Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

David Edwards

Motiv Space Systems and Nasa to develop robotic arm for extreme cold environments

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Motiv Space Systems has agreed a partnership with Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Lab to develop COLDArm, a “first-in-kind” robotic arm that will be built to survive the extreme cold of the Moon’s South Pole, ushering in a new era of extended space exploration on the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

COLDArm (short for Cold Operable Lunar Deployable Arm) is a vital component of the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) a NASA program to send small robotic landers and rovers to the Moon, including its South Pole – a region known for extremely cold temperatures in the dark of night.

In fact, that’s the biggest design challenge faced by the space robotics engineers at Motiv and JPL: the extreme cold. To date, there aren’t that many space components that are expected to last a lunar night or to operate during a lunar night, but all of that is changing. [Read more…] about Motiv Space Systems and Nasa to develop robotic arm for extreme cold environments

Car sharing promotes mobility turnaround in Luxembourg

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MOQO app assures easy operation and good service

Luxembourg is also working intensively on the transport revolution. The Duchy received a lot of attention when it became the first country in the world to introduce free local transport at the end of February 2020.

Even before that, a nationwide car sharing system was established with FLEX Carsharing, which is to be further expanded. FLEX provider CFL Mobility wants to use MOQO’s Shared Mobility Platform in the future. The know-how of the Shared Mobility experts from Aachen is increasingly in demand in more and more countries.

Luxembourg is the country in the EU with the highest level of individual ownership. Reasons for this are the high level of prosperity, favourable company car practices and a very good road infrastructure. However, the infrastructure could not prevent the high number of vehicles from leading to traffic chaos. [Read more…] about Car sharing promotes mobility turnaround in Luxembourg

Automating Performance Metrics: Start with Demand and Inventory Forecasting

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By Mike Mills, Director, Business Consulting, Blue Ridge

2021 is the year when companies need earlier insights into new market opportunities, including what items consumers want, on what channel, how much they should stock, and how much they will pay for these products.

The ability to compete in new areas with this level of agility will be the key to unraveling chaos. As e-commerce continues to threaten the market with competitive products that are available nearly instantly, shifting consumer trends can make stocking shelves even more challenging.

Two-thirds of distributors, retailers, and manufacturers report that transportation, labor, and goods were rising more quickly than in previous years. Automation has become a full imperative; Covid has magnified the need. [Read more…] about Automating Performance Metrics: Start with Demand and Inventory Forecasting

VW electric vehicle sales increase more than 400 percent

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Volkswagen’s electric vehicle sales have increased more than 400 percent over the past year, according to the German auto giant’s latest figures.

The Volkswagen Group says its “e-offensive is gaining traction”. Deliveries of electric models in the EU including the UK, Norway and Iceland increased “more than fourfold in the year now ended to a total of 315,400 electric vehicles (2019: 72,600)”.

The proportion of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in-hybrids (PHEVs) in the total deliveries rose to 9.7 percent (2019: 1.7 percent). [Read more…] about VW electric vehicle sales increase more than 400 percent

GM to invest $800 million to convert existing facility into Canada’s first large-scale commercial EV plant

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American auto giant General Motors to invest $800 million to convert one of its existing facilities into Canada’s first large-scale commercial electric vehicle manufacturing plant.

Subject to ratification of a tentative 2021 agreement reached with Unifor and confirmation of government support, GM plans to bring production of its recently announced BrightDrop electric light commercial vehicle, the EV600, to its CAMI manufacturing plant in Ingersoll, Ontario (main picture, courtesy 3BL Media).

The nearly $800 million (1 billion Canadian dollar) investment will support GM’s timing to deliver BrightDrop EV600 in late 2021. The investment will enable GM to convert CAMI into Canada’s first large-scale electric delivery vehicles manufacturing plant. [Read more…] about GM to invest $800 million to convert existing facility into Canada’s first large-scale commercial EV plant

Kuka unveils robotics for modern treatment of tumors

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A Munich therapy center uses a medical product with an integrated Kuka robot as a high-precision instrument in tumor treatment.

The CyberKnife system of Accuray, a kind of virtual knife, is an alternative to conventional radiotherapy.

Thanks to high-precision robot- and image-guided irradiation, the CyberKnife Center in Munich is able to treat tumors anywhere in the body – from the brain to the spinal column to various organs, such as the lungs, liver, kidneys or prostate. [Read more…] about Kuka unveils robotics for modern treatment of tumors

Fanuc launches e-learning website for its collaborative robot

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Fanuc America has launched a new e-learning website to educate manufacturers and industry about its CRX collaborative robot.

The site provides online training tutorials, a deep dive into a wide range of peripheral device and tooling partners, and the latest product information about its CRX cobot lineup.

Fanuc’s new CRX collaborative robots are easy to use and program, safe, flexible, and quick to get up and running for a variety of manufacturing and industrial applications. [Read more…] about Fanuc launches e-learning website for its collaborative robot

Epson signs up Industrial Control as distributor in Michigan

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Epson Robots has signed up Industrial Control, a provider of factory automation solutions, products, and training, as an official distributor of Epson Robots automation solutions in the state of Michigan.

Epson says Industrial Control’s wealth of knowledge and experience gained through long-standing relationships with machine builders, combined with Epson Robots’ technology, will help manufacturers “reach today’s challenging factory automation objectives”.

Mark Ermatinger, CEO of Industrial Control, says: “Customers are asking for smarter, pre-engineered, and turn-key solutions to help reduce risks and save time. [Read more…] about Epson signs up Industrial Control as distributor in Michigan

Cruise and GM partner with Microsoft to commercialize self-driving vehicles

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Cruise and General Motors have entered a long-term strategic relationship with Microsoft to accelerate the commercialization of self-driving vehicles.

The companies will bring together their software and hardware engineering excellence, cloud computing capabilities, manufacturing know-how and partner ecosystem to transform transportation to create a safer, cleaner, and more accessible world for everyone.

Dan Ammann, Cruise CEO, says: “Our mission to bring safer, better, and more affordable transportation to everyone isn’t just a tech race – it’s also a trust race. [Read more…] about Cruise and GM partner with Microsoft to commercialize self-driving vehicles

Norwegian shared mobility provider Bilkollektivet chooses MOQO

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Environmentally friendly mobility concept with high growth potential

More and more people than ever before are signing up to Bilkollektivet, a co-operative founded 25 years ago in Oslo and the oldest car sharing provider in the country. Every month, 400 to 500 new people register up for the ever-growing pool of vehicles.

A co-operation between the Norwegians and the German mobility software specialist MOQO now makes car sharing even easier, more transparent and more convenient for both the operators and the approximately 11,000 users it now boasts.

Bilkollektivet currently has 603 cars in the capital Oslo and 15 cars in Stavanger, the fourth largest city in the country. The co-operative works in such a way that members become shareholders when they join the co-operative. [Read more…] about Norwegian shared mobility provider Bilkollektivet chooses MOQO