Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

Sam Francis

New Scale Robotics launches its newest gripper for Universal Robots e-Series

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New Scale Robotics has launched its newest gripper for the Universal Robots e-Series collaborative robot.

The company says its new technology “harnesses UR’s new high-speed communications interface to increase measurement precision and control multiple grippers on one robot”.

New Scale Robotics describes the new peripheral as “a precision electric parallel gripper for Universal Robots e Series cobots”. [Read more…] about New Scale Robotics launches its newest gripper for Universal Robots e-Series

Sensor giant SICK partners with MassRobotics

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SICK, a leading manufacturer of sensor solutions for industrial applications, is partnering with MassRobotics.

With this partnership, local and global robotics startups and corporations will have better access to innovative sensor and safety solutions from SICK.

MassRobotics is a nonprofit organization located in Boston, Mass. After seeing the massive growth in the robotics and automation industry, MassRobotics was created to provide an innovation hub and startup cluster focused on the needs of the robotics community. [Read more…] about Sensor giant SICK partners with MassRobotics

Markforged 3D printers featured in BattleBots World Championship

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Markforged, a provider of metal and carbon fiber 3D printers, says that four of its 3D printers were featured on BattleBots, a television series which premiered on June 7th on the Discovery Channel and June 12th on the Science Channel.

As the only 3D printer company hosted by BattleBots during filming, Markforged produced more than 160 parts for 29 teams onsite – all within the two weeks of filming.

The printers allowed the teams to rapidly repair damaged robots, improve their performance during battles, and optimize their design against competitors in real time. [Read more…] about Markforged 3D printers featured in BattleBots World Championship

Hydrogen fuel cell company Plug Power acquires EnergyOr

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Plug Power, a provider of hydrogen engines and fueling solutions enabling e-mobility, has acquired EnergyOr. 

The transaction involves technology, assets, and personnel, but the financial terms have not been disclosed.

EnergyOr is based in Montreal, Canada, and is the leader in advanced lightweight and compact PEM (proton-exchange membrane) hydrogen fuel cell (HFC) systems for robotics, small scale material handling and aerospace applications. [Read more…] about Hydrogen fuel cell company Plug Power acquires EnergyOr

Kassow Robots prepares to enter North American market

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Kassow Robots, a startup company from Denmark which makes collaborative robots, is preparing to enter the North American market.

Kassow’s robots will be showcased for the first time in North America at the booth that the company’s new partner, Gibson Engineering, will set up at the expo ATX East in New York.

Kassow Robots has been expanding its partner network throughout Europe since it entered the market in June 2018 – the company has already found partners in countries that extend from Portugal to Bulgaria and from Denmark to Spain as well as in central Europe. [Read more…] about Kassow Robots prepares to enter North American market

Kuka wins five prestigious design awards

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Kuka has won some notable awards at iF, one of the world’s most prestigious design awards events. 

The company also won at the German Design Awards.

Kuka celebrated the success by announcing its line-up of products is “convincing from start to finish”.

The Kuka LBR iisy, which is a small industrial collaborative robotic arm, and the Kuka KMP 1500, an autonomous mobile robot, both received the renowned iF Design Award 2019. [Read more…] about Kuka wins five prestigious design awards

B&R brings safety to delta robot kinematics

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B&R now offers SafeRobotics functions for tripods to safely monitor all types of delta kinematic systems – or delta robots.

The company says serial axes can also be included in the calculations, for example when tripods are mounted on moving platforms.

Safe robot monitoring is implemented using the safety functions Safely Limited Position, Safely Limited Orientation, Safely Limited Joint Position and Safely Limited Speed. [Read more…] about B&R brings safety to delta robot kinematics

Massive data centre: BMW launches ‘high-performance’ platform for development of autonomous driving systems

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BMW says its launch of the High Performance D3 platform represents ‘a key milestone’ on the automaker’s roadmap to highly and fully automated driving

It was back in 2000 when the BMW Group first started to conduct research into its vision of a car that people could drive themselves – but didn’t have to.

Six years later, in 2006, a BMW was following the racing line around the Hockenheim circuit without human assistance for the first time.

Since 2011, highly automated test vehicles from the BMW have been driving on the A9 motorway between Munich and Nuremberg. And as part of the CES in 2014, the BMW gave a demonstration of highly automated driving at the limits of performance on the Las Vegas Speedway. [Read more…] about Massive data centre: BMW launches ‘high-performance’ platform for development of autonomous driving systems

Webinar: Safety Standards Update – Collaborative and Autonomous Mobile Robots

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Robotics and Automation News is hosting a webinar about collaborative robot safety presented by SICK, on June 24th, at 11 am EST.

SICK is one of the leading providers of sensors for robots. The company’s sensors are in the majority of the new generation of robots in the market today.

In this webinar, Mark Nehrkorn, SICK’s director of safety, will present an update in the safety standards in the field of collaborative and autonomous mobile robots. [Read more…] about Webinar: Safety Standards Update – Collaborative and Autonomous Mobile Robots

NASA selects first three companies for commercial moon landing technologies

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Three companies awarded total of $250 million to develop lunar technology

NASA has selected three commercial Moon landing service providers that will deliver science and technology payloads under Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) as part of the Artemis program.

Each commercial lander will carry NASA-provided payloads that will conduct science investigations and demonstrate advanced technologies on the lunar surface, paving the way for NASA astronauts to land on the lunar surface by 2024.

Jim Bridenstine, NASA administrator, says: “Our selection of these US commercial landing service providers represents America’s return to the Moon’s surface for the first time in decades, and it’s a huge step forward for our Artemis lunar exploration plans. [Read more…] about NASA selects first three companies for commercial moon landing technologies