Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

Mai Tao

Thai agritech startup to use satellite images and AI for farming

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A startup company in Thailand called Ricult is planning to use satellite imagery and artificial intelligence to provide precision agritech services to farmers.

The company recently raised $2 million in new investment, bringing its total funding to $5 million, according to Nikkei. Among its backers are the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and Bangkok Bank.

Ricult – which takes its name from the middle of the agriculture – says it is particularly targeting small-scale farmers with its services. [Read more…] about Thai agritech startup to use satellite images and AI for farming

Luxshare buys iPhone assembly factory and becomes bigger than Foxconn

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Chinese hi-tech manufacturer Luxshare Precision Industry has bought an iPhone assembly factory from Wistron and has become bigger than Foxconn in terms of market capitalization.

Although Luxshare is well known in the industry, it’s not as famous as its Taiwanese rival Foxconn, which also goes by the name of Hon Hai Precision and has been Apple’s main contract manufacturer for many years.

Luxshare had previously been supplying individual components for iPhones but the Wistron factory purchase means that it can now provide assembled parts or complete devices. [Read more…] about Luxshare buys iPhone assembly factory and becomes bigger than Foxconn

Baemin launches outdoor delivery robot in South Korea

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A company called Baemin, or Baedal Minjok, whose parent company is the better-known Woowa Brothers, has launched an outdoor delivery robot which is expected to be used for food deliveries. 

The robot is in service at the Gwanggyo Alley Way, a multipurpose housing complex in Gwanggyo, a planned city 25 km south of capital city Seoul.

When orders are placed in restaurants within the plaza via a Baemin app, the robot delivers to the ground floor of customer’s residence. [Read more…] about Baemin launches outdoor delivery robot in South Korea

AutoX launches driverless taxi service in China

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Driverless car startup AutoX has launched its RoboTaxi ride-hailing service in Shanghai, China to the general public for the first time, marking a transit milestone for China’s largest city.

AutoX RoboTaxis can be booked through Alibaba’s AutoNavi smartphone app, similar to other ride-hailing services.

AutoX, which has raised at least $160 million to date, according to Crunchbase, has also struck up a strategic partnership with Letzgo, a major taxi fleet operations company headquartered in Shanghai. [Read more…] about AutoX launches driverless taxi service in China

New Chinese chipmaker’s progress could ease pain of US restrictions

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The progress made by a relatively new Chinese chipmaker, called ChangXin Memory Technologies, could help ease the pain caused by increasingly wide-ranging US restrictions against China’s tech companies.

US President Donald Trump has already effectively banned Huawei from doing business in the country, which has led to American companies to shun the Chinese telecommunications and smartphones giant. And in the latest move, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, the Trump administration has introduced new rules prohibiting non-US companies from selling any chips made using American technology to Huawei “without a special license”.

Huawei has found it difficult to source chips and other components for its equipment, for which, in turn, the company has found fewer buyers. [Read more…] about New Chinese chipmaker’s progress could ease pain of US restrictions

Toyota and Mazda to invest extra $830 million into US factory

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Japanese automakers Toyota and Mazda are planning to invest an additional $830 million into a manufacturing facility in the US, according to a report on Nikkei Asian Review. 

The Mazda Toyota Manufacturing site in Huntsville, Alabama will build sports utility vehicles and the total investment in the facility is estimated to be more than $2.3 billion.

The original plan, announced a couple of years ago, forecast investment to be $1.6 billion, and production was scheduled to start in 2021. Now, says Nikkei, production is expected to start in 2022. [Read more…] about Toyota and Mazda to invest extra $830 million into US factory

Trump looking to ban Alibaba

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Alibaba, which at one time was the world’s largest e-commerce company, is in the sights of US President Donald Trump, according to Reuters.

Asked directly at a White House briefing if he was considering a ban on Alibaba, Trump replied: “We’re looking at other things, yes we are.”

Alibaba is a Chinese company most famous for its business-to-business website Alibaba.com, where qualified buyers can contact and do businesses directly with manufacturers and other industrial companies in China. [Read more…] about Trump looking to ban Alibaba

Sales of US cotton-harvesting machinery to China increase by 4,000 percent

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Sales of US-manufactured cotton-harvesting machinery to China have increased by 4,000 percent, according to a report on the South China Morning Post website.

The news outlet says its own analysis shows that the increase in April of this year was “more than 4,000 percent” when compared with the same month last year.

The main reason for the dramatic increases, says the SCMP, is the possible threat of US sanctions against China which might make it impossible to import hi-tech goods. [Read more…] about Sales of US cotton-harvesting machinery to China increase by 4,000 percent

Foxconn moving operations out of China

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Foxconn, one of the most well known Chinese manufacturing companies as a result of its status as main supplier for Apple, is moving significant parts of its operations outside of China.

The company, which according to TechSpot reported almost $800 million net profit for the quarter ending in June, has already moved an additional 5 percent of its operations to countries other than China, bring it up to 30 percent, compared with 25 percent last year.

China is still overwhelmingly the main base for Foxconn’s manufacturing operations, representing some 70 percent of its production capacity, but the company is scouting many locations abroad. [Read more…] about Foxconn moving operations out of China

LG supplies delivery robot to posh hotel

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LG Electronics is providing the services of its delivery robot to an upmarket hotel in South Korea, according to The Korea Herald.

The small, mobile robot is being employed at the Mayfield Hotel, in the capital city Seoul, and will deliver food from an indoor kitchen to diners seated outside on the terrace. It will also be used to carry dishes back to the kitchen.

There are two robots currently in operation at the Mayfield, and they look very similar to the ones unveiled by TeleRetail a couple of years ago., although we cannot confirm at this stage whether it is the same. [Read more…] about LG supplies delivery robot to posh hotel

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