Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Sam Francis

Humanoid robot market to grow to $4 billion in five years

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The market for humanoid robots is forecast to grow to $4 billion in about five years, according to a new report by ReportsnReports. 

The researcher values the current market at approximately $320 million in 2017. So that would mean annual growth of more than 50 per cent.

Humanoids include such robots as Pepper and Nao, which are owned by SoftBank Robotics, as well as Emiew, produced by Hitachi, and Honda’s famous Asimo, although that one is more of an exhibition robot.

The others, like Nao and Pepper, for example, are already finding many buyers. SoftBank says it has sold 10,000 units of Nao, and it releases batches of 1,000 at a time of the Pepper robot, and it sells out online within minutes.  [Read more…] about Humanoid robot market to grow to $4 billion in five years

Yaskawa to increase production capacity by 25 per cent in China

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Overactive Chinese manufacturers of smartphones and computers have driven Yaskawa to the point of increasing production capacity by 25 per cent. 

Yaskawa says it will increase its monthly output from its current 1,200 units per month to 1,500 units per month to meet frenetically increasing demand from Chinese electronics manufacturers, according to a report on Nikkei.

The increase in capacity will be achieved at Yaskawa’s plant in Jiangsu Province, which is set for expansion towards the end of next year.  [Read more…] about Yaskawa to increase production capacity by 25 per cent in China

Rethink Robotics launches new software for Sawyer industrial robot

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Company says Sawyer will now be able to produce real-time robot performance and manufacturing data

Rethink Robotics has released Intera 5.2, an expansion of its “first-of-its-kind” Intera software platform which provides critical data insights about its Sawyer industrial robot to manufacturers in real time. 

Rethink Robotics’ Sawyer gives operators and line managers valuable data at a glance, including metrics such as cycle time, part count, speed and force – data that has never before been available through a single collaborative robot vendor.

The new feature, Intera Insights, displays key performance indicators via a customizable dashboard on the robot’s on-board display, making it accessible directly on the factory floor.  [Read more…] about Rethink Robotics launches new software for Sawyer industrial robot

Tesla buys Perbix industrial automation company

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Electric car maker Tesla has acquired Perbix, a provider of industrial automation solutions, including robots. 

Tesla has been working with engineering company Perbix for some time, and lately has faced increased pressure in its manufacturing process.

The company says it has faced manufacturing “bottlenecks” as it attempts to meet the high demand for its new Model 3 electric car.  [Read more…] about Tesla buys Perbix industrial automation company

Game of Drones: An epic infographic by RS Components

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Drones are set to become a multi-billion dollar industry over the next few years, and with the likes of Amazon, Walmart and Google all developing UAV technology it seems the fight for the ‘drone crown’ is fully under way.

But what industries are already embracing drones and what stand out devices are they developing?

This infographic, produced by RS Components, provides a bird’s eye view of the drones sector.  [Read more…] about Game of Drones: An epic infographic by RS Components

Saw blade manufacturer Alesa develops its own grinding machine with servo motors from Kollmorgen

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By Martin Rupf, of Kollmorgen

Saw blade manufacturer Alesa has developed its own grinding machine with Washdown servo motors from Kollmorgen with single-cable connection technology. 

Among their other applications the finely ground circular saw blades are used in metal processing centers.

Sintered tools have a reputation in metal processing for being particularly hard-wearing and for maintaining their sharpness over a long period.  [Read more…] about Saw blade manufacturer Alesa develops its own grinding machine with servo motors from Kollmorgen

Fanuc limits sales as it struggles to deal with too many orders

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Fanuc is struggling to cope with the number of orders it is receiving so it is placing some limits on sales, according to a report on Nikkei. 

The world’s largest robot maker is benefitting from the rapid growth in demand for robotics in automation systems worldwide, especially in China.

As a group, Fanuc is expecting profits to increase by 37 per cent in the current fiscal year, rising to $1.83 billion.  [Read more…] about Fanuc limits sales as it struggles to deal with too many orders

From primitive tools to global power: Denso celebrates three milestone product anniversaries

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Denso started out as a division of Toyota, which is the world’s largest automotive manufacturer, according to some statistics.

By revenue, Toyota is actually the fifth-largest company in the world, ahead of competitors such as Volkswagen, Daimler, and General Motors.

Interestingly, Toyota also generated more revenue than Apple in 2016.  [Read more…] about From primitive tools to global power: Denso celebrates three milestone product anniversaries

Berkeley spin-off Embodied Intelligence raises $7 million to build ‘teachable’ robots

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Leading researchers in artificial intelligence, deep learning, and reinforcement learning from OpenAI and UC Berkeley assemble to launch an ambitious new project

Embodied Intelligence, a startup established by AI researchers from the University of California Berkeley, and their partners at OpenAI, has raised $7 million in seed funding. 

The company says it is “striving to democratize robotics” by enabling anyone to teach a robot new skills.

The funding round was led by Amplify Partners with participation from Lux Capital, SV Angels, FreeS, 11.2 Capital and A.Capital.  [Read more…] about Berkeley spin-off Embodied Intelligence raises $7 million to build ‘teachable’ robots

Yamaha to develop remote management systems for industrial robots

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Yamaha is bringing together different parts of its global business in an effort to develop remote management system packages for industrial robots.  

Yamaha Motor and Yamaha Corporation say they have utilized the technology and experience of both to develop the packages, which are scheduled to be released in fiscal 2018.

This alliance enables Yamaha Motor to make what it describes as a “full-scale entry” into the IoT business in the factory automation field, say the companies.  [Read more…] about Yamaha to develop remote management systems for industrial robots

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