Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Mai Tao

Indian government to replace sewage workers with robots by 2020

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An Indian company called GenRobotics has developed a range of robots to undertake work down manholes and in sewage environments, and has been receiving orders from a number of states in its home country as well as many places abroad. 

GenRobotics was launched in relatively quiet circumstances in 2015, but then, last year, the prime minister of India, Narendra Modi, was in attendance at the launch of the company’s second-generation robots.

Malaysia and the UAE are among the outside nations from which orders have been received for GenRobotics machines, and they join Indian states such as Tamil Nadu, in the south, and Haryana, in the north of the massive country of more than 1 billion people. [Read more…] about Indian government to replace sewage workers with robots by 2020

Via’s on-demand mobility service ‘exceeding targets’ in Australia

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Via, a provider and developer of on-demand public mobility solutions, has released metrics for its new Cooee Busways transport system, launched in partnership with Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW) and Busways, an Australian transportation provider.

Despite only starting operations on May 27, Via says “residents are already flocking to the new service by the thousands, with ridership exceeding targets, and vehicle utilization well ahead of the project’s goals”.

Called Cooee Busways, the new on-demand shared transit network provides first- and last-mile connections for residents in The Ponds, Schofields and Kellyville Ridge, linking more residents with the new Sydney Metro public transportation hubs. [Read more…] about Via’s on-demand mobility service ‘exceeding targets’ in Australia

Apacer launches ‘first’ memory module to meet specific aviation standard

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Apacer, a manufacturer of industrial-grade memory, has released the XR-DIMM.

The company says the new rugged memory module is the first on the market to meet the standards of the US RTCA DO-160G test, an aviation equipment certification that marks the XR-DIMM as resistant to high levels of vibration and therefore “ideal for defense and aeronautical applications”.

Since 2018, Apacer has been manufacturing DDR4 XR-DIMM modules with rugged stability in mind. [Read more…] about Apacer launches ‘first’ memory module to meet specific aviation standard

Dos and Don’ts of Robotic Process Automation in Your Business Enterprise

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Enterprises often have incompatible legacy applications that have to be manually interfaced. This involves repetitive processes that reduce the productivity of their employees.

Major replacement of these legacy apps is undesirable due to the costs and the time required for the overhaul. This is where Robotic Process Automation (RPA) fits perfectly.

According to Gartner, RPA revenue for the year 2018 reached $846 million in 2018, up by 63 percent from the previous year. In 2019, this number is expected to reach $1.3 billion. [Read more…] about Dos and Don’ts of Robotic Process Automation in Your Business Enterprise

Komatsu supplies 41 giant autonomous haulage trucks to BHP

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Komatsu has supplied 41 giant autonomous haulage trucks to mining behemoth BHP. 

The vehicles are the “new model” Komatsu 930E-5 ultra-class haul trucks, made “autonomous-ready”, and will be operated at BHP’s new South Flank iron ore mine in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, from next month.

Sean Taylor, Komatsu Australia’s CEO and managing director, says: “People-powered technology is our central philosophy at Komatsu, and it’s this people-first approach to technology that we feel we share with BHP.” [Read more…] about Komatsu supplies 41 giant autonomous haulage trucks to BHP

Hyundai unveils wearable exoskeleton as part of a range of robotics developments

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Hyundai Motor Group is developing a range of robotics technologies which the company says it will roll out over the next year or two. 

Hyundai has developed a new “Vest EXoskeleton” (VEX), a wearable robot created to assist industrial workers who spend long hours working in overhead environments.

The VEX enhances productivity and reduces fatigue of industrial workers by imitating the movement of human joints to boost load support and mobility. [Read more…] about Hyundai unveils wearable exoskeleton as part of a range of robotics developments

Toyota to showcase electric and autonomous vehicles at Olympics

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Toyota is planning to showcase its full range of electric and autonomous vehicles at the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo next year.

The automotive giant says 90 per cent of the 3,700 vehicles it will supply to the Olympics will be electrified, and its newly built autonomous shuttles will also be made available.

Toyota is a worldwide partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and is planning to provide “unique versions” of certain vehicles as well as vehicles developed specifically to support the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020. [Read more…] about Toyota to showcase electric and autonomous vehicles at Olympics

Ground launches robotic picking solution

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Warehouse automation company Ground Inc has launched a robotic picking solution.

Called “SuperPick”, the company has been demonstrating the system at its research and development centre in Japan.

Ground says “SuperPick” is a combination of the latest vision technology and algorithm originally developed by Soft Robotics, and the material of the part that picks up the object called “hand” that has been patented. [Read more…] about Ground launches robotic picking solution

Researchers develop robot fingertips for grasping and releasing objects in dry and wet conditions

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A team of researchers at Kanazawa University has developed a robot control system – or fingertips – for grasping and releasing objects in dry and wet conditions.

The researchers say that the study was able to verify that “object grasping by soft surface fluid fingertips with high friction was controllable by applying a suitable lubricant”.

However, they added that it was necessary to do more experiments under various conditions in order to apply the current controlling technology to manufacturing environments. [Read more…] about Researchers develop robot fingertips for grasping and releasing objects in dry and wet conditions

Techman Robot unveils new ‘all-in-one’ palletizing solution

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Techman Robot has unveiled a new “all-in-one” palletizing solution.

The company launched the new product at an appearance at the Taipei International Industrial Automation Exhibition.

This year, in addition to the built-in TM vision system of its human and robot collaborative robot, Techman Robot released an all-in-one application-based solution, the TM Palletizing Operator.

It is an integrated intelligent palletizing solution that reduces programming effort. [Read more…] about Techman Robot unveils new ‘all-in-one’ palletizing solution