Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Sam Francis

Industrial design: Prepare for product as a service

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3dexperience-platform

Bob Hillier, managing director of product lifecycle management solutions provider Design Rule discusses the concept of PaaS and the software tools that can help OEMs make the move to this new sales model

Global power systems company Rolls-Royce recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of its “Power-by-the-Hour” approach to engine maintenance management.

Since its introduction, we’ve seen companies from the automotive, aerospace and industrial sectors following suit, making product as a service (PaaS) plans available to their customers.

Offering PaaS involves a complete transformation of the original equipment manufacturer business model. It returns ownership and responsibility to the OEM, which drives the need for more reliable and higher quality products being delivered.  [Read more…] about Industrial design: Prepare for product as a service

Command and control rooms: Navigating the internet of things

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spock kirk bridge
“Sensor readings, Mr Spock” … “Captain, you must make me believe in luck”

lockWho doesn’t want a control room of their own? If you grew up watching the original Star Trek series, you still might warm to the idea of something similar to the bridge of the Starship Enterprise, which wouldn’t be bad at all. 

But, sadly, things have moved on.

Star Trek may have been decades ahead of its time – demonstrating such technologies as tablet computers, flip-top mobile communicators, and of course a truly space-age command and control room – but reality has now almost caught up with the visions of the sci-fi show’s creators.

Today’s command and control rooms may still have some of the basic elements of what we saw on the Enterprise bridge, but they’re a lot more complex and sophisticated, although that’s not for an absolute certainty since we don’t have warp speed to deal with yet.  [Read more…] about Command and control rooms: Navigating the internet of things

Industrial internet: Advantech joins LoRa Alliance

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Advantech, which claims to be one of the world’s leading suppliers of industrial computers and “intelligent systems”, has joined the LoRa Alliance. 

The LoRa Alliance is open, non-profit association which provides a forum for its 400 members to develop standards for internet of things technologies.

Advantech says it will provide the LoRa gateway and sensor node devices based on the M2.com open standard for Industry 4.0 and Smart City applications.  [Read more…] about Industrial internet: Advantech joins LoRa Alliance

Integrating industry with the universe

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kuka robot at hannover messe
A scene from last year’s Hannover Messe, which attracted more than 200,000 visitors

lockHannover Messe is widely regarded as the world’s leading trade fair for industrial companies – particularly those in engineering, robotics, and automation.

Held in Germany every year in April, the event attracts more than 200,000 visitors and over 5,000 exhibitors.

Considered to be the most important exhibition of its type, last year the special guests were German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and US President Barack Obama.  [Read more…] about Integrating industry with the universe

Artificial intelligence systems replacing finance sector professionals

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ibm brain chip
IBM has developed what it says is a ‘brain-inspired’ chip

More and more people are realising that it’s not just factory jobs the robots are after – it’s your intellectual jobs too. 

In the latest developments, an insurance company in Japan has replaced 34 of its insurance claim workers with artificial intelligence systems.

And the world’s largest hedge fund says it will replace all its managers with AI systems – after it drains the brains of its human employees and distills their knowledge into an algorithm.

Full story at em360tech.com

Reassuringly expensive gear: Overcoming the challenges of the packaging industry

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Graham Mackrell, managing director of precision gearing specialist Harmonic Drive UK, explains actuators, boots and socioeconomic unfairness 

As a famous fictional policeman once said, “The reason that the rich were so rich… was because they managed to spend less money”. 

What he meant was that although the rich may buy more expensive things, they buy products that will last longer and are therefore a better investment.

Although the policeman in question was referring to boots at the time, the same is true of cars, phones, and even servo actuators used in packaging machines.  [Read more…] about Reassuringly expensive gear: Overcoming the challenges of the packaging industry

Industrial robotics market forecast to reach $41 billion globally by 2020

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business-chart

The global industrial robotics market is expected to grow at a rate of 5.4 per cent over the next three years to reach $41 billion annually, according to Allied Market Research.

AMR valued the market to be at $26.78 billion in 2012. Rapid growth in automation demands, coupled with reduction of duties on refurbished goods in Asia Pacific region has fuelled the growth of this market, the research company says.

Industrial robotics is expected to be used in alternative application areas in growing markets. The key area such as electronics, which is still growing at an increasing rate, has witnessed penetration of industrial robotics in a significant manner.  [Read more…] about Industrial robotics market forecast to reach $41 billion globally by 2020

CES: What’s in it for me?

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The Consumer Electronics Show will be on soon. January 5-8, in Las Vegas, US. If you’re one of the lucky people going along, send us a picture or note about your highlights of the event. 

As a preview to the show, we find out from Infineon, one of the leading chipmakers for the auto market, what their view of the highlights will be, not just at CES, but also for the year ahead.

Infineon is probably going to face much more intense competition this year, mainly because of Qualcomm’s entrance into the auto market.  [Read more…] about CES: What’s in it for me?

Industrial Vision Systems relocates to ‘fulfil ambitious expansion plans’

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ivs harwell relocation

Company is expecting “year on year double digit growth” in machine vision, robotics and artificial intelligence over the next decade

Industrial Vision Systems, a supplier of machine vision solutions to industries including automotive, medical devices, electronics, food and drink, and packaging, has relocated into a new facility – custom designed to its own specification – in order to fulfil its ambitious expansion plans.

Having grown “significantly” over the course of the past 16 years, Industrial Vision Systems has now made the move to its brand new 10,000 sq ft premises at the prestigious Harwell Science and Innovation Campus in Oxfordshire which will allow it to grow further and capitalise on new, emerging markets.

The relocation presents a new phase of business for IVS. The company is fully expecting year on year double digit growth in machine vision and robotics on the manufacturing floor over the next decade. [Read more…] about Industrial Vision Systems relocates to ‘fulfil ambitious expansion plans’

Harman invests in Navdy to launch augmented reality displays on car windscreens

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Harman’s partnership with Navdy will give it exclusive rights to sell co-branded, aftermarket heads-up display devices to automotive manufacturers

Harman, the connected technologies company for the automotive, consumer and enterprise markets, says it will offer an aftermarket augmented reality driving device to automotive manufacturers through a strategic partnership and investment in Silicon Valley innovator Navdy.

As part of the agreement, Harman will have exclusive rights to distribute the new co-branded aftermarket Navdy with Harman device to automotive original equipment manufacturers, specialty auto and audio channels as well as select mobile carriers globally.

Introduced last month, the new Navdy product is the world’s first aftermarket heads-up driving device that projects both mobile application information and car data information directly over the road allowing drivers to “look forward” while “staying connected”, two phrases which Harman has apparently trademarked.  [Read more…] about Harman invests in Navdy to launch augmented reality displays on car windscreens