Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Sam Francis

ATI to showcase wide range of new products and solutions at Automate 2017

by

ATI_QC-46_Robotic_Tool_Changer

The 2017 Automate Show and Conference takes place at Chicago’s McCormick Place April 3-6, and is a biennial event boasting the largest showcase of solutions-based automation technologies in North America.

Companies from around the globe will represent a wide variety of industries ranging from automotive manufacturing to telecommunications.

Whether you are researching automation technology, seeking to grow your customer base, or exploring new automation solutions, Automate 2017 makes it possible.

One of the companies which plans to make a big show at the Automate Show this year is ATI.  [Read more…] about ATI to showcase wide range of new products and solutions at Automate 2017

Volkswagen launches its first autonomous and electric concept car

by

Volkswagen’s new concept autonomous and electric car, Sedric
Volkswagen’s new concept autonomous and electric car, Sedric

Volkswagen has unveiled what it says is its first autonomous concept car, describing it as a “comfortable lounge on wheels”. 

The company claims to be the first automobile manufacturer to present an integrated mobility concept for mobility of the future in road traffic, including a concept car developed from scratch for autonomous driving.

Volkswagen says “Sedric”, the name of the new self-driving car, provides an insight into the future of individual mobility that can be used by everyone, but which can be geared to personal needs.

Volkswagen says Sedric highlights the major importance of fully automated driving in the future strategy of the company.  [Read more…] about Volkswagen launches its first autonomous and electric concept car

This time, it’s rocket science: Harmonic Drive gears used in space rover project

by

Space rover
Harmonic Drive’s strain wave gears are used on spacecraft

Graham Mackrell, managing director of precision gearing specialist Harmonic Drive UK, explains why its strain wave gears have been the top choice in space for over 40 years

Anything that goes into space is seen as the pinnacle of human creation. Astronauts are highly trained and are at the peak of physical fitness, space shuttles are crafted by large teams of expert engineers and all the technology used is so high-tech it’s as if it belongs to science fiction.

Many decades ago, the first Harmonic Drive gears were sent into space during the Apollo 15 mission. Even from the beginnings of the space race, the expectations for the technology used were high.

The equipment used in space had to be reliable, compact and lightweight and given the increasing demands on equipment in today’s space missions, it must also now be highly accurate with zero backlash and have high torque capacity.

When aerospace engineers were recently designing a new space rover, they looked to Harmonic Drive gears for reliability. Due to the obvious difficulties of performing repairs in space, a high mean time between equipment failures is a high priority. [Read more…] about This time, it’s rocket science: Harmonic Drive gears used in space rover project

Universal Robots delivers high double-digit growth again

by

Jürgen von Hollen, the new president of Universal Robots
Jürgen von Hollen, president of Universal Robots

Universal Robots has continued its rapid expansion worldwide with a growth rate of 62 per cent from 2015 to 2016.

The company that pioneered and commercialised collaborative robot technology continues to leverage its first mover advantage and market leadership position.

Cage-free, user-friendly collaborative robots of all sizes have now become the market driver within industrial robotics.

The 2016 annual result of Universal Robots is a testament to that market growth, with revenue reaching $98.4 million and delivering a profit of $13.7 million before tax.

President of Universal Robots, Jürgen von Hollen, considers net income to be satisfactory and expects revenue growth of 50 per cent or greater in 2017, which means that the company will stay on target to reach $148.6 million by the end of 2017. [Read more…] about Universal Robots delivers high double-digit growth again

Recharging the energy industry: Managing demand and constraint

by

city at night overview

Partners in industrial automation, Martyn Williams, managing director of industrial software expert, Copa-Data UK and Mark Hardy, CEO of Capula, reveal how new technologies, such as smart grids, big data and business intelligence enable a more efficient use of resources in the industry

Humans have always searched for ways to harness energy, whether it be to complete laborious tasks or just improve their livelihood.

Propelled by the discoveries and inventions of the industrial revolution, this thirst for innovation has led to humanity’s quest for more powerful, smarter and more efficient energy sources.

Recent years have seen a new wave of technology and opportunities hit the energy sector, several of which have been presented by the onset of big data and Internet of Things (IoT) technology.

Ensuring that supply meets the customers’ demand is a key responsibility of the energy industry, however, these smart technologies are changing the way the grid generates, manages, distributes and stores energy.  [Read more…] about Recharging the energy industry: Managing demand and constraint

Echord++ produces new video showcasing its robotics research and development facilities

by

The European Coordination Hub for Open Robotics Development has been showcasing its innovation facilities through a new video.

The organisation likes to be known as Echord++ and offers funding to develop robotics technology for real use-cases.

The new video provides an insight of the group’s robotics innovation facilities, their technical equipment, application domains and services.  [Read more…] about Echord++ produces new video showcasing its robotics research and development facilities

Robot ethics: Three things industry can learn from new robotic standards

by

Ethical robots

Graham Mackrell, managing director of robotic gearing specialist Harmonic Drive UK, explains the three things industry can take away from the new standard

The British Standards Institute recently released a new set of standards for the ethical design of robots and robotic devices.

The standards highlight the growing need for guidelines on robotic safety, contact with human beings, robotic deception, addiction and possible sexism or racism exhibited by self-learning artificial intelligence systems.

When science fiction writer Isaac Asimov wrote about the three laws of robotics in his book Runaround in 1942, little did he know they would one day become a reality for a world filled with robots.

From automated manufacturing plants, medical and pharmaceutical applications to military, agricultural and automotive systems, robots are everywhere in our modern world.  [Read more…] about Robot ethics: Three things industry can learn from new robotic standards

Transport secretary Elaine Chao needs to update DoT policy, says automation expert

by

Newly appointed US transport secretary Elaine Chao is being asked to go out and “do better” than the previous administration and “explain in plain language” her recipe for success.  

In particular, Chao is being asked to give the testing and regulation of autonomous cars a national framework rather than allow the technology to be introduced in a haphazard way, with each state making its own rules as it goes along.

This is the suggestion of many experts from the world of business and academia, including one particularly outspoken expert Timothy Carone, an associate teaching professor in the Department of IT, Analytics, and Operations in the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business.  [Read more…] about Transport secretary Elaine Chao needs to update DoT policy, says automation expert

Network Monitoring Software: How Does it Work?

by

softinventive network monitoring software for windows

When we speak of network monitoring, we mean the use of special tools that help the network administrator keep his or her eye on a corporate network.

In fact, the main task of these tools is to find the components in the network that function slowly or have completely stopped performing and send a notification about it to the person in charge.

Of course, network monitoring can be done manually. However, it’s nearly impossible to do this job properly without special tools called software network monitoring tools.  [Read more…] about Network Monitoring Software: How Does it Work?