Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Sam Francis

Your next nurse could be a robot, say scientists who trained one

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operating room

Robots can successfully imitate human motions in the operating room, claim scientists

The nursing assistant for your next trip to the hospital might be a robot. This is the implication of research recently published by Dr Elena De Momi and colleagues in the open access journal Frontiers in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence.

Dr De Momi, of the Politecnico di Milano, in Italy, led an international team that trained a robot to imitate natural human actions. De Momi’s work indicates that humans and robots can effectively coordinate their actions during high-stakes events such as surgeries.

Over time this should lead to improvements in safety during surgeries because unlike their human counterparts robots do not tire and can complete an endless series of precise movements. The goal is not to remove human expertise from the operating room, but to complement it with a robot’s particular skills and benefits.  [Read more…] about Your next nurse could be a robot, say scientists who trained one

Advanced driver assistance systems trump driverless cars by stealth

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While everyone seems fascinated by driverless cars brought to us via Silicon Valley, established suppliers of advanced driver assistance systems are quietly doing a roaring trade 

The automotive industry is going through some fundamental changes, mostly because of computer technology. 

The changes include higher levels of computer processing, fully driverless vehicles, greater levels of autonomy, internet connectivity, and the switch from petrol-powered combustion engines to electric.

It’s probably inevitable that the combustion engine will be gone from most mass-manufactured cars within a couple of decades, and will eventually only be seen in antique cars and supercars, although even some supercars are going electric.

Which means the road-going vehicle of the near-future will essentially be computers with wheels, connected to the cloud, and largely autonomous – or, in other words, a robot. In fact, this is what is already happening because of advanced driver assistance systems, or ADAS.  [Read more…] about Advanced driver assistance systems trump driverless cars by stealth

Industrial internet: 42Q launches new protocol capability for factory automation

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42Q, a provider of cloud manufacturing execution systems (MES), has introduced Semiconductor Equipment Communications Standard, Generic Equipment Model (SECS/GEM) protocol capability.

SECS/GEM is an industry standard factory equipment interface protocol for equipment-to-host data communications.

In securing SECS/GEM capability, 42Q says it greatly simplifies the implementation of factory automation, machine to machine (M2M) communication, real time in process data collection and data analytics, all key elements of Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).

Several factories using 42Q have already deployed this new protocol in their operations, sasy the company.  [Read more…] about Industrial internet: 42Q launches new protocol capability for factory automation

Additive manufacturing ‘revolutionising’ shipbuilding, says OR Laser

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container-ships

There’s a revolution brewing in the production of sliding bearings, according to OR Lasertechnologie

German industrial technology company OR Lasertechnologie says it’s only necessary to apply a layer of metal a few millimeters thick using the powder nozzle to reliably, cost-effectively, and easily protect the large shaft bearings used in ships from wear and tear. 

This represents something of a revolution in the shipbuilding industry, according to the company.

OR Laser says it develops and builds robot-assisted laser systems for direct metal deposition – which is similar to additive manufacturing – that take the production and repair of sliding bearings to an “innovative new level”.  [Read more…] about Additive manufacturing ‘revolutionising’ shipbuilding, says OR Laser

Apple’s Liam robot helping drive innovation and eco-friendly technology

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With the development of innovative tech devices continuing at a rapid pace, global electronic waste is set to create a major problem. In research featured by Ecowatch, it revealed that e-waste is predicted to reach 65 million tons by 2017. 



One of the major contributors of e-waste is the disposal of mobile devices, particularly smartphones that get replaced quickly as mobile manufacturers continue to introduce better models annually.

However, Apple plans to change the game by producing top of the line smartphones while offering a reliable recycling robot to quickly deconstruct iPhones and saves its components. 

Introduced earlier this year, Liam is made up of 29-armed robotic modules that focuses on taking apart an iPhone in seconds.  [Read more…] about Apple’s Liam robot helping drive innovation and eco-friendly technology

Open Source Robotics Foundation teams up with Toyota Research Institute for software research

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toyota-car-tech

Tools for robotics and autonomous vehicles central to the two organisations

The Open Source Robotics Foundation and the Toyota Research Institute are to work together on developing new robotics and automation technologies. 

In addition, TRI has made a charitable contribution of $1 million to OSRF to support the organization’s goals to develop and promote the growth of the open source robotics community and to support the development of the Robot Operating System (ROS) and Gazebo.

 

Gill Pratt, TRI CEO, says: “I’ve witnessed first-hand the value of the Open Source Robotics Foundation. Of the 23 teams that competed in the Darpa Robotics Challenge 18 used ROS and 14 used Gazebo.

“Through this charitable contribution, TRI will support efforts to grow the capabilities of ROS and Gazebo, not only for TRI, but also for the hundreds of thousands of members of the open source robotics community.”  [Read more…] about Open Source Robotics Foundation teams up with Toyota Research Institute for software research

Servosila launches robotic arm for mobile market

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Servosila, a robotics technology company, has launched a new line of robotic arm manipulators specifically targeted at mobile robotics market.

Gary Silver, chief marketing officer for Servosila, says: “Servosila robotic arms are the first manipulators specifically designed for mobile robots. It is very easy to retrofit any existing robotic chassis or a torso with a Servosila robotic arm.”

Servosila robotic arms are attachable payload modules for mobile service robots or other robotic platforms. Servosila robotic arms are typically mounted on a chassis or a torso of a mobile robot and be powered by an on-board power supply system of the host robotic platform.  [Read more…] about Servosila launches robotic arm for mobile market

University receives $1 million grant to improve collaborative robotics

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The envisioned intelligent material delivery system: a robot will sense when skilled workers need materials, and deliver them in advance. This will help reduce worker frustration, stress, and talent loss, and save approximately $1.7 million dollars an hour by reducing work stoppage problems, according to UC San Diego.

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have been given $1 million to research how to improve the way robots interact with people in US factories

Laurel Riek, a roboticist at the UC San Diego, will lead a three-year, $1 million project funded by the National Science Foundation to help change the role of robots in factories and make it easier for machines to work alongside people.

The goal of the project is to design an intelligent material delivery system, which supports and closely integrates with skilled workers in factories.

The researchers will investigate innovative, multi-disciplinary approaches to dramatically advance the state of the art in smart manufacturing and human-centered robotics.  [Read more…] about University receives $1 million grant to improve collaborative robotics

Startup claims launch of ‘world’s first robot to sew complete garment’

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Sewbo says its development is a major breakthrough in clothing manufacturing 

A startup company in America is claiming to have developed a robotic system which can make complete garments. 

The simple combination of a robot and a sewing machine has resulted in what the owner, Jonathan Zornow, says is “the world’s first robotically-sewn garment”.

Zornow says: “Many people are surprised to learn that this is the very first time that a robot has sewn a piece of clothing.

“Despite decades and millions of dollars worth of industrial research, the big hurdle has been that robots can’t reliably handle fabrics.”  [Read more…] about Startup claims launch of ‘world’s first robot to sew complete garment’