Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Mai Tao

BYD to mass manufacture Nuro’s electric autonomous delivery vehicle

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BYD, one of China’s largest automotive and technology companies, has agreed a partnership with autonomous vehicle company Nuro to begin producing the company’s third-generation electric autonomous delivery vehicle.

The partnership is expected to scale Nuro’s more affordable, eco-friendly, and convenient services to millions of people across the country.

Stella Li, executive vice president of BYD and president of BYD North America, says: “BYD will leverage the manufacturing capacity of our Lancaster plant by finishing assembly of globally sourced hardware components to support Nuro and bring more jobs to the community. [Read more…] about BYD to mass manufacture Nuro’s electric autonomous delivery vehicle

Winter Olympics provide China opportunity to showcase its robots

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The Winter Olympics – or Beijing 2022 – are under way in China, and the country’s roboticists are using it as an opportunity to show off their technologies. 

This is not unexpected, of course. Japan used the Summer Olympics to showcase its engineering prowess in the area of vehicle technologies as well as robots.

In fact, there’s probably less robotic showing off going on in Beijing than one might have expected, given that China is now the world’s largest buyer of robots. It’s also now the world’s largest car market, much of which is slowly becoming autonomous. [Read more…] about Winter Olympics provide China opportunity to showcase its robots

Scientists unveil robotic grippers ‘delicate enough to lift egg yolks and precise enough to lift a human hair’

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Engineering researchers from North Carolina State University have demonstrated a new type of flexible, robotic grippers that they say “are able to lift delicate egg yolks without breaking them, and that are precise enough to lift a human hair”. (See video below.)

The work has applications for both soft robotics and biomedical technologies.

The work draws on the art of kirigami, which involves both cutting and folding two-dimensional (2D) sheets of material to form three-dimensional (3D) shapes. [Read more…] about Scientists unveil robotic grippers ‘delicate enough to lift egg yolks and precise enough to lift a human hair’

NEC unveils autonomous mobile robot control system

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NEC has developed a control technology that the company claims “doubles the efficiency of autonomous mobile robots” in warehouses while maintaining a high level of safety.

NEC plans to put this technology into practical use by March 2024 and to have it installed in NEC’s co-operative AMRs in Japan.

In recent years, the introduction of robots for transporting materials has accelerated due to labor shortages and large warehouses. [Read more…] about NEC unveils autonomous mobile robot control system

FedEx installs sorting robot from DoraBot at e-commerce facility

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FedEx Express, a division of global logistics giant FedEx, has installed a sorting robot called “DoraSorter” from a company called DoraBot at one of its facilities in China.

Dorabot, a specialist robotics solution provider for logistics, launched DoraSorter – an AI-powered intelligent sorting robot – in collaboration with FedEx Express.

The sorting robot represents FedEx Express’ latest push in digitizing its operations and building a smart logistics network to handle the ever-growing volumes of e-commerce-related shipments in the region. [Read more…] about FedEx installs sorting robot from DoraBot at e-commerce facility

AutoX expands robotaxi operation zone to 1,000 km

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Alibaba-backed AutoX, a developer of Level 4 fully autonomous cars, or “robotaxis”, now claims to operate “China’s largest autonomous driving area”.

The total area covers 1,000 square kilometers, including a 168-square-kilometer fully driverless zone. AutoX robotaxis are able to navigate all the public roads inside the 1,000 square kilometer area.

Expanding the total autonomous driving area to over 1,000 square kilometers is an important step towards making the robotic taxi service a reality in the daily lives of people in China. [Read more…] about AutoX expands robotaxi operation zone to 1,000 km

Nidec to enter robotics market

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Nidec is set to enter the robotics market, according to a report on Nikkei.

Nidec is probably the world’s largest supplier of motors and drives, used in computer hard drives and all sorts of other devices. But it has so far, avoided entering the industrial robotics market in a big way.

Now, however, Nidec has reportedly “added robots to its core products along with electric vehicle motors”. [Read more…] about Nidec to enter robotics market

Baidu’s autonomous electric carmaker Jidu raises $400 million in Series A financing

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Baidu’s intelligent electric vehicle arm Jidu has closed its Series A financing, raising nearly $400 million.

This round of financing was backed by Baidu and its strategic partner multinational auto manufacturer Zhejiang Geely Holding Group.

With the completion of financing, Jidu is set to continue accelerating the progress in R&D and achieving mass production. [Read more…] about Baidu’s autonomous electric carmaker Jidu raises $400 million in Series A financing

Pony.ai unveils new autonomous computing unit built on Nvidia Drive Orin

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Pony.ai, an autonomous driving technology company, has developed a “complete autonomous computing unit” built on the Nvidia Drive Orin system-on-chip (SoC).

The company says this marks a “significant milestone” in its move from industrial-grade to automotive-grade hardware.

This autonomous computing unit powered by Nvidia Drive Orin will rapidly accelerate the roll-out of Pony.ai’s Level 4 capabilities. [Read more…] about Pony.ai unveils new autonomous computing unit built on Nvidia Drive Orin

Pudu Robotics showcases its service robots at CES

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Pudu Robotics, provider of commercial service robots, has wrapped up what it describes as “a highly successful showcase” at CES, which took place earlier this month.

In addition to exhibiting its flagship commercial service robots in the global arena, Pudu Robotics used the event to reaffirm its increased focus on IoT technology and layout its product roadmap based on a “multi-functional, multi-scenario” strategy.

The highlight of Pudu Robotics’ booth was the Afra C1 cleaning robot, which officially made its international debut on the commercial cleaning robot market at CES 2022. [Read more…] about Pudu Robotics showcases its service robots at CES