Robotics & Automation News

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Elaine

Senseye secures investment from two giants of Japanese industry

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Senseye, an industrial Asset Performance Management company, has secured new investment from NTT DOCOMO Ventures and Sony Innovation Fund. The investment, also supported by existing investors, will drive Senseye’s expansion into the Japanese market and expand its research activities for its proprietary Artificial Intelligence solutions.

Simon Kampa, CEO of Senseye, comments: “We look to Japan for inspiration in manufacturing excellence. Indeed, we derived Senseye from the Japanese word Sensei to highlight that connection. We are therefore pleased and proud to receive this new investment from two leading Japanese businesses.”

The company’s Predictive Maintenance solution, Senseye PdM, has recently been deployed by some of the world’s largest companies in the automotive, food and beverage, packaging, and metals & mining sectors. Its AI is continuously analyzing millions of data points, in real-time, ensuring that none of its customers experience any unplanned downtime. Customers have reduced unplanned downtime by over 50 percent, streamlined spare-parts inventories, and cut maintenance costs by up to 40 per cent.

NTT DOCOMO Ventures and Sony Innovation Fund joins an existing group of investors, which includes MMC, Breed Reply and IQ Capital, with the investment validating the leadership position Senseye has gained within the Predictive Maintenance space.

Takayuki Inagawa, President and CEO of NTT DOCOMO Ventures, comments: “We are impressed by Senseye’s asset and data-agnostic approach, allowing their solution to be used on any machine and therefore significantly lowering the implementation barrier for factories of all scale. Beyond our investment, we look forward to promoting a partnership between Senseye and NTT DOCOMO’s innovative 5G industrial platform, enabling both mid and large tier industrial businesses to accelerate their digital journeys.”

“Senseye is the leading provider of Predictive Maintenance software, delivering real operational efficiencies with an unrivalled Return on Investment,” said Gen Tsuchikawa, Chief Investment Manager of Sony Innovation Fund. “Their solution provides a unique approach to delivering Predictive Maintenance at a scale not possible with other approaches. We look forward to working with Senseye to support their ambitions in Japan and beyond.”

Senseye has also established a leading ecosystem of global industrial partners, such as Bentley, Schneider Electric, Siemens and PTC, to enable it to offer a full stack of advanced digital solutions to its customers. To top it off, Senseye PdM is the only product that guarantees its performance through its insurance-backed ROI Lock™, offered as standard to all customers.

IDS extends Ensenso N 3D camera series

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The Ensenso N-Series is a compact and robust 3D camera system designed specifically for 3D applications in robotics and automated series production. Thanks to IP65/67 protection, it is also well-suited for use in harsher environments. The camera family is now being expanded by the new N40 and N45 models. They feature a novel design both inside and outside. Lightweight and with rounded edges, they open up new application possibilities, for example in collaborative robotics.

The housing of the new Ensenso N40/N45 3D cameras is made of fibre-reinforced plastic – resulting in the lightest stereo vision cameras with Gigabit Ethernet in the IDS product range. When mounted on a robot arm, for example, this means less stress on the robot mechanics. The cameras also minimise the risk of injury thanks to their rounded edges. As a result, they also excel in collaborative use with human colleagues. Furthermore, the housing meets the requirements of protection class IP65/67 and is effectively protected against dirt, dust and water spray. [Read more…] about IDS extends Ensenso N 3D camera series

Boom Supersonic rolls out new plane with components 3D printed by Velo3D

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VELO3D, a digital manufacturing company, has announced that Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 aircraft includes 21 flight hardware components that were manufactured by VELO3D’s Sapphire 3D metal printer. Unveiled at Boom’s hangar in Centennial, Colorado, the company believes that XB-1 marks a turning point in commercial viability for supersonic travel and demonstrates the power of additive manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, to enable innovation while accelerating product development.

“Aviation hardware is especially difficult to manufacture with 3D metal printing, due to challenging aerodynamic designs that must be balanced with superior durability and high temperature requirements,” said Benny Buller, CEO and Founder of VELO3D. “VELO3D’s technology allows the production of lightweight, complex designs for mission-critical applications in the toughest operating conditions. Our partnership with Boom is an advancement for the metal AM industry, and XB-1 supersonic aircraft is a game-changer for the aviation industry.” [Read more…] about Boom Supersonic rolls out new plane with components 3D printed by Velo3D

Nvidia claims its Jetson Nano is the ‘ultimate AI and robotics starter kit’


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Chipmaking giant Nvidia has expanded its Jetson AI at the Edge platform with an entry-level developer kit priced at $59, opening the potential of AI and robotics to a new generation of students, educators and hobbyists.

The Jetson Nano 2GB Developer Kit is designed for teaching and learning AI by creating hands-on projects in such areas as robotics and intelligent IoT.

To support the effort, Nvidia also announced the availability of free online training and AI-certification programs, which will supplement the many open-source projects, how-tos and videos contributed by thousands of developers in the vibrant Jetson community. [Read more…] about Nvidia claims its Jetson Nano is the ‘ultimate AI and robotics starter kit’


Denso unveils new IoT platform to link 130 factories

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Denso, one of the world’s largest automotive component manufacturers, has launched a Factory-IoT Platform that connects 130 production factories worldwide using information technology and the internet of things technologies, based on the concept of “as if under one roof.”

This is the first in-house development of a cloud-native platform using open-source-software in the automotive supplier industry. Cloud-Native refers to a system development method that uses open-source-software to cooperatively control multiple applications on the premise of operation in the cloud.

Open-source-software is free software that anyone can use. The newly developed platform stores data collected from a range of equipment at various production sites in a single cloud that can be used freely across Denso’s organization network. [Read more…] about Denso unveils new IoT platform to link 130 factories

Webinar: Vision Guided Picking Applications

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Webinar title: Vision Guided Picking Applications
Early registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_VY5rD2EJRR26L_p4KYwCcg

IDS is partnering with Robotics and Automation News to bring you a new and insightful webinar about a subject that will be of interest to many people.

Robot Vision helps to automate industrial processes economically. No wonder that robotics is one of the fastest growing technologies in industrial production. Learn about the benefits of 3D vision systems like Ensenso and how it is possible to turn robots into autonomously working colleagues. [Read more…] about Webinar: Vision Guided Picking Applications

6 River Systems Announces Wave of Enhancements at FLOW 2020

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6 River Systems (6RS), part of Shopify Inc., a leading global commerce company, announced during its second annual user conference, FLOW 2020, a series of enhancements to its wall-to-wall fulfillment solution to help senior-level warehouse operators further improve site management, gain more concrete business transparency across singular or multiple sites and accelerate their return on investment.

“We have developed a strategic product roadmap at 6RS to find and address the next level of efficiencies to help our customers meet ever-changing demand and drive value to their own customers,” says David Vallance, Director of Product at 6 River Systems. “We’ve grown from providing picking robots to supporting inbound to outbound tasks within the four walls of the warehouse. Our latest set of enhancements are another exciting step forward in the evolution of our company and our industry.” [Read more…] about 6 River Systems Announces Wave of Enhancements at FLOW 2020

ABB enhances portfolio of high-speed industrial robots with Codian acquisition

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ABB has acquired Codian Robotics B.V., a leading provider of delta robots, which are used primarily for high-precision pick and place applications. Codian Robotics’ offering includes a hygienic design line, ideal for hygiene-sensitive industries including food and beverage and pharmaceuticals. With the transaction, ABB is accelerating its engagement in the growing field of delta robots.

Codian Robotics is located in Ede, Netherlands and employs 20 people globally. The company will continue to serve its customers directly. The acquisition was signed and closed on October 1, 2020. Both parties have agreed not to disclose any details regarding the purchase price. [Read more…] about ABB enhances portfolio of high-speed industrial robots with Codian acquisition

Einride emerges as a leader in autonomous freight

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Einride, a Swedish technology company that develops and provides freight transport solutions based on electric and autonomous vehicles, has announced $10 million in new funding from existing investors led by impact fund – Norrsken VC. The EQT Ventures fund (“EQT Ventures”), Nordic Ninja VC, Ericsson Ventures, and other investors contributed.

This new funding will be used to fast track the official launch of its Einride Pods and meet the overwhelming demand from existing clients including Oatly, Lidl, and more. A representative from Norrsken VC, which was founded by the Klarna co-founder Niklas Adalberth, will be joining Einride’s advisory board.

In March 2020, the AI and robotics industry saw major names shut its doors which sent a shiver down the spine of the autonomous trucking industry. Contrarily, in the wake of COVID-19, there has been a shift towards searching for a more efficient, contactless way to achieve the same levels of transport as before. During this time, Einride has maintained a strong stream of new partnerships, including onboarding two major partners, Oatly and Lidl, and launching the mainnet version of its Freight Mobility Platform. [Read more…] about Einride emerges as a leader in autonomous freight

Rethink Robotics establishes new company headquarters and Siemens Technology Accelerator as a shareholder

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At its new Bochum, Germany headquarters, Rethink Robotics will develop new robotics technologies with the support of Siemens Corporate Technology, creating highly jobs for skilled professionals.

During the summer of 2020, Rethink Robotics, as a subsidiary of the HAHN Group, moved into new company headquarters, where the production of collaborative robot systems takes place. The location has been officially inaugurated in the presence of Bochum’s Lord Mayor Thomas Eiskirch and Bernd Tönjes, CEO of the RAG-Stiftung, a majority stakeholder in the HAHN Group through its holding company RSBG SE.

The premises are part of the new HAHN Group Technology Center, a meeting point for customers and partners to experience and further develop innovative technologies. In the immediate vicinity of universities and research institutions, this creates a central place for the exchange of information, skills and technological developments. The building itself was constructed by sister companies of the HAHN Group within the RAG-Stiftung, accounting for the short-term space requirements and promoting further growth. [Read more…] about Rethink Robotics establishes new company headquarters and Siemens Technology Accelerator as a shareholder