Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

Elaine

DSM and Nedcam collaborate on 3D printing

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Royal DSM, a global science-based company in nutrition, health and sustainable living, and Nedcam, a provider of solutions for the realization of 3D shapes, are collaborating to improve access to scalable Fused Granulate Fabrication (FGF) 3D printing.

Nedcam will be offering FGF 3D printing using DSM materials and the two companies will explore new applications in tooling, large-size and circular end-use parts.

Nedcam, providing total solutions in shaping technology, ranging from engineering, material selection and tooling to special transport, recently added a CEAD AM Flexbot robotic 3D printer to their site in Heerenveen. [Read more…] about DSM and Nedcam collaborate on 3D printing

Survey suggests public has safety concerns about autonomous vehicles

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Motional, the driverless vehicle development company created by Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv, has released its inaugural Motional Consumer Mobility Report, which examines Americans’ perceptions of driverless vehicles.

The study found that one-fifth of Americans are more interested in driverless vehicles than they were before the pandemic.

The survey was carried out from July 17-21, 2020, and considered 1,003 responses from US consumers sampled using a blind online panel recruitment. The overall margin of error for the research is +/- 3.02 percent at a 95 percent confidence interval). [Read more…] about Survey suggests public has safety concerns about autonomous vehicles

Wilson Logistics orders 1,120 autonomous truck systems from Locomation

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Wilson Logistics has ordered 1,120 autonomous truck systems from Locomation. The companies claim this is “the world’s first autonomous truck purchase order”.

Locomation is a provider of autonomous trucking technology and Wilson Logistics is a large transportation logistics company based in Springfield, Missouri, USA.

Under the terms of the deal, a minimum of 1,120 Wilson Logistics tractors or trucks are to be equipped with Locomation’s Autonomous Relay Convoy (ARCTM) technology, with the first units delivered in early 2022. Additionally, the deal amends the commercial agreement between the two companies to extend through 2028. [Read more…] about Wilson Logistics orders 1,120 autonomous truck systems from Locomation

OnRobot launches robotic sanding system

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OnRobot has launched OnRobot Sander, an all-electric random orbital sander for automated finishing applications, including sanding and polishing.

Traditional sanding automation solutions often require a background in robotics to implement and maintain. With the launch of OnRobot Sander, manufacturers now have access to a complete out-of-the-box sanding tool that’s easy to use with all major collaborative and lightweight industrial robots.

The complete Sander package incorporates everything OnRobot customers need to get their sanding application started quickly and easily: a plug-and-play sanding tool, a variety of standard sanding and polishing pads, easy-to-use programming software, an optional force/ torque sensor and a Grit Changer that enables automated switching between different sanding grits without operator intervention. [Read more…] about OnRobot launches robotic sanding system

RE2 Robotics expands campus with acquisition of new building

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RE2 Robotics, a developer of mobile robots, has expanded its Lawrenceville campus with the acquisition of a new facility. The new space will help the company to meet the growing demand for its robotic systems in both the defense and commercial markets.

Located at 4920 Harrison Ave, and directly across the street from its current office, the new facility will allow RE2 to increase its in-house manufacturing capabilities. The space, which measures approximately 10,000 square feet, features a large tank for testing RE2’s underwater manipulation systems, as well as both indoor and outdoor testing areas that will allow engineers to conduct on-site testing of the company’s robotic systems.

Once renovations are complete, the company’s machine shop, electrical, and assembly labs, as well as the entire production team, will relocate to the new building. [Read more…] about RE2 Robotics expands campus with acquisition of new building

Ensenso 3D stereo camera system imitates human vision to make robotic inspection cells faster and more accurate

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The new Ensenso 3D stereo industrial camera system “imitates human vision” to make robotic inspection cells “faster and more accurate”, according to Imaging Development Systems (IDS).

Each Ensenso camera system contains two 2D IDS cameras to view the scene from different positions, similar to the way human eyes work, with artificial intelligence processing the data, rather like the human brain does.

“Special matching algorithms compare the two images, search for corresponding points and visualize all point displacements in a disparity map,” explains IDS. “This is then used to calculate depth information for the resulting point cloud.” [Read more…] about Ensenso 3D stereo camera system imitates human vision to make robotic inspection cells faster and more accurate

Hokuyo releases upgraded safety scanner

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Hokuyo, a global manufacturer of sensor and automation technology, has announced a new firmware update on the safety laser scanner “UAM-05LP-T301”. (See video below.)

The firmware has been updated periodically since the product release in 2015 and this is the fifth update. The firmware is updated to meet every challenging customer’s requirement and to adapt to the fast changing market trends. The newest version is 2.4.0.

With its small profile and 5 metre protection range, UAM-05LP-T301 is “the world’s smallest, longest protection range safety laser scanner”, says Hokuyo. [Read more…] about Hokuyo releases upgraded safety scanner