Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Mai Tao

Rethink Robotics’ Sawyer signs deal with Korean company TPC Mechatronics

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Rethink Robotics has reached a deal with a South Korean pneumatic equipment manufacturer and distributor. 

TPC Mechatronics will utilise Sawyer collaborative robots from Rethink Robotics in its own facility, as well as the facilities of its customers, in “an effort to move the entire industry toward smarter factories”, according to the companies.

The exclusive distribution partner of Rethink Robotics in Korea, TPC Mechatronics’ core customer base consists of a wide range of industrial manufacturers.  [Read more…] about Rethink Robotics’ Sawyer signs deal with Korean company TPC Mechatronics

Omron to showcase 16,000 factory automation products

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One of the world’s leading robotics and automation systems manufacturers, Omron, says it will introduce a total of 15,583 models in seven categories in its second wave of factory automation control devices built on a common design platform for unified product specifications.

Omron says it has been continuing to work for the innovation of making control panels which house and control factory automation devices on the production front line.

The company unified the design and size of factory automation devices, and introduced products in April 2016 which are built with the company’s proprietary wiring technology “Push-In Plus Terminal Block” for device and control panel makers in need of “downsizing and space-saving” of factory automation devices and control panels, “expedited delivery”, and “response to globalization”.  [Read more…] about Omron to showcase 16,000 factory automation products

Chinese whispers: The most populous nation on Earth wants to replace millions of human workers with industrial robots it plans to manufacture

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Towards the end of last year, the nominally communist Chinese government announced that it wants China to become the world’s largest producer of industrial robots. 

In comments made in the past few months, China’s President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang have clearly stated their intention to embrace robots and the new industrial revolution brought about by internet connectivity and artificial intelligence.

In a speech to the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Jinping called for a “robot revolution”, saying: “Our country will be the biggest market for robots, but can our technology and manufacturing capacity cope with the competition? Not only do we need to upgrade our robots, we also need to capture markets in many places.”

And speaking at the China Association for Science and Technology conference in Beijing, Keqiang said the conference will “spur the the growth of the emerging robot industry and create the world’s largest robot market”.  [Read more…] about Chinese whispers: The most populous nation on Earth wants to replace millions of human workers with industrial robots it plans to manufacture

nuTonomy and Grab partner to expand public trials of self-driving cars

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Uber rival Grab signs deal with driverless car developer nuTonomy

nuTonomy, a developer of software for self-driving cars, and Grab, which claims to be Southeast Asia’s leading ride-hailing app, have entered a partnership to expand nuTonomy’s ongoing public trial of self-driving cars in Singapore, believed to be the first such public trial anywhere in the world.

The trial will give select Grab users a chance to experience the full end-to-end experience of e-hailing and riding in a nuTonomy self-driving vehicle.

Combining nuTonomy’s autonomous vehicle software and technology system with Grab’s fleet routing technology and mapping in its app will enable both companies to study the end-to-end user experience of on-demand hailing of driverless vehicles.  [Read more…] about nuTonomy and Grab partner to expand public trials of self-driving cars

Startup company Sea Machines developing self-driving technology for which can be added to traditional boats

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Boston-based startup Sea Machines is developing autonomous technologies that will enable traditional boats to become self-driving vessels. 

The company says its development heralds a smarter, safer and more efficient era of marine operations brought forward through self-aware and self-driving boats and ships.

With autonomy readily making its way into many traditional land-based and airborne sectors, the massive marine domain is even better suited for autonomous systems with fewer barriers to entry, a high risk operating environment, and an accommodating regulatory space.

More than 20 million vessels are plying the world’s waters including 15 million recreational boats and 100,000 cargo ships; Sea Machines foresees autonomy disrupting this largely manual sector and rapidly developing into a $60 billion space.  [Read more…] about Startup company Sea Machines developing self-driving technology for which can be added to traditional boats

Universal Robots now certified for applications in cleanroom environments

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Universal Robots’ lightweight collaborative robot arms can now be implemented in controlled environments, says the company

Universal Robots says it collaborative robots have been awarded a certification which officially allows them to be used in cleanroom applications. 

After successful tests in accordance with VDI 2083 Part 9.1, the international industrial guideline concerning the various functions and measures of cleanroom technologies, the robot arms and the accompanying controller boxes made by the Danish pioneer in human-robot collaboration have been awarded the certification for cleanroom applications by the international certification organization TÜV SÜD.

In compliance with the industrial norm ISO 14644-1, the company’s robots UR3, UR5 and UR10 are now authorized for the global use in cleanroom environments of the cleanroom class ISO 5.  [Read more…] about Universal Robots now certified for applications in cleanroom environments

Caterpillar, GE and Microsoft invest in Sarcos Robotics exoskeleton

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Sarcos Robotics says its Guardian exoskeleton (pictured) will be capable of lifting hundreds of pounds when it is commercially available

Sarcos Robotics, a developer of dexterous industrial robots for use in unstructured environments, has secured $10.5 million in funding from a group of top-tier strategic investors including Caterpillar Ventures, GE Ventures, and Microsoft.

Additionally, Cottonwood Technology Fund and two other private investment firms, together with the company’s three co-founders, Ben Wolff, Dr Fraser Smith and Dr Marc Olivier, invested in the financing round.

The company says the infusion of capital will be used to expand the Sarcos team and to accelerate the production and deployment of Sarcos’ Guardian line of robots that are significantly reducing the risk of injury and the cost of performing many of the world’s most dangerous and difficult tasks.  [Read more…] about Caterpillar, GE and Microsoft invest in Sarcos Robotics exoskeleton

US government officials criticized for ‘inappropriate’ relationship with autonomous car developer Google

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Consumer Watchdog has called on US President Barack Obama to hold expected autonomous vehicle policies and stop the administration’s undue haste to get autonomous vehicle technology on the road after newly released documents showed “an inappropriate and possibly unethical relationship between Google and key members of your administration involved in developing autonomous vehicle policy”. 

In a letter to Obama, John Simpson, Consumer Watchdog’s privacy project director, writes: “The new revelations make it even more imperative that any such NHTSA policy statements be delayed until adequate Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards covering autonomous technologies are implemented through a public rule-making process.”  [Read more…] about US government officials criticized for ‘inappropriate’ relationship with autonomous car developer Google

Renishaw to present latest in advanced manufacturing technology at IMTS

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Renishaw, one of the world’s leading engineering and scientific technology companies, will present the latest thinking and developments in metal additive manufacturing at the 2016 Additive Manufacturing Conference (AMC), September 13-14, at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois. 

Marc Saunders, director of Renishaw’s global solutions centres, will deliver a talk on industrialising additive manufacturing at 11am, on Wednesday 14th September, Room W375B.

Marc will explore the chains of linked processes and tools that are required to create an integrated manufacturing process with AM at its heart, and the controls that must be employed to make AM a mainstream manufacturing process.

This year’s AMC is co-located with the International Manufacturing Technology Show (ITMS), where Renishaw will be exhibiting its additive manufacturing systems and metrology products on Booth E-5509.  [Read more…] about Renishaw to present latest in advanced manufacturing technology at IMTS

Taiwan to showcase new Industry 4.0 projects at IMTS 2016

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Chicago, USA. Picture credit: Pixabay.com

Leaders of Taiwan’s machine tool industry will unveil a series of smart manufacturing initiatives for applications ranging from aircraft part machining to automotive component production at a press conference at the 2016 International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) at Chicago’s McCormick Place.

More than 110 Taiwanese companies will also be exhibiting at the show from September 12-17, including 19 in the Taiwan Pavilion, reflecting the country’s status as the world’s fifth largest exporter of machine tools and components.

The presentation, New Initiatives in the Taiwan Machine Tool Industry, will take plat at
1.30 to 3pm local time, Wednesday, September 14, at the South Building, Level 4, Conference Room S402-A.  [Read more…] about Taiwan to showcase new Industry 4.0 projects at IMTS 2016