Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

David Edwards

Soft assistive robotic wearables get a boost from rapid design tool

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Scientists created a new design and fabrication tool for soft pneumatic actuators with integrated sensing, which can power personalized healthcare, smart homes, and gaming.

Soft, pneumatic actuators might not be a phrase that comes up in daily conversations, but more likely than not you might have benefited from their utility. The devices use compressed air to power motion, and with sensing capabilities, they’ve proven to be a critical backbone in a variety of applications such as assistive wearables, robotics, and rehabilitative technologies.

But there’s a bit of a bottleneck in creating the little dynamic devices that have advantages like high response rates and power to input ratios. They require a manual design and fabrication pipeline, which translates to a lot of trial and error cycles to actually test and see whether the designs will work. [Read more…] about Soft assistive robotic wearables get a boost from rapid design tool

MassRobotics, Pittsburgh Robotics Network and Silicon Valley Robotics form alliance of robotics clusters

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MassRobotics, Pittsburgh Robotics Network and Silicon Valley Robotics have formed the United States Alliance of Robotics Clusters (USARC).

USARC supports the development, commercialization and scaling of robotics for global good by collaborating with government and industry stakeholders. [Read more…] about MassRobotics, Pittsburgh Robotics Network and Silicon Valley Robotics form alliance of robotics clusters

Autonomous Emergency Brake: What is it All About?

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The term “autonomous emergency braking” (AEB) refers to a system that continuously monitors the road ahead and will automatically stop the car if the driver fails to take action. This technology was initially launched in 2009, in an effort to prevent auto accidents and lessen their severity. [Read more…] about Autonomous Emergency Brake: What is it All About?

Top Effective Forex Trading Strategies

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With a trading volume of more than $6 trillion, the forex market is one of the largest financial markets in the entire world. This is an interesting endeavor for all those who are ready to take some risks, but it comes with many pitfalls.

If you are a novice in the field, you need to be careful about these mistakes and make sure not to commit them in the future.

One of the most important things in forex trading is finding the right trading style. Now there are many platforms like the RoboMarkets, a multi-asset broker that offers trading tips, 6 markets, and over 12,000 trading instruments to help the traders make the right investment. With the help of such a platform, you will be able to find the right strategy that fits your needs and aspirations. [Read more…] about Top Effective Forex Trading Strategies

Danfoss installs 3D scanner robot that can measure components to within a micron

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Danfoss Power Solutions, a supplier of mobile and industrial hydraulics as well as electric powertrain systems, has invested in an advanced 3D scanner robot for its joystick manufacturing lines in Nordborg, Denmark.

The company says the new device is boosting inspection routines by measuring component dimensions to “micron-level precision, providing customers with even higher product quality”.

Danfoss Power Solutions’ Nordborg facility manufactures thousands of joystick variants for off-highway vehicles, such as forestry machines, harvesters, cranes, tractors and more. With the new 3D scanner robot, operators can tell immediately if a joystick component is within specifications. [Read more…] about Danfoss installs 3D scanner robot that can measure components to within a micron

SafeAI and Obayashi demonstrate autonomous vehicle on a construction site in Japan

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SafeAI, a developer of autonomous solutions for heavy equipment, in partnership with Japanese construction giant Obayashi, has hosted nearly 150 visitors to view its retrofitted autonomous Caterpillar 725, operating on a construction site in Japan for the first time ever.

The demos, which took place over a two week period, brought together delegates from nearly 50 organizations across the construction industry ecosystem, including leading OEM, general contractors, technology companies, universities and research groups and Japanese government entities responsible for regulation.

In addition to winning buy-in from key stakeholders, the demos mark a critical first step toward securing approval from the government and industry organizations to bring autonomous construction to Japan. [Read more…] about SafeAI and Obayashi demonstrate autonomous vehicle on a construction site in Japan

Ranpak launches new automated packaging machine

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Ranpak, a provider of paper-based packaging solutions for e-commerce and industrial supply chains, has launched “Flap’it!”, a highly efficient machine that automates the packing of a variety of small products.

The Flap’it! solution automatically adapts to the height of the item and secures the product in place with inner-flaps and integrated cushioning bumpers at the corners. This ensures that products are protected during shipment, significantly reducing costs, damage and product returns.

The system is run by a single operator and can easily be moved around the facility; additionally, it includes a number of safety features and has a small physical footprint. Flap’it! can pack up to 540 packages per hour, nine packages per minute – “five times faster than manual packing”. [Read more…] about Ranpak launches new automated packaging machine

Automated pizza machine maker Piestro receives $580 million in pre-orders and finds new customer

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Piestro says it has received $580 million in pre-orders for its automated pizza making machine. The company has also found a new partner, Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop.

Piestro says its robotic pizzeria produces “high-quality artisanal pizza within just a few minutes”.

Capriotti, a fast-casual sandwich franchise, will begin a piloted test of the Piestro Pod in Capriotti’s flagship Las Vegas location. Capriotti’s also intends to purchase up to 100 Piestro Pods within five years of such units being made available to the restaurant following the pilot. [Read more…] about Automated pizza machine maker Piestro receives $580 million in pre-orders and finds new customer

Robotic pets: How to choose and what you should know about them

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Communication with pets helps reduce stress levels, distracts from troubles and reduces anxiety. There is even a method of treatment – pet therapy. Four-legged pets make a person move more and expand their social circle – after all, pet lovers will always find common topics for conversation.

Communication with animals is especially useful for older people with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, for children with mental disorders and for patients who are in the hospital for a long time. Pets save them from loneliness, help overcome depression, reduce anxiety and irritability.

But sick people can’t always get a cat or a dog – they can’t take care of them, and nursing home residents and hospital patients aren’t allowed to keep animals. It’s for such people that they made companion robots. [Read more…] about Robotic pets: How to choose and what you should know about them

Medical robotics company Clarapath gains certifications and expands global headquarters

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Clarapath, a robotics company aimed at catalyzing change in the way pathology laboratories process human and animal tissues, has announced “significant company developments”.

Clarapath’s first robotic instrument, called SectionStar, will result in standardization in the quality of tissue sections for molecular mapping of human disease and in the development of new treatment pathways. Clarapath says that SectionStar has reached an important milestone – passing UL certification.

This step is critical to both the non-clinical and clinical deployment of the device, enhancing reliability and efficiency of the pathology lab. [Read more…] about Medical robotics company Clarapath gains certifications and expands global headquarters