Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Anna

World’s first autonomous offshore robot tested in North Sea

by

A four-legged robotic platform, ANYmal, has autonomously performed various inspection tasks in a one-week pilot installation on an offshore converter platform in the North Sea, making it the world’s first autonomous offshore robot.

The robot maker, ANYbotics, is partnering with TenneT, a Dutch-German transmission system operator, to evaluate robotic inspection and maintenance on offshore converter platforms. TenneT connects large-scale offshore wind farms to the onshore grid over a high-voltage DC connection.

In periods of unmanned platform operation, a mobile robot helps to reduce the risk of disruptions and ensures the security of the electricity supply.

[Read more…] about World’s first autonomous offshore robot tested in North Sea

Remotely operated passenger ferry tested in Helsinki

by

An ice-class passenger ferry Suomenlinna II has been remotely piloted through a test area near Helsinki harbour, proving that human oversight of vessels from anywhere is now achievable.

With this trial in the Finnish capital’s port last week, ABB and Helsinki City Transport have taken the next step in autonomous shipping.

In the remote trial, the world’s first for an existing passenger ferry, ABB tested the enhancement of ship operations with technologies that are available for vessels.

[Read more…] about Remotely operated passenger ferry tested in Helsinki

EU report – the digital future could be stressful

by

In a new report, EU-OSHA publishes the findings of a major 2-year project to anticipate the effects of digitalisation on occupational safety and health (OSH) in the EU.

The final results of this foresight project highlight developments in ICT-enabled technologies, the potential impact of these technologies on the nature and organisation of work, and the challenges and opportunities to OSH that they may bring.

Increased monitoring of workers, 24/7 availability, frequent job changes and the management of work by algorithm can raise levels of workers’ stress.

[Read more…] about EU report – the digital future could be stressful

WinSystems launches ultra-small single board computer

by

Embedded computer firm WinSystems has launched its tiniest-yet industrial SBC based on the Intel® Atom™ E3800 processor family.

The  ITX-F-3800 measures  3.31 inches by 2.17 inches (84 mm by 55 mm), but incorporates what it claims is an extraordinary amount of embedded computing performance and versatility.

Leveraging the compact size of the Femto-ITX form factor, this single board computer includes Ethernet, USB channels, a serial port, video and more to support design needs.

[Read more…] about WinSystems launches ultra-small single board computer

World’s first commercial installation of all-electric, autonomous truck

by

DB Schenker and Einride have launched the installation for the first commercial use of a T-pod – an all-electric, autonomous truck – at a DB Schenker facility in Jönköping, central Sweden.

The T-pod will travel continuously to and from a warehouse, paving the way for a sustainable transition of road freight transportation.

Einride’s T-pod has no driver’s cab but is supervised and can be teleoperated by a human operator, from hundreds of miles away.

[Read more…] about World’s first commercial installation of all-electric, autonomous truck

Centimetres make all the difference for safe automated driving, says Bosch

by

Automated driving is about more than just sensors, control units, and lots of computing power, says Bosch. It also requires a host of smart services, without which no vehicle will ever be able to drive autonomously.

“Services are at least as important for automated driving as the hardware and software,” says the Bosch board of management member Dr. Dirk Hoheisel. “We must pursue all three paths simultaneously to get self-driving cars safely and reliably onto our roads.”

Self-driving vehicles can drive safely only if they know down to the nearest centimetre exactly where they are at any given time, says Bosch. To achieve this, the company offers a  localisation package.

[Read more…] about Centimetres make all the difference for safe automated driving, says Bosch

ABB to manufacture an optical sensor for GHGSat

by

ABB Measurement & Analytics Business Unit in Québec City, Canada, has signed a contract with Montréal-based company GHGSat to manufacture and test the optical sensor onboard the company’s third microsatellite (GHGSat-C2) for monitoring greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted by industrial facilities around the world.

GHGSat-C2, scheduled for launch in early 2020, will further the deployment of the GHGSat satellite constellation.

With more than 30 years of experience in the traditional government space market, ABB has provided key hardware contribution to sensors flying on leading Earth observation missions such as AURA; TERRA; SciSat1; GOSAT 1 and 2; NPP; JPSS 1, 2, 3 and 4; Meteosat; MetOp-SG.

[Read more…] about ABB to manufacture an optical sensor for GHGSat

Ericsson and Volvo Cars sign five-year Connected Vehicle Cloud worldwide deal

by

Ericsson has been selected by Volvo Car Group to provide the industrialised Ericsson Connected Vehicle Cloud (CVC) platform to further enable its digital vehicle services in more than 120 markets worldwide for the next five years.

Volvo Cars, like other major players in the automotive industry, is increasing focus on securing high-quality connected-vehicle services as digitisation increases the importance of software services.

The services will also benefit from the increased speed, low-latency and capacity for mission critical applications, such as autonomous driving, that commercial 5G networks will enable.

[Read more…] about Ericsson and Volvo Cars sign five-year Connected Vehicle Cloud worldwide deal

First AI-powered astronaut assistant debuts in space station

by

Cimon, the world’s first artificial intelligence-enabled astronaut assistant, has made its debut aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

The ISS’s newest crew member, developed and built in Germany, was called into action on Thursday with the command, “Wake up, Cimon!,” by German ESA astronaut Alexander Gerst, who has been living and working on the ISS since June 8.

Cimon (which stands for Crew Interactive Mobile Companion), responded to Commander Gerst by saying, “What can I do for you?” The five-kilogram, plastic orb then went through a series of operational steps, including weightless navigation, to demonstrate its capabilities.

[Read more…] about First AI-powered astronaut assistant debuts in space station

Samsung Electronics expands LED lineups for vertical farming

by

Samsung Electronics has announced new horticulture LED lineups, including full-spectrum packages and modules as well as colour (monochromatic) LEDs.

Optimised for lighting in greenhouses and vertical farming, the new LEDs provide a broader spectrum of light for healthier plant growth, enhanced farming environments and reduced lighting system costs.

Full-spectrum light encompasses a continuous range of wavelengths from blue and green to red, creating a light blend suitable for horticultural uses.

[Read more…] about Samsung Electronics expands LED lineups for vertical farming

Please switch off your ad blocker.

Our website relies on ads to provide free content and sustain our operations. By turning off your ad blocker, you help support us and ensure we can continue offering valuable content without any cost to you.

We truly appreciate your understanding and support. Thank you for considering disabling your ad blocker for this website