to invest €100 million in global innovation and training centre at B&R location

Exclusive interview: Sarcos Robotics aims to augment human strengths

by

Exclusive interview with Ben Wolff, CEO of Sarcos Robotics

Hollywood actress Sigourney Weaver is most famous for two things: one is making vests popular and the other is having an epic dust-up with a massive alien on the deck of a spaceship, toe to toe, mano-a-mano, or womano-a-womano, or womano-a-alieno, or whatever. 

In space, no one can hear you mangle the Spanish language.

The vest is of less interest to this website, but the battle suit Weaver wore to take on what is arguably the most terrifying alien in cinematic history is of great interest because it was an exoskeleton, although most people probably didn’t know what it was called at the time.

The film was, of course, Aliens, released in 1986, and in donning the exoskeleton, Weaver instantly acquired what seemed like hundreds of times her natural body strength.  [Read more…] about Exclusive interview: Sarcos Robotics aims to augment human strengths

At the centre of events worldwide

by

Since RoboticsAndAutomationNews.com was launched a couple of years ago, we’ve learned a lot. 

One of the things we’ve learned is that there are many interesting trade shows around the world related to the industries we cover.

The technologies within robotics and automation are present in just about every industry and business sector on Earth, so our content could be highly diverse, but we tend to concentrate on manufacturing and logistics, although not exclusively – we do take a look at other areas part of the time.  [Read more…] about At the centre of events worldwide

Interview: A new type of networking that is claimed to be faster and more reliable

by

In this exclusive interview, Todd Rigby of Rajant talks about a new type of networking technology that he claims is faster and more reliable 

A growing number of factories, warehouses and other industrial facilities are installing computer networks in order to make the most of the opportunities offered by the internet of things.

Typically, sensors are connected to traditional machinery, and then those sensors are connected to what are referred to as “gateway” devices, which are like routers.

This gateway can send the data collected and sent to it by the sensor either to a computer on-site or in the cloud through an internet connection.  [Read more…] about Interview: A new type of networking that is claimed to be faster and more reliable

Digitalisation and the greatest industrial show on Earth

by

Hannover Messe is probably the largest and most important industrial technology show on Earth. 

The venue for the event spans an area the size of a small town and it takes several days to visit all of the most important areas you might be interested in.

Covering an event of that magnitude from a journalistic point of view can be difficult if you’re interested in too many things.  [Read more…] about Digitalisation and the greatest industrial show on Earth

Market insight: Injection moulding plastics market set to double in size in 10 years

by

Injection moulding is one of the most common manufacturing processes and generally involves creating a mould and injecting a molten material into it. That material then cools down and takes the form of the cavity inside the mould. 

The materials used in injection moulding can vary from plastics to metals, and even newer, modern composites. But mostly injection moulding used to make plastic parts and components.

Among the advantages of injection moulding is that it can be used for mass manufacturing and low-volume manufacturing, and for rapid prototyping.

Also, a crucial advantage is the quality of finish – you don’t get the roughness that you might get with 3D printing, where the depositing of successive layers creates a ripple or uneven effect.  [Read more…] about Market insight: Injection moulding plastics market set to double in size in 10 years

Bewildered and confused

by

Technology is moving so fast that those of us who have been around a while may find a lot of things bewildering and confusing.

Why, for example, do so many websites and apps that you never heard of have so many visitors and users?

Why are startup companies whose product or service you don’t understand attracting tens of millions of dollars in investment money?  [Read more…] about Bewildered and confused

From academia to business: Making robotics as big as the computer industry

by

In this exclusive interview, Dr Andrew Goldenberg, founder and chief technology officer of Engineering Services Inc, and currently also the chief technology officer of publicly listed Super Robotics Ltd of Hong Kong and of Anzer Intelligent Engineering of Shenzhen, China offers his perspective

When you’ve been in the robotics and automation industry for more than 35 years, you tend to form opinions that other people want to hear and learn from – even if those opinions are not entirely complimentary to the listener. 

Dr Andrew Goldenberg is professor emeritus at the University of Toronto and chief technology officer at Super Robotics, Engineering Services, and Anzer Intelligent Engineering – all part of the same group – and he’s an avid reader of Robotics and Automation News.

But just because he likes many things about the website doesn’t mean he agrees with some of our more “offbeat” articles, as we call them – the possibility of alien robots from Planet X infiltrating life on Earth and so on.  [Read more…] about From academia to business: Making robotics as big as the computer industry