Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Sam Francis

ABB chooses IBM for procurement digitization

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IBM has been contracted by ABB to help support its procurement digitization journey with the launch of SmartBuy, a newly designed end-to-end employee purchasing program that aims to match the ease of online shopping with the intuitiveness and speed of a search engine. 

The solution is designed to also be tasked with automating the process of finding, procuring and managing ABB’s supplier network, with services like self-registration and contract processes.

Daniel Stumm, ABB’s head of indirect procurement, says: “We wanted to transform our eProcurement processes to drive business value and create a better experience for our user community and suppliers while avoiding the need for major training and allowing for an increased level of self-service. [Read more…] about ABB chooses IBM for procurement digitization

Einride driverless trucks now powered by Nvidia chips

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Autonomous electric truck maker Einride says the next generation of its groundbreaking “Pods” will use the Nvidia Drive AGX Orin autonomous vehicle computing platform to handle high-speed, unmanned operations.

Pär Degerman, CTO of Einride, says: “Safety and functionality in autonomous drive are achieved in two ways: diversity and redundancy.

“To capture and account for the diversity in a myriad of operational scenarios, and to develop the redundancy necessary to improve functionality, we need the most advanced processors possible, and that’s where Nvidia Orin comes in.” [Read more…] about Einride driverless trucks now powered by Nvidia chips

Vecna Robotics headquarters switches to 100 percent renewable energy

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Vecna Robotics has switched to 100 percent renewable energy at its headquarters.

The company says it has a culture of “giving back and going green”.

The company’s Mass Save energy assessment audit found that the office building was fully up to code with the most efficient lighting and utilities. [Read more…] about Vecna Robotics headquarters switches to 100 percent renewable energy

MIT releases three new reports related to robotics and manufacturing

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The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has released three new research briefs today from MIT professors and members of the Work of the Future Task Force focused on tech adoption in manufacturing and subsequent workforce impacts.

The briefs break down the adoption of new technologies by US manufacturers as well as the development of new transformative manufacturing technologies: additive manufacturing and industrial robotics.

Specifically, the briefs hone in on three subjects, as listed below. [Read more…] about MIT releases three new reports related to robotics and manufacturing

Autonomous shuttle market forecast to be worth $18 billion

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The autonomous shuttle market is forecast to be worth $18 billion by IDTechEx, which includes driverless minibuses and small, sidewalk delivery robots in the category. 

An increasing number of commercial vehicles are going battery-electric, assisted by battery life of one million miles and ranges of up to 600 miles being imminent. Shenzhen alone has 70,000 electric logistics vehicles.

Next come robot buses, robotrucks and robotaxis with driver elimination reducing cost by intensive use. IDTechEx has a report on the topic, Electric, Hybrid & Fuel Cell Light Commercial Vehicles 2021-2041. [Read more…] about Autonomous shuttle market forecast to be worth $18 billion

5 Tips to Practice Sustainable Manufacturing

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“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.”
Albert Einstein

Sustainability is the future of manufacturing. With methodology like lean manufacturing, industrial companies can stay ahead of the competition by reducing waste, improving customer opinion, and increasing cost savings.

If you want to start on the path of sustainability, read more below. [Read more…] about 5 Tips to Practice Sustainable Manufacturing

Relativity Space raises astronomical amount of $500 million for 3D printed rockets idea

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Relativity Space, which is said to be the first company to 3D print an entire rocket and build the largest metal 3D printers in the world, has raised $500 million Series D equity funding.

The investment round was led by Tiger Global Management with participation from new investors Fidelity Management & Research Company, Baillie Gifford, Iconiq Capital, General Catalyst, XN, Senator Investment Group, and Elad Gil.

Existing investors participating in the round include Bond, Tribe Capital, K5 Global, 3L, Playground Global, Mark Cuban, Spencer Rascoff, and Allen & Company, among others. [Read more…] about Relativity Space raises astronomical amount of $500 million for 3D printed rockets idea

Locus Robotics reaches picking milestone of 250 million units in warehouses

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Locus Robotics, a provider of autonomous mobile robots for fulfillment warehouses, says that it has now passed the 250 million units picked volume level heading into the 2020 holiday peak season.

Locus robots now pick more than 10,000 units every 15 minutes, a 263 percent increase in units picked compared with the same period last year.

Locus’s 250 million pick milestone reflects the rapidly growing volumes at customer sites throughout this pandemic-impacted year, with some customers’ daily orders often reaching Black Friday levels. [Read more…] about Locus Robotics reaches picking milestone of 250 million units in warehouses

Bobacino launches robotic tea bar

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A startup company called Bobacino has launched its automated Boba Tea Bar, which uses a robotic arm to make beverages for customers. (See video below.)

Bobacino says it is bringing the “unique boba tea experience” to a growing audience of boba aficionados and new enthusiasts through advanced artificial intelligence, automation and robotics.

The company has launched on StartEngine, a crowdfunding platform, to target a market that it forecasts is set to hit $8.4 billion by 2024. [Read more…] about Bobacino launches robotic tea bar

Telerobotics: A ’smart’ remedy for productivity during Covid-19

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By Neil Tardella, CEO, Energid

A surgeon in New York performs a robot-assisted surgery on a patient in India. An engineer in London programs and monitors a robotic work cell in Shenzhen, China.

An assembly line worker or welder unable to enter their auto manufacturing factories in Michigan performs their job remotely, with robots aiding in the process.

It’s called telerobotics – the area of robotics focused on controlling robots from a distance – and it’s bound to play an increasingly important role in society in the wake of the Covid pandemic. [Read more…] about Telerobotics: A ’smart’ remedy for productivity during Covid-19