Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

David Edwards

Celanese suggests replacing metal parts in robots with polymers

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Choosing materials is one of the most important decisions when designing and building a machine such as a robot, particularly one that moves around, like an autonomous warehouse robot or an automated guided vehicle. 

Most of the machines this website features in its articles and advertising use metals for the vast majority of their components. Even the outer casing on most industrial robots tends to be a metal such as iron or steel.

However, according to an expert at Celanese, one of the largest materials companies in the world, the vast majority of components and parts that are currently made out of metal can actually be replaced with polymers or thermoplastics. [Read more…] about Celanese suggests replacing metal parts in robots with polymers

Outbound Technologies acquired by Vinci Energies

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Mergers and acquisitions services provider NuVescor Group has successfully completed the sale of Outbound Technologies to Vinci Energies.

Outbound Technologies – an industrial controls company with headquarters in New Hudson, Michigan, and offices also in Indiana and Ohio – provides project management, controls integration and engineering services for clients in a wide variety of industries.

Vinci Energies is a global firm that focuses on connections, performance, energy efficiency and data to fast-track the rollout of new technologies and support two major changes: digital transformation and the energy transition. It has more than 80,000 employees in 56 countries. [Read more…] about Outbound Technologies acquired by Vinci Energies

Mercedes-Benz and Siemens partner to further digitize and automate manufacturing

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Mercedes-Benz and Siemens plan to cooperate on advancing digitalization and automation in the automotive industry, supported by the State of Berlin.

Mercedes-Benz aims to digitize its production processes. Siemens, a leading supplier in the field of automation, industrial software and smart infrastructure, will bring its expertise and technologies to the partnership to develop highly flexible, efficient and sustainable automotive production together with Mercedes-Benz.

Jörg Burzer, member of the board of Mercedes-Benz, production and supply chain management, says: “Mercedes-Benz takes digitalization to the next level in the global Mercedes-Benz Cars production network. Together with Siemens, we are driving forward the development of sustainable future technologies – from Berlin for the whole world.”

In this context, the Mercedes-Benz Berlin-Marienfelde site in Germany will be transformed into a competence centre for digitalization with a focus on the development and implementation of the digital Mercedes-Benz Cars ecosystem MO360, in addition to the redesign of production activities. In the future, e-mobility components will also be assembled in Berlin. [Read more…] about Mercedes-Benz and Siemens partner to further digitize and automate manufacturing

Gnarlywood chooses inVia Robotics to optimize fulfillment operations

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inVia Robotics, a provider of e-commerce warehouse automation solutions, says that the Gnarlywood Group, a provider of backend merchandising fulfillment solutions for entertainment brands, has selected inVia Logic AI-powered warehouse execution system software to modernize its Carlsbad, California warehouse.

The software will bring immediate picking and replenishment productivity gains that will later be increased with the addition of inVia Picker autonomous mobile robots.

Gnarlywood has seen unprecedented growth in demand for its entertainment merchandise and has chosen inVia’s software to bring efficiency to its fulfillment processes. [Read more…] about Gnarlywood chooses inVia Robotics to optimize fulfillment operations

Deep learning networks prefer the human voice – just like we do

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Columbia engineers demonstrate that AI systems might reach higher performance if programmed with sound files of human language rather than with binary data labels. (See video below.)

The digital revolution is built on a foundation of invisible 1s and 0s called bits.

As decades pass, and more and more of the world’s information and knowledge morph into streams of 1s and 0s, the notion that computers prefer to “speak” in binary numbers is rarely questioned.

According to new research from Columbia Engineering, this could be about to change. [Read more…] about Deep learning networks prefer the human voice – just like we do

Motional and Lyft agree ‘world’s largest’ robotaxi partnership

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Motional and Lyft have signed what they describe as “the world’s largest robotaxi deployment partnership” in a deal that has the potential to make driverless vehicles a reality for millions of Americans.

Starting in 2023, consumers in select markets will be able to book a Motional robotaxi through the Lyft app. For many, this will be their first experience with driverless technology.

In a statement, Motional said: “Today, we unveil a key part of that experience. We’re excited to announce that the celebrated Hyundai Ioniq 5 will be the vehicle platform for Motional’s next-generation robotaxi.” [Read more…] about Motional and Lyft agree ‘world’s largest’ robotaxi partnership

Veo Robotics gains ISO safety certification for FreeMove system

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Veo Robotics, a company that develops systems for industrial automation, says its flagship product FreeMove has received safety certification from TÜV Rheinland for its industrial robot safeguarding system – making it a “first-of-its-kind solution for human-robot collaboration”.

Veo says FreeMove is the only solution on the market today that implements dynamic, 3D speed and separation monitoring and has been certified for compliance with ISO 13849 for PLd, Category 3. It is available for purchase now. [Read more…] about Veo Robotics gains ISO safety certification for FreeMove system

MIT CSAIL’s robo-starfish enables closer study of aquatic life

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Scientists have invented a ‘robo-starfish’ which give us more insights into aquatic life, as Adam Conner-Simons, or MIT CSAIL, reports. (See video below.)

Biologists have long experienced the challenges of documenting ocean life, with many species of fish proving quite sensitive to the underwater movements of humans.

As a possible solution, computer scientists have been developing special marine robots that can stealthily move among their carbon-based counterparts. In 2018, for example, a team from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) fabricated a soft robotic fish that autonomously swam with real fish along the coral reefs of Fiji.

However, the complex dynamics of how water moves – and its ability to quickly ruin some perfectly good electronics systems – have made underwater robots especially difficult to develop compared to ones for air or land. [Read more…] about MIT CSAIL’s robo-starfish enables closer study of aquatic life

Gatik and Isuzu partner to develop fully autonomous trucks

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Gatik and Isuzu North America have agreed to collaborate on a project to develop and evaluate fully autonomous medium-duty trucks.

Gatik claims to be the “industry leader” in automating on-road transportation networks for business-to-business middle-mile logistics.

Isuzu has consistently been at the forefront of truck evolution, introducing iconic models of superlative quality and reliability in the US and Canadian markets. [Read more…] about Gatik and Isuzu partner to develop fully autonomous trucks

Otto Motors’ heavy-class warehouse robots exceed 1 million production hours

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Otto Motors, a leading provider of autonomous mobile robots for material handling, has launched the next generation of its market-leading heavy-class AMR.

The new AMR – Otto 1500 – is designed to autonomously move pallet-scale loads up to 1900 kg (4,189 lbs) through busy factories and warehouses.

With a top speed of two meters per second, Otto 1500 swiftly and safely delivers more payload than any other AMR in its class; making it the most productive AMR on the market. [Read more…] about Otto Motors’ heavy-class warehouse robots exceed 1 million production hours