Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Sam Francis

Smart travel for future cities: Integrating and connecting new tram lines

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Smart travel for future cities

The main feature that makes a public transport system smart is enhanced control and monitoring features.

In the case of the Nottingham trams Express Transit project, in the UK, these functionalities became a reality through the collaboration of big industry names such as Taylor Woodrow, Alstom, and Boulting Technology.

Nottingham Express Travel Phase Two

In a bid to become one of the UK’s first smart cities, Nottingham has recently expanded its existing tram network to include two new lines to serve the South and South West of the city.

The first new line crosses the river Trent to Clifton and the second connects the Queens Medical Centre, Beeston and Toton.

The new routes join the existing line at Nottingham Station, with the entire network accommodating over 20 million passengers every year.  [Read more…] about Smart travel for future cities: Integrating and connecting new tram lines

Heard the one about the robot barista?

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Man walks into a coffee bar and says, “Waiter, coffee, black, no sugar.”

How anyone can drink coffee without milk, cream or sugar is beyond our understanding of human taste buds, but anyway…

A robot barista would not be making such judgments, and would serve up the coffee just as the man who walked into the bar had ordered it.

It might take a few years, but sooner or later, you will be served some drink or food somewhere by a robot.  [Read more…] about Heard the one about the robot barista?

Mecademic showcases ‘world’s smallest, most accurate’ 6-axis robot

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mecademic Meca500

A company called Mecademic is showcasing what it claims is the world’s smallest and most accurate six-axis robot. 

The Meca500 is small enough to fit into a briefcase and its makers claim that the tiny robotic arm has a repeatability of just 5 microns, or 5 millionths of a metre.

The Montreal, Canada-based Mecademic was founded by Jonathan Coulombe, who is the CEO. His co-founder was Ilian Bonev (pictured, with one of the company’s tiny robots).  [Read more…] about Mecademic showcases ‘world’s smallest, most accurate’ 6-axis robot

Kuka’s new lightweight collaborative robot for medical applications goes into series production

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Kuka’s new, lightweight collaborative robot has gone into series production, says the company. 

The Kuka LBR Med – short for medical – is designed to be operated in the “immediate vicinity” of the human operator.

The robot maker sees the new cobot as having applications in the health sector, as “an assistant for tasks rehabilitation or in the operating room”.  [Read more…] about Kuka’s new lightweight collaborative robot for medical applications goes into series production

ZF unveils AI driving system which could be used for forklift trucks, while Toyota adopts the fuel cell

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toyota fuel cell forklift truck

ZF teams up with Nvidia on artificial intelligence system for autonomous cars, trucks and industrial applications

ZF says its ProAI system for automated driving is built on high-performance Nvidia Drive PX 2 AI computing platform, and will enable vehicles to “see, think, and act”. 

ZF is one of the world’s largest automotive suppliers and a global leader in active and passive safety technology, and has been working with Nvidia to develop artificial intelligence systems for the transportation industry for some time.

The two companies are looking at various sectors, including:

  • automated and autonomous driving systems for passenger cars;
  • commercial trucks; and
  • industrial applications.

The ZF ProAI for highway automated driving is ZF’s first system developed using Nvidia AI technology.  [Read more…] about ZF unveils AI driving system which could be used for forklift trucks, while Toyota adopts the fuel cell

Daimler does deal with Uber on autonomous vehicles

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Concept EQ, Interieur

Daimler says it has agreed a deal with Uber that aims to bring more self-driving vehicles onto public roads.

The “general agreement” is intended to pave the way for the supply and operation of self-driving Mercedes-Benz vehicles on Uber’s network.

The two companies say they intend to cooperate on the supply and operation of self-driving vehicles.

Under the terms of the cooperation Daimler plans to introduce self-driving vehicles also on Uber’s global ridesharing network in the coming years.

Daimler is the first auto company to join with Uber as it opens up its platform for manufacturers to introduce their own self-driving cars.  [Read more…] about Daimler does deal with Uber on autonomous vehicles

Woodside Energy to train Nasa’s Robonaut to work in oil and gas industry

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nasa robonaut

Woodside Energy and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration have launched a new collaboration program under which the Australian independent oil and gas company will develop applications for Nasa’s Robonaut in its own operations. 

Under the partnership Nasa will loan Woodside an Anthropomorphic Robonaut System for a 60-month deployment in Perth. Together the two organisations will explore how the robotic technology could be used to improve safety, reliability and efficiency in the high-risk and remote environments where Woodside operates.

Woodside will contribute its advanced cognitive science technology, being developed in its Western Australian operations, and Nasa will share its expertise in Robonauts that are already being used for simple, repetitive, or especially dangerous tasks in places such as the International Space Station.  [Read more…] about Woodside Energy to train Nasa’s Robonaut to work in oil and gas industry

Slovenia backs Yaskawa with €6 million

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yaskawa slovenia

The government of Slovenia has decided to back Yaskawa’s investment in the country with €5.6 million of public money. 

Yaskawa is building a factory in the country and plans to invest a total of €25 million in the European nation of just over 2 million people.

Prime Minister Miro Cerar said at the time: ““I am very pleased that our efforts paid off and that the renowned Japanese company of Yaskawa Electric decided to invest in Slovenia.”

The Yaskawa investment is forecast to create more than 170 new jobs and the industrial giant is regarded as the “most important Japanese company” with assets in the country by the Slovenian government.

US Senate approves Elaine Chao to steer driverless policy

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The US Senate has approved Elaine Chao to become the next secretary of transportation. 

This means she will be in charge of the department at something of a crossroads in motoring history, with autonomous vehicles accelerating their way onto public roads faster than many had predicted, and with the steady growth of intelligent transport systems.

Chao – who has extensive links to the communist Chinese government – was approved by the Senate by a vote of 93 to 6 earlier this week.  [Read more…] about US Senate approves Elaine Chao to steer driverless policy

Renishaw 3D printing technology increases Land Rover BAR’s performance

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land rover bar

Like many other cutting edge technologies – artificial intelligence, big data analytics – additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, has been incorporated into daily use at Land Rover Ben Ainslie Racing with the help of the team’s Technical Innovation Group.

In this case, TIG partner Renishaw, a global metrology firm which manufactures metal additive manufacturing machines, as well as working with the more familiar 3D printing in plastics for its own prototyping.

TIG project manager, George Sykes of PA Consulting, says: “We use 3D printing at three different levels within the team. The simplest level is as a prototyping and visualisation tool. We manufacture a large number of custom parts and 3D printing allows us to make full size prototypes in-house before we commit to a design.”  [Read more…] about Renishaw 3D printing technology increases Land Rover BAR’s performance