Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

Mark Allinson

Construction robotics startup Canvas launches drywall finishing robot

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Construction robotics startup Canvas has unveiled a drywall finishing robot. 

The company also launched its Innovation Partner Program, a collaborative partnership with six industry-leading contractors that share the company’s vision to “build in bold new ways by putting better tools in the hands of skilled workers”.

Drywall finishing tools have remained unchanged for the better part of a century. With Canvas’s new worker-controlled robotic machine, contractors are able to make drywall finishing safer and more attractive to a shrinking pool of skilled labor, while realizing unmatched metrics for schedule, cost, quality and safety. [Read more…] about Construction robotics startup Canvas launches drywall finishing robot

Doosan showcases collaborative robot for camera work

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Doosan Robotics, a manufacturer of collaborative robots, has showcased a new robot designed for camera work in television studios. (See video below.)

The company demonstrated the system – which it has called NINA, short for “New Inspiration, New Angle” – at the recent Consumer Electronics Show.

NINA is Doosan’s first entry into the entertainment industry marketplace and its first public appearance of the CES 2022 Innovation Award winning product prior to its global launch in 2022. [Read more…] about Doosan showcases collaborative robot for camera work

Kuka wins order for 700 robots from Ford Otosan

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Industrial robotics and automation specialist Kuka has won an order from Ford Otosan in Turkey for the delivery and installation of a very large number of robots.

The two companies have signed a new framework contract for supplying more than 700 robots for Ford’s next generation electrical and connected commercial vehicle projects in Ford’s plants in Kocaeli, in the north-east of Turkey, just south of Istanbul.

Kuka says the contract marks a continuation of the companies’ partnership which has been in place for more than 20 years. [Read more…] about Kuka wins order for 700 robots from Ford Otosan

Amazon boss Bezos’s Blue Origin to buy asteroid mining company Honeybee Robotics

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Amazon owner Jeff Bezos’s aerospace company Blue Origin is to acquire a robotic asteroid mining startup called Honeybee Robotics.

Honeybee Robotics has operations in Longmont, Colorado and Altadena, California, and will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Blue Origin, headquartered in Kent, Washington.

The deal between Honeybee’s parent organization, Ensign-Bickford Industries, and Blue Origin is expected to close in mid-February. [Read more…] about Amazon boss Bezos’s Blue Origin to buy asteroid mining company Honeybee Robotics

Continental developing charging robots for electric vehicles with Volterio

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Automotive technology giant Continental says it is “revolutionizing the charging of electric vehicles”.

Working with startup Volterio, Continental’s development and production service provider Continental Engineering Services is developing a fully automatic intelligent charging robot that will make filling up with electricity “much easier and more convenient” in the future.

CES and Volterio have now officially entered into a partnership that will see the latter develop the first near-production systems for the jointly designed charging robot by mid-2022. [Read more…] about Continental developing charging robots for electric vehicles with Volterio

DHL to invest $15 million on Boston Dynamics robots for supply chain operations

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DHL Supply Chain, the global and North American contract logistics business unit within Deutsche Post DHL Group, is making a $15 million investment in robotics solutions from Boston Dynamics.

Boston dynamics is famous for making scary humanoid and canine robots but it has also become one of the leading developers of mobile robotics, and the robots it will supply DHL – which include an autonomous mobile robot with arm called “Stretch” (main picture) – will “further automate warehousing in North America”.

The companies have signed a multi-year agreement that begins with equipping DHL facilities with Stretch, Boston Dynamics’ newest robot specifically designed to automate the unloading process in distribution centers. [Read more…] about DHL to invest $15 million on Boston Dynamics robots for supply chain operations

Starship Technologies agrees €50 million funding from European Investment Bank

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Starship Technologies, a maker of autonomous delivery robots, has agreed on a €50 million quasi-equity facility agreement with the European Investment Bank.

The lending arm of the European Union and one of the largest providers of climate finance, the EIB supports projects that promote the priorities and objectives of the EU.

This financing, which is supported by the European Fund for Strategic Investments, has been facilitated via a venture loan, and will be used for research and development, including the building of thousands more robots at Starship’s engineering and innovation facility in Tallinn. [Read more…] about Starship Technologies agrees €50 million funding from European Investment Bank

Schaeffler acquires precision gearbox maker Melior Motion 

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Schaeffler, a billion-dollar German company which supplies bearings and other components to the automotive and aerospace industries, has signed an agreement to acquire all of the shares of Melior Motion.

The acquisition of this supplier of precision gearboxes for robotics and other applications in automation expands the robotics portfolio of the Schaeffler Group’s industrial division.

As automation of simple, repetitive tasks as well as complex mounting and manufacturing processes is progressing rapidly, Schaeffler’s industrial division is expanding its position as a supplier for robotics components and systems. [Read more…] about Schaeffler acquires precision gearbox maker Melior Motion 

Vecna Robotics raises $65 million in Series C funding

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Vecna Robotics, a provider of robotic material handling automation, has raised $65 million in its Series C funding round led by Tiger Global Management, along with additional funding from new investors Lineage Logistics, Proficio Capital Partners, and Impulse.

The new financing will help fund the company’s technology roadmap with new autonomous mobile robots (AMR) and software, and will accelerate fulfillment of new orders and expanded operations to address the $165 billion market opportunity for pallet-moving autonomy.

Craig Malloy, CEO of Vecna Robotics, says: “There is huge headroom for growth in automated material handling with over 5 billion pallets in the world being moved by more than 5 million forklifts and nearly 5 million manual operators. [Read more…] about Vecna Robotics raises $65 million in Series C funding

Wandelbots raises $84 million in Series C funding round

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Wandelbots, a developer of software for industrial robots, has raised more than $84 million in a Series C financing round.

The round was led by New York-based global private equity and venture capital firm Insight Partners, with participation from existing investors 83North, Microsoft, Next47, Paua, Atlantic Labs and EQT.

Wandelbots’ no-code approach brings automation to the next level by enabling application experts to teach their robots independently and become robot experts without the need for coding skills. [Read more…] about Wandelbots raises $84 million in Series C funding round

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