Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

David Edwards

Machine builder Fill becomes first to upgrade to TTTech’s Nerve Blue IIoT edge network

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Machine and plant manufacturing company Fill is the first to upgrade to the latest version of TTTech Industrial’s Nerve Blue internet of things network, released in April 2020.

Nerve Blue software enables users to gain insights into industrial processes and make decisions based on data gathered from machines around the world.

With Nerve Blue, data is accessed directly from the machine, and then stored, processed and analyzed either at the device, on a local server or in the cloud. [Read more…] about Machine builder Fill becomes first to upgrade to TTTech’s Nerve Blue IIoT edge network

Inspection and Diagnostic Robots: What they Mean for Society

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Seventy percent of robots in the United States are employed in just four industries: auto-making, electronics, plastic and chemicals, and metals manufacturing.

Inspection and diagnosing play an important part in all these industries, so a variety of robots have been programmed to inspect equipment and diagnose problems as they arise.

Of course, inspection and diagnosis are not limited to manufacturing; they are the safeguards of society. AI diagnostics and autonomous inspection are helping us in more ways than we can imagine. [Read more…] about Inspection and Diagnostic Robots: What they Mean for Society

RMUS partners with Sarcos Robotics Guardian S ‘snake’ robot

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Rocky Mountain Unmanned Systems has partnered with Sarcos Robotics to distribute Sarcos’ Guardian S robotic crawler system.

The Guardian S robot is a compact, multi-purpose remote visual inspection tool ideal for industrial and public safety applications.

Its rugged design allows for deployment in challenging terrain and confined spaces while maintaining real-time situational awareness via wireless transmission from six high-resolution cameras and onboard audio sensors. [Read more…] about RMUS partners with Sarcos Robotics Guardian S ‘snake’ robot

Kingetics makes ‘big innovations’ in footwear-exoskeleton-robotic ambulation science

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By Dakota Grossman, writer, and Dr Steven King, managing member, Kingetics

Kingetics, a small veteran owned startup company has developed and tested new technology that has shown significant improvements in protecting our soldiers as well as improving the gait of mechanical walking systems.

Load carriage and high impact forces on the lower limbs are often cited as leading causes of musculoskeletal injuries. Injury rates during military training range from 1 per cent to 16 per cent, and up to 30 per cent in elite  infantry  units.

Data from Podiatry Arena shows that there are about 32,000 broken bones per year during military combat, costing the US Department of Defense an estimated $240,000,000 in medical expenses.
 [Read more…] about Kingetics makes ‘big innovations’ in footwear-exoskeleton-robotic ambulation science

AI for robotics developer Covariant raises $40 million in funding

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Covariant, a developer of artificial intelligence for robotics, has raised $40 million in Series B funding, bringing its total funding to $67 million.

The round was led by Index Ventures, along with AI-focused Radical Ventures and participation from existing investor Amplify Partners and others.

Covariant will use the funding to accelerate its partnerships, introduce AI Robotics to new industries, and grow its research, engineering and commercial teams. [Read more…] about AI for robotics developer Covariant raises $40 million in funding

Alio says its Hybrid Hexapod addresses ‘critical weaknesses’ of traditional motion systems

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Alio Industries says its patented Hybrid Hexapod was developed by Alio to address the critical weaknesses of conventional legacy hexapod designs, as well as the weaknesses of stacked serial stages, and to achieve nanometer-level accuracy, repeatability, and high-integrity flatness and straightness during motion.

It utilizes a tripod parallel kinematics structure to deliver Z plane and tip/tilt motion, integrated with a monolithic serial kinematic structure for XY motion.

A rotary stage integrated into the top of the tripod (or underneath it, depending on application needs) provides 360-degree continuous Theta Z rotation. [Read more…] about Alio says its Hybrid Hexapod addresses ‘critical weaknesses’ of traditional motion systems

Realtime Robotics unveils new robot controller computer

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Realtime Robotics, which specialises in motion planning for industrial robots and autonomous vehicles, has launched what a robot controller solution it calls “Realtime Controller”.

The solution dramatically reduces and simplifies the programming required to safely integrate robotic workcells, speeding up the time to deployment.

As the pressure intensifies to improve margins it will accelerate the adoption of robotic automation. [Read more…] about Realtime Robotics unveils new robot controller computer

Productive Robotics launches fourth collaborative robot model

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Productive Robotics has launched a fourth model of its next-generation teachable collaborative robots, the OB7-Stretch.

Productive says the OB7-Stretch is the cobot that customers have been asking for – “simple, affordable, and with a longer reach to handle parts and machines with longer distances”.

OB7-Stretch is similar to the standard OB7 5kg model, but longer with a reach of 1.25 meters and a slightly lower payload of 4kg. [Read more…] about Productive Robotics launches fourth collaborative robot model

ATI partners with 3M to present webinar about material removal tools

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ATI Industrial Automation and 3M will co-present a free webinar, Three Pillars of Successful Material Removal, on Thursday, May 14, 2020 at 12pm ET.

The event, hosted by the Robotics Industries Association, will identify key concepts for successful robotic material removal.

The presentations by Dan Merritt, ATI’s material removal product manager, and Sarah Mullins, 3M global applications engineer, will feature real-world examples of the benefits of robotic material removal and illustrate how common challenges are overcome with the right application design. [Read more…] about ATI partners with 3M to present webinar about material removal tools

SICK continues to grow despite ‘challenging market’

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Sensors giant SICK says its business has continued to grow despite a “challenging market environment”.

Group sales by the sensor producer increased by 7 percent to €1,750.7 million during the 2019 fiscal year (2018: €1,636.8 million).

Growth was considerably higher than the average for the sensor industry, estimated as having shrunk by 1 percent for 2019 by the AMA Association for Sensors and Measurement. [Read more…] about SICK continues to grow despite ‘challenging market’