Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

David Edwards

ForwardX Robotics raises $31 million in Series C funding round

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ForwardX Robotics, a Beijing-based developer of autonomous mobile robots for warehousing and manufacturing environments, has completed its initial Series C1 funding round, raising $31 million.

The initial round was led by Taikang Life Insurance, with Qualcomm Ventures and Starlight Capital also contributing to the round.

Only seven months after the close of its $63 million Series B round, the latest round of funding brings ForwardX to approximately $100 million in total investment since its founding in 2016. [Read more…] about ForwardX Robotics raises $31 million in Series C funding round

MIPI introduces new networking tech that doubles mobile data transfer rate to 23 gigabits per second

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The MIPI Alliance, an international organization that develops interface specifications for mobile and mobile-influenced industries, has unveiled a major update to its MIPI M-PHY physical-layer interface for connecting the latest generation of flash memory-based storage and other high data rate applications in advanced 5G smartphones, wearables, PCs, industrial IoT, and automobiles. 

Version 5.0 of the M-PHY interface adds a fifth gear – “High Speed Gear 5” (HS-G5) at 23.32 Gigabits per second (Gbps) – enabling engineers to double the potential data rate per lane compared with the previous specification. [Read more…] about MIPI introduces new networking tech that doubles mobile data transfer rate to 23 gigabits per second

Kärcher and Brain Corp debut industry’s ‘first professional robotic vacuum’

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Brain Corp, a provider of software for industrial floor cleaning robots, has launched its “first professional autonomous vacuum cleaner”, the Kira CV 60/1.

The new machine is a joint development with Kärcher, one of the world’s leading providers of cleaning technology.

The two companies say the Kira device is built to help businesses clean smarter than ever before, the autonomous vacuum is the first robotic machine released in partnership between Brain Corp and Kärcher. [Read more…] about Kärcher and Brain Corp debut industry’s ‘first professional robotic vacuum’

ABB unveils two new OmniCore robot controllers

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ABB has expanded its OmniCore robot controller range with two new versions – the E10 and the V250XT. The company says the new controllers provide for an even wider range of manufacturing applications.

ABB says the two new products in its OmniCore range “meet the demand for faster, more efficient production”.

Available for a range of robots across ABB’s portfolio, the new E10 and V250XT controllers offer “best-in-class motion control”, says ABB, as well as 20 percent energy savings and future-proofing through built-in digital connectivity and 1000+ additional functions to meet changing requirements. [Read more…] about ABB unveils two new OmniCore robot controllers

What are smart factories? 7 misconceptions and a definition

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By Sharmila Annaswamy, IoT Analytics

IoT Analytics, a provider of market insights and competitive intelligence for the Internet of Things and Industry 4.0, has published a 163-page Smart Factories Insights Report 2021 discovering 80 smart factories, portraying 10 of them in detail, and highlighting commonalities and best-practices.

Our analysis of these also uncovered some common misconceptions about what it takes to realize a smart factory. [Read more…] about What are smart factories? 7 misconceptions and a definition

Benefits of Hiring an Offshore Development Team

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The use of offshore development teams began back in the late eighties. The companies that use them today have seen tremendous success. The ones that have not switched over need to catch up with the times.

Professionals from around the world all agree that new startups need to take the time to find an offshore development team to help them gain traction, and to ensure that they make a profit quickly.

Fortunly has found that 54 percent of all companies use offshore teams, and out of those 78 percent of them feel that it has had a positive impact on them. [Read more…] about Benefits of Hiring an Offshore Development Team

Windows or macOS – Which System is Safer?

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To work, you certainly need a computer or laptop. Each device comes with its installed Operating System, whether Windows or macOS. From the two, we commonly find Windows, followed by macOS.

Between the choice of macOS vs Windows, which one is actually better?

Before taking a look at the safety aspect, let us take you into understanding both OS better. [Read more…] about Windows or macOS – Which System is Safer?

Amazon looks to accelerate emergence of innovative robotics startups

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By Grace Reed, product marketing manager for AWS RoboMaker, and Pulkit Kapur, business development manager for robotics and autonomous systems at AWS

Helping startups succeed, from inception to IPO, has been an integral part of Amazon Web Services since its beginning. Today, more startups build on AWS than any other cloud provider, and many of its customers started using AWS at an early stage to help scale their business and drive innovation.

For example, Lunar Outpost, a pioneer in lunar surface robotics, uses AWS RoboMaker to test and validate robotics software in a simulated lunar environment, enabling them to speed up robot delivery and reduce software bugs in deployment.

In this blog post, we discuss how AWS Robotics is helping robotics startups use cloud technology to establish a scalable infrastructure for building, testing, and managing robots. [Read more…] about Amazon looks to accelerate emergence of innovative robotics startups

Sarcos Robotics ‘merges’ with Rotor Acquisition

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Shareholders in Rotor Acquisition, a publicly-traded special-purpose acquisition company, have approved what’s being described as a “business combination” – possibly meaning a merger – with Sarcos Robotics, a maker of exoskeletons.

Upon completion of the transaction, subject to the satisfaction of certain customary closing conditions, Rotor will change its name to Sarcos Technology and Robotics Corporation.

The post-closing company’s common stock and warrants are expected to commence trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbols “STRC” and “STRCW” respectively. [Read more…] about Sarcos Robotics ‘merges’ with Rotor Acquisition

Vicarious Surgical shares start trading on NYSE

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Shares in Vicarious Surgical, a robotics technology company seeking to improve both cost and efficiency of surgical procedures as well as patient outcomes, have started trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

The shareholders of D8 Holdings Corp approved the move in September and the initiative is expected to provide approximately $220 million in gross proceeds to fund the further development and planned commercialization of the company’s single-incision surgical robot that virtually transports surgeons inside the patient to perform minimally invasive surgery.

Following the close of the transaction, the combined company will be renamed “Vicarious Surgical Inc”. [Read more…] about Vicarious Surgical shares start trading on NYSE