Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

David Edwards

Polimove wins autonomous car race at CES

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The Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) team PoliMOVE has won the Autonomous Challenge @ CES, making history as the first head-to-head autonomous racecar competition champion.

PoliMOVE comprises team members from Politecnico di Milano, Italy, and the University of Alabama, in the US.

PoliMOVE competed at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in a field of five teams from five countries representing seven universities to win the $150,000 grand prize. TUM Autonomous Motorsport from the Technische Universität München (Germany) took home second place with $50,000. [Read more…] about Polimove wins autonomous car race at CES

John Deere reveals fully autonomous tractor at CES

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John Deere has revealed a fully autonomous tractor at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, the world’s largest electronics trade show, currently taking place in Las Vegas, USA. 

The agriculture technology giant says its driverless tractor is ready for large-scale production.

The machine combines Deere’s 8R Tractor, TruSet-enabled chisel plow, GPS guidance system, and new advanced technologies. The autonomous tractor will be available to farmers later this year. [Read more…] about John Deere reveals fully autonomous tractor at CES

A history of advanced driver assistance systems

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In its report, Autonomous Cars, Robotaxis & Sensors 2022–2042, IDTechEx predicts that SAE Level 3 autonomous features, such as traffic jam pilot, will emerge in 2022 and become common in vehicles by 2042.

How did IDTechEx predict this time scale? The answer lies in the historical adoption trends of advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) technologies.

Everyone is familiar with anti-lock brakes (ABS) and traction control; you would not have even thought to ask about them when purchasing your last car. [Read more…] about A history of advanced driver assistance systems

Cyngn partners with Columbia Vehicle Group to develop autonomous mobility

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Cyngn, a developer of innovative autonomous driving solutions for industrial and commercial enterprises, has agreed a partnership with Columbia Vehicle Group.

The partnership marks a key milestone in Cyngn’s ongoing effort to bring scalable, secure, and reliable autonomous vehicle technologies to industrial applications.

Cyngn’s autonomous vehicle capabilities are powered by DriveMod, an end-to-end solution that can be integrated with Columbia vehicles. DriveMod enables vehicles to switch easily between manual, remotely-controlled, and fully autonomous modes. [Read more…] about Cyngn partners with Columbia Vehicle Group to develop autonomous mobility

Robot-ready conveying optimizes pick-and-place

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By Ken Tinnell, vice president, general manager, Shuttleworth, a division of ProMach

From a machine builder’s point of view, robots can solve many processing and packaging line problems, but the chosen material handling systems supplying the line can reduce the robot’s performance. Smart Robot-Ready conveying solutions, such as Slip-Torque roller technology, DASH Dynamic Accumulation, SmartFeed, and flexible product control devices, engineered by Shuttleworth, enable precision robotic pick-and-place, maximizing system uptime and virtually eliminating product damage.

Flexibility, speed and accuracy make robotic technology ideal for pick-and-place applications in a wide range of industries. Tremendous gains in productivity are realized through the application of pick-and-place robotic technology. These robots also eliminate the risk of fatigue and injury that human labor is subjected to in these types of applications.

Robotic pick-and-place systems are low maintenance, flexible and reconfigurable, and especially beneficial in manufacturing and packaging applications when dealing with sterile, hazardous and potentially injury-causing materials. [Read more…] about Robot-ready conveying optimizes pick-and-place

Using IDS cameras in fully automated wood parts inspection process

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You always need and see them everywhere: in metalworking, on the construction site, in almost every toolbox… the good old hand brush.

Whether classic all-purpose brushes or brushes for special applications, the German-based company Lessmann GmbH has virtually all of them in its range.

The shape is varied, from straight to ergonomic. But they all have one thing in common: The wooden bodies are made exclusively from untreated red beech. Depending on the model, they also have two hanging holes at the end of the handle.

Production is fully automatic and highly rational. In order to ensure its own claim to the excellent quality of the hand brush woods, Lessmann has been relying on classic image processing for many years. [Read more…] about Using IDS cameras in fully automated wood parts inspection process

‘RoboRace’ autonomous racing selects Velodyne Lidar

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RoboRace, the world’s first autonomous car racing series, has selected Velodyne as the official lidar sensor provider in its next generation vehicles.

RoboRace will use Velodyne‘s solid-state Velarray H800 sensors in its electric-powered autonomous race cars for the Season One championship series, which is set to begin in 2022.

The Velodyne and RoboRace engineering teams have been working collaboratively on the race car development project. [Read more…] about ‘RoboRace’ autonomous racing selects Velodyne Lidar

Uber Eats and Motional partner to make autonomous deliveries

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Motional, a driverless technology developer, and Uber Technologies have agreed a partnership to launch autonomous deliveries for Uber customers, starting in Santa Monica in early 2022.

Motional’s all-electric vehicles will conduct deliveries of a curated set of meal kits from select restaurants on Uber Eats.

The partnership represents industry-shaping firsts for both companies; Motional’s expansion into driverless delivery and Uber’s first on-road delivery partnership with an autonomous vehicle technology provider. [Read more…] about Uber Eats and Motional partner to make autonomous deliveries

Prefabricated construction startup to establish $30 million automated factory to build sustainable homes

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Plant Prefab, which says it is the first Certified B Corporation building technology company dedicated to sustainable design, materials, and operations, has signed a long-term lease to open America’s “first automated factory devoted to efficiently and sustainably building multifamily developments and custom single-family homes”.

The new 270,000-square-foot facility will be situated on 17 acres in the Tejon Ranch Commerce Center 25 miles south of Bakersfield, California, and will serve as Plant Prefab’s third factory.

Slated to break ground in January 2022, the facility will be purpose-built to efficiently manufacture custom-prefabricated panelized and modular building components. [Read more…] about Prefabricated construction startup to establish $30 million automated factory to build sustainable homes

Freebirds and Now Cuisine partner to develop robotic kiosks to serve hot meals

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Restaurant technology developer Now Cuisine and the Freebirds burrito company are partnering to build robotic kiosks that serve hot meals.

Now Cuisine and Freebirds World Burrito say the pilot program will be available at new locations throughout the Dallas area using Now Cuisine’s robotic Takeout Stations.

Now Cuisine’s Takeout Stations are compact, fully-automated, AI-enabled kiosks that can be placed nearly anywhere to serve freshly made-to-order hot meals in minutes, 24/7. Freebirds has issued a purchase order to Now Cuisine which will allow its food to be served in multiple Takeout Stations in Texas as part of the pilot. [Read more…] about Freebirds and Now Cuisine partner to develop robotic kiosks to serve hot meals