Where Innovation Meets Imagination
Locus Robotics has broken its own record in terms of productivity numbers in November 2019. (See infographic below.)
The warehouse robot maker delivered more than 13 million units picked on behalf of global retail and third party logistics partners during the critical holiday season.
Locus says this is a 400 per cent increase in units picked over last year. [Read more…] about Locus Robotics picks ‘record-breaking’ 13 million units during 2019 holiday period
A company called Grote has demonstrated a robotic sandwich-making system which it developed in partnership with Stäubli Robotics. (See video below.)
Grote is a manufacturer of food processing equipment and the system it showcased at the International Baking Industry Exposition is said to be feature “robotic food contact for the first time in America”.
Grote’s systems shows how it utilizes Stäubli’s TX2-60 HE robotic arms to assemble sandwiches, cut them, and place them on trays. [Read more…] about Grote demonstrates robotic sandwich-making system
The next automatica event will occupy a record area of 76,000 square meters. There will be an additional hall, more than 900 exhibitors and new highlights. Munich will be the meeting place for the international automation industry from June 16 to 19, 2020.
Visitors to automatica 2020 will find answers to the questions about how the topics of digital transformation, man and machine as well artificial intelligence will affect the manufacturing world of tomorrow.
Falk Senger, managing director of Messe München, organiser of the event, says: “automatica is aimed at companies from all sectors of industry. The range of topics goes far beyond a traditional exhibition. [Read more…] about Robotics and automation event ‘automatica’ to occupy record 76,000 square meters
Fanuc, the world’s largest manufacturer of industrial robots, is partnering with Soft Robotics to develop new gripper solutions. (See video below.)
Soft Robotics, a startup which has produced much-discussed end-effectors that are soft and capable of handling soft products that may be of variable shape, says the strategic partnership with Fanuc will accelerate the adoption of integrated soft robotic solutions into high-growth automation markets worldwide.
Soft Robotics’ “mGrip” modular gripper system and automation solutions have enabled implementation of robotic applications in the highly variable and unstructured environments of consumer goods manufacturing, food processing and packaging, and e-commerce supply chain automation. [Read more…] about Fanuc partners with Soft Robotics to integrate new gripper solutions into its industrial robots
The European Space Agency is planning to send a robot out into space to clean it of debris, which mainly consists of the countless satellites sent into orbit over the past few decades.
The vast majority of these “junk” satellites – communications, weather, military – have operational lifetimes lasting a few years – about five to 10 years, after which there is no system for bringing them back or clear them in any way. (See simulation of space debris around Earth below.)
Some have previously proposed to build robots that can travel to those obsolete satellites to perhaps fix them or make use of them somehow or at least maintain them so they are operational for longer, but that is an idea that is still in development, although also mentioned as part of ESA’s plan. [Read more…] about European Space Agency to launch robot to clean up space
Boeing has reportedly abandoned the use of some robotic systems that were being used for fuselage work such as drilling and fastening.
According to the Seattle Times, the implementation of the robots “proved painful to set up and (was) error-prone”.
The news website quoted Jason Clark, Boeing vice president of 777/777X operations, who said back in 2015, when the robots were first introduced: “It’s a little tough in the teething. But as we get through it, it will create the rewards necessary for us to compete.” [Read more…] about Boeing ‘abandons’ robots in favour of humans
NextShift Robotics has developed a new interface connection with SVT Robotics, provider of a universal software platform that minimizes the labor and expense involved in integrating robotic solutions with business systems.
For NextShift, SVT Robotics software creates universal connectivity to major warehouse management systems. It provides a pre-built integration bridge between businesses of all sizes and NextShift’s autonomous mobile robots.
SVT is said to be “the fastest, simplest way to connect any company to any robot”, and its technology cuts down barriers to adoption by easily linking NextShift’s advanced autonomous mobile robot workflow software with the existing WMS and other systems installed at distribution, manufacturing and fulfillment centers. [Read more…] about NextShift Robotics develops interface connection to SVT Robotics software platform
Automotive parts supplier Broman Group has appointed Swisslog to provide automation at its Logistics center in Kerava, Finland.
The new contract includes upgrading existing automation, the design and delivey of new automation, and also a SynQ, Swisslog’s warehouse management system, to orchestrate the entire warehouse solution.
The logistics center will be rolled out using a phased approach, with the first go-live in early 2020. [Read more…] about Broman Group selects Swisslog as its automation partner
Waypoint Robotics has moved to a larger facility to meet what it says “growing demand” for its autonomous mobile robots. Among the products the company supplies is the MAV3K, an AMR with the capacity to lift 3000 lb.
The new, larger manufacturing facility in Nashua, New Hampshire. The new location features expanded space for production, design, engineering, quality control, and robot testing.
Jason Walker, CEO and co-founder of Waypoint, says: “The response for our Vector and MAV3K AMRs has been strong and we quickly outgrew our Merrimack, New Hampshire location. We need space to ramp up production as customers transition from pilot programs into scaling their robot fleets. [Read more…] about Waypoint Robotics moves to larger facility to ‘meet growing demand’ for its warehouse robots
Engineers attending this year’s 5G Days at Nokia’s Paris-Saclay campus were likely to stumble into an unusual gofer rambling the streets of the 4,000 employees’ facility: a small autonomous delivery robot, with parcel lockers, delivering goods without human intervention or guidance.
The robot was part of a one-shot demonstration for Nokia customers and partners, but it could soon become the default option for the delivery of small parcels across the campus.
Jean-Philippe Bellaiche, of EIT Digital, says: “Campus facility manager Sodexo, together with Nokia have decided not to deliver parcel below 5 kilos to the personnel on the campus anymore. [Read more…] about Nokia provides venue to showcase 5G technology for last-mile delivery robots
