Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Mai Tao

Hyundai Robotics establishes Europe office to expand robot business

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Hyundai Robotics has established a new Europe office in Ismaning, Germany.

Germany occupies about 37 percent of the robot demand in Europe and it has an advantageous location because it is close to four countries in Western Europe (Germany, Italy, France, Spain) with an “overwhelming robot demand” compared to other regions.

The decision to establish an office in Germany was also based on convenient transportation to Czechia and Slovakia, where the first and second vendors of Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motors are located. [Read more…] about Hyundai Robotics establishes Europe office to expand robot business

HRG Robotics holds its first startup competition

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HRG Robotics has held its first startup competition, attracting more than 50 investment and technology companies and organisations.

The company says it wants to provide a platform to support innovation and startups.

HRG says startup competitions help connect companies of “great potential” within HRG system with top venture capitalists. [Read more…] about HRG Robotics holds its first startup competition

Scientists create ‘first’ map of agroforestry and ecosystem services in Asia-Pacific

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A team of scientists have mapped for the first time the research trends in agroforestry and the current state of knowledge in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as the research gaps about the ecosystem services provided by agroforestry, in a new study.

The team, Seongmin Shin, Khaing Thandar Soe, Haeun Lee, Tae Hoon Kim, Seongeun Lee and Mi Sun Park from Seoul National University in the Republic of Korea, found that the number of agroforestry-related articles in the region has been growing fast but is still small compared to all the literature globally on the subject.

India and China were noted as hotspots of research, which is not surprising given the two nations’ supportive policies and institutes of agroforestry. [Read more…] about Scientists create ‘first’ map of agroforestry and ecosystem services in Asia-Pacific

Opinion: Innovation is in need of better platforms to support its growth

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By Frederick Bravey, business development manager, SVV

Innovation is adapting faster with no signs of slowing down. In this fast-paced environment, innovation is in need of better platforms to support its growth. Corporations today are facing extensive challenges in getting new innovative ideas to market.

​According to ​Harvard Business School​ ​professor​ ​Clayton Christensen​, ​there are over 30,000 new products introduced every year, and 95 percent fail​, ​resulting in huge amounts of time wasted on failed concepts.

However, corporations are now looking toward new ways to greatly reduce their lead time as well as expanding their horizons beyond their current business models. [Read more…] about Opinion: Innovation is in need of better platforms to support its growth

Geek+ streamlines e-commerce supply chain company Winit’s warehouse operations

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Geek+, an autonomous mobile robot manufacturer, is providing smart logistics solutions for to Winit, an integrated supply chain solutions provider for cross-border e-commerce.

Winit serves e-commerce leaders like eBay, and Geek+ says its robots will enable enable more efficient and flexible operations at Winit’s fulfillment center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

With an inventory subject to a wide variety of products, massive SKUs, and a rapid increase in online sales, Winit has been looking for solutions that can streamline their warehouse operations, mitigate against management issues due to high turnover of warehouse workers, and enable flexible yet affordable scaling of operations. [Read more…] about Geek+ streamlines e-commerce supply chain company Winit’s warehouse operations

SoftBank Robotics sells 10,000 units of its commercial vacuum cleaning robot

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SoftBank Robotics says it has sold 10,000 units of its industrial or commercial vacuum cleaning robot, Whiz, making it “the global number-one in autonomous professional cleaning robots by sales”, according to Grand View Research.

SoftBank Robotics says that, as of the end of June 2020, it recorded global cumulative sales of more than 10,000 units of Whiz, which is an AI-enabled vacuum-cleaning robot.

Following SoftBank Robotics’ launch of the humanoid robot Pepper, the company launched Whiz as its second robot in November 2018, and it began providing Whiz commercially from May 2019 in Japan. [Read more…] about SoftBank Robotics sells 10,000 units of its commercial vacuum cleaning robot

Magna celebrates ‘significant milestone’ in contract manufacturing

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Magna is celebrating what it regards as a “significant milestone” in its progress as a contract manufacturer.

The company recently built the ArcFox α-T sports utility vehicle – a battery electric vehicle – through its Zhenjiang, China joint venture contract manufacturing facility.

The $40,000 α-T symbolises the first time Magna’s complete vehicle manufacturing has expanded beyond Europe, where the company has built vehicles for Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Jaguar Land Rover and others at its Graz, Austria facility. [Read more…] about Magna celebrates ‘significant milestone’ in contract manufacturing

Toyota offers free access to virtual crash test dummy software

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Toyota will make its Total Human Model for Safety (THUMS) software freely available from January 2021 as part of its efforts toward a safe mobility society.

THUMS is a virtual human body model software program for computer analysis of human body injuries caused in vehicle collisions. Free access to THUMS, and subsequent use by a wider variety of users, is expected to enhance vehicle safety.

Designed to aid vehicle safety technologies’ research and development, and developed in cooperation with Toyota Central R&D Labs, THUMS was the world’s first virtual human body model software when it launched in 2000. [Read more…] about Toyota offers free access to virtual crash test dummy software

Pretentious method-acting humanoid robot to star in $70 million Hollywood blockbuster film

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A humanoid robot developed by Japanese scientists is to star in a $70 million budget Hollywood film.

The name of the robot is Erica, and it was created by famed humanoid roboticist Hiroshi Ishiguro, along with fellow scientist Kohei Ogawa.

The two creators are said to have programmed Erica in the art of “method acting”, in which an actor aspires to complete emotional identification with a part. [Read more…] about Pretentious method-acting humanoid robot to star in $70 million Hollywood blockbuster film

ABB wins $5 million order for electric vehicle chargers from GAC Toyota

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ABB has won an order worth $5 million for electric vehicle chargers from GAC Toyota.

The agreement was made through Chargedot, an ABB business unit, and is considered “a major order” in China.

GAC Toyota is the Guangzhou-based joint venture between GAC Group and Toyota. With plans to expand production of electric vehicles to 400,000 a year, the company has asked ABB to supply “several thousand electric vehicle chargers” over the next year. [Read more…] about ABB wins $5 million order for electric vehicle chargers from GAC Toyota