Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Mai Tao

Toyota launches new cars equipped with ‘Advanced Drive’

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Toyota has launched two new cars – the Lexus LS and Mirai – equipped with what it describes as “Advanced Drive”, which sounds somewhat similar to an advanced driver assistance system, or ADAS, a widely known term to mean a range of automated or autonomous driving functions.

Toyota says its Advanced Drive “enables drivers and cars to drive together”, and that the company is seeking to enrich people’s lives through mobility.

Advanced Drive has five technology characteristics: Intelligent, Reliable, Perceptive, Interactive, and Upgradeable. [Read more…] about Toyota launches new cars equipped with ‘Advanced Drive’

Fanuc launches new ‘tabletop’ industrial robot

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Fanuc America, a supplier of CNCs, robotics, and RoboMachines, has introduced the LR Mate 200iD/14L, the 10th model variation of the popular LR Mate series of tabletop industrial robots.  

Since the LR Mate series was launched nearly 30 years ago, it has become one of Fanuc’s biggest sellers, with over 70,000 units installed across the globe.

The popularity of the LR Mate robot series is due to Fanuc’s world-renowned reliability along with a number of unique features including its lightweight, tabletop size, which is often compared to the size of a person’s arm. [Read more…] about Fanuc launches new ‘tabletop’ industrial robot

Fanuc forms alliance with Doosan on workforce development

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Fanuc America and Doosan Machine Tools America have formed a partnership to better prepare future machine operators.

The Fanuc Certified CNC Training Program now offers manufacturing skills development using Doosan machine tools.

The new offering adds to the depth and breadth of Fanuc’s CNC training tools as well as allows operators a hands-on experience with Doosan’s high performance CNC machines, which have been used in manufacturing for over 40 years. [Read more…] about Fanuc forms alliance with Doosan on workforce development

Denso develops advanced driver assistance system for new Lexus LS and Toyota Mirai

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Denso has developed products for Advanced Drive, an advanced driver assistance technology featured on the new Lexus LS and the new Toyota Mirai, which were both recently released in Japan. 

Denso’s newly developed products used in Advanced Drive include: [Read more…] about Denso develops advanced driver assistance system for new Lexus LS and Toyota Mirai

Mitsubishi Electric Automation unveils new LoadMate robot work cell

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Mitsubishi Electric Automation has launched its LoadMate Plus engineered solution, a mobile robot cell.

The machinery is targeted towards manufacturers in CNC machine tool applications who find themselves facing a labor crunch, while needing to be more efficient and improve their production.

It creates a path to introduce automation to high-mix, low-volume facilities and is designed with mobility and flexibility in mind. [Read more…] about Mitsubishi Electric Automation unveils new LoadMate robot work cell

Doosan Robotics introduces ‘industry’s first’ ROS package for its machines

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Doosan Robotics has released the Doosan ROS 2 package, compatible with the latest ROS 2 Foxy Fitzroy.

By releasing the package in early 2021, Doosan Robotics says it has positioned itself as “the first to operate collaborative robots driven by the newest version of ROS 2”.

Doosan Robotics strategically designed its ROS 2 Foxy package to provide both convenience and accessibility. [Read more…] about Doosan Robotics introduces ‘industry’s first’ ROS package for its machines

Toyota and Apex to accelerate development of computing platform for autonomous vehicles

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Apex.AI, an automotive software company, is partnering with Toyota’s Woven Planet Group to help the company create a production-ready autonomy stack for Arene, Toyota’s vehicle development platform to enable modern software development tools and best practices in the automotive industry. 

Toyota’s Woven Planet is using Apex.OS, an easy-to-use software development kit (SDK) for automotive and other safety-critical applications, including autonomous driving software.

Today’s vehicles are hardware-defined, and while they leverage existing advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), they have dozens of components that are not integrated with each other. [Read more…] about Toyota and Apex to accelerate development of computing platform for autonomous vehicles

Honda and AutoX test autonomous cars on public roads in China

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Honda China is collaborating with AutoX on autonomous driving research in China through vehicle testing on public roads. Honda will provide Accord and Inspire vehicles that will utilize AutoX’s autonomous vehicle technology.

AutoX is the frontrunner of Level 4 autonomous driving in China. In this partnership, Honda will adopt and leverage on AutoX’s cutting-edge technology and rich experience in the testing and deployment of autonomous vehicles in the most populated cities in China.

Through the test, Honda aims to deepen understanding of China’s traffic environment, establish the public acceptance and safety of autonomous driving technology, as well as to seek new autonomous driving technology solutions. [Read more…] about Honda and AutoX test autonomous cars on public roads in China

Baidu Apollo awarded China’s first licenses to test autonomous vehicles at night and in special weather conditions

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Baidu Apollo has received China’s first batch of qualifications to test autonomous vehicles at night and in special weather conditions on public roads in Beijing.

A total of 53 such test qualification notices along with five general public road test licenses were granted to Baidu Apollo at the Beijing Intelligent Connected Vehicle Policy Pilot Zone launch event on April 13, 2021. The Pilot Zone encompasses 225 square kilometers, six highways, and urban expressways that cover a total length of 143 kilometers.

The ability to transport users during peak rush hours, nighttime, and bad weather scenarios – such as rainstorm conditions – poses an immense challenge in regards to the perception, prediction, planning and control capabilities of autonomous vehicles. [Read more…] about Baidu Apollo awarded China’s first licenses to test autonomous vehicles at night and in special weather conditions

Nidec to open new factories and launch business in Serbia

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Nidec is to open new factories in the city of Novi Sad in Serbia, and held an event today to mark the beginning of the project. 

At today’s event, held at the office of president, Serbia, and attended by President Aleksandar Vučić, Mayor Miloš Vučević of Novi Sad, and Japanese Ambassador to Serbia Takahiko Katsumata, among others, the company announced its plan to launch business in Serbia.

Yesterday, on April 8, the company held a ceremony to open a new business office in Novi Sad to start preparations to start up the factories in full scale. [Read more…] about Nidec to open new factories and launch business in Serbia