Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Mai Tao

Japanese companies prepare to bring forward new generation of humanoid collaborative robots capable of a variety of industrial work

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There was a time when Japanese electronics companies were the Apples and Googles of the world, with everyone buying their products and talking about them in the media.

Many of those same formerly pre-eminent names today play second fiddle to the Silicon Valley tech giants.

But while they may not be discussed as much as they were in the past – and their products not as ubiquitous in the consumer market – Japanese companies still loom large in the industrial sector.  [Read more…] about Japanese companies prepare to bring forward new generation of humanoid collaborative robots capable of a variety of industrial work

ABB robot hatches 30 per cent more eggs for Singapore egg farm

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Growing demand for locally-farmed eggs prompted Seng Choon Farm, to turn to automation in an effort to increase its production capacity

In April this year, ABB installed and commissioned a robotic palletizing system at Seng Choon Farm’s 36 acre site in north-west Singapore, to support increased production output as well as the company’s future expansion plans.

Since then, the robotic palletizing system, that stacks heavy boxes and baskets of eggs onto pallets, has raised the farm’s productivity by 30 per cent.

Before the robotic system was installed, workers would manually stack the cartons and baskets of eggs onto the pallets, with a single worker lifting about 15 tons of eggs a day.  [Read more…] about ABB robot hatches 30 per cent more eggs for Singapore egg farm

General Electric deepening its interest in the software business

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General Electric claims it was the first company to have launched an industrial internet of things platform when it released Predix last year.

The company’s software business unit, GE Digital, has been generating revenues of more than $4 billion a year, and looks like it’s strongly influencing the future direction of the overall business.

Another of the big ideas at GE is the “Brilliant Factory” concept, which is essentially the digitalisation of anything and everything that can be digitised in a manufacturing or industrial process.  [Read more…] about General Electric deepening its interest in the software business

Sony returns to robotics market after 12 years away

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Japanese electronics giant Sony is returning to the robotics market after more than a decade away, according to a report on Nikkei. 

The company is reportedly planning to bring back together the team which produced Aibo (pictured below), the robotic pet dog for the home, which proved popular many years ago.

Sony was at one time the most talked-about electronics company in the world, the Apple of its day.  [Read more…] about Sony returns to robotics market after 12 years away

Toyota investing $400 million to manufacture hybrid powertrain in the US

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Toyota is to build hybrid powertrains at plants in the US for the first time.

The company claims it has “just upped the stakes” to remain the top manufacturer of hybrid vehicles worldwide.

Its investment in the US will total $373.8 million, spread across five US manufacturing plants.  [Read more…] about Toyota investing $400 million to manufacture hybrid powertrain in the US

Cyberdyne launches new version of its exoskeleton

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Cyberdyne has launched the latest version of its HAL exoskeleton.

HAL, short for hybrid assistive limb, has been mostly marketed to the health sector.

The new version, HAL Lumbar, is similar to previous versions in that it reads bio-electrical signals of the wearer.  [Read more…] about Cyberdyne launches new version of its exoskeleton

Taiwan launches its first satellite into space

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Taiwan has launched its first domestically designed satellite into space. The satellite will be used for Earth observation. 

The Danish National Space Institute supplied equipment for the satellite and DTU Space representative Professor John Leif Jørgensen says this enables it to have “a very high degree of precision and flexibility for satellite navigation”.

The satellite itself is named FormoSat-5 and is approximately 500 kg in weight.  [Read more…] about Taiwan launches its first satellite into space

Hitachi combines several business units to create $4 billion digital company

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Industrial giant Hitachi is best known for making electronics gadgets and heavy machinery. Its annual turnover is just under $17 billion and it employs 335,000 people worldwide. 

But the 107-year-old company is apparently taking a leaf out of its industrial rival General Electric’s book and creating a new digital business.

GE Digital is now one of the world’s top 10 software companies, and its industrial internet of things platform, Predix, has become ubiquitious.  [Read more…] about Hitachi combines several business units to create $4 billion digital company

Mitsubishi might invest $20 million in GreyOrange Robotics

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Mitsubishi Electric is reportedly planning to invest almost $20 million into GreyOrange Robotics.

GreyOrange is a startup company developing robotics and automation systems for the logistics industry, particularly warehouse automation systems integrating robots, and has been growing fast, according to a story on EconomicTimes.com.

The investment would lead to a valuation for GreyOrange of an amount between $300 million and $500 million.  [Read more…] about Mitsubishi might invest $20 million in GreyOrange Robotics

ABB doubling investment in China to see off challenge from Kuka and surpass Fanuc

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ABB has a significant lead in the industrial robotics and automation market in China, but it seems somewhat wary of Kuka. 

The company recently decided it would double its investment in its research and development facility in China, and effectively make it the company’s global R&D HQ.

ABB currently employs 17,000 people in 139 cities in China. Its robotics division, though huge by itself, is just one part of the Swiss multinational engineering company.

Speaking to Bloomberg, ABB CEO Ulrish Spiesshofer says: “ABB is ahead of Kuka globally, we are ahead of Kuka here in the market and our ambition is to stay so.”  [Read more…] about ABB doubling investment in China to see off challenge from Kuka and surpass Fanuc