Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

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Human-robot collaboration combines human and robot strengths, says Schunk

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Schunk is one of the leading suppliers of components to industrial robotic arm manufacturers and other industrial machinery makers. The company held an open day recently in which it outlined its vision of human-robot collaboration, or collaborative robotics, which the company says combines human and robot strengths. 

Schunk starts by asking, and then seeking to answer, the following questions:

  • How can human-robot collaboration be used in everyday production?
  • What safety concepts are there?
  • How can a successful start be made?

These and other concerns were the focus of the second Schunk user and technology dialog on the topic of “Successfully introducing human-robot collaboration in the company”.  [Read more…] about Human-robot collaboration combines human and robot strengths, says Schunk

Electric market: Designing and manufacturing batteries for bikes and golf carts

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Promoted

If just a small percentage of cyclists in the west install batteries on their bikes, it would make for a massive new market. Golf carts and milk floats already show how useful batteries can be. In this article, we take a look at the potential market, and visit a company that designs and manufactures batteries to order. 

One of the interesting facts about globalization is that although you would imagine that there would be a free flow of ideas from west to east and vice versa, very often it’s only one way. 

That’s understandable if it’s products like Apple’s iPhone, which is hugely popular in China as it is all over the world; and, of course, the device is actually made in China, so there is an exchange of sorts.

But what I’m referring to is how ideas that are widespread in China, and Asia in general, never seem to become popular in the west.  [Read more…] about Electric market: Designing and manufacturing batteries for bikes and golf carts

Continental strengthens AI research partnership with University of California

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Automotive systems supplier Continental is expanding its international network for artificial intelligence in Silicon Valley.

The expansion will involve the “DeepDrive” partnership the company has with the University of California, Berkeley, dubbed “BDD”.

Continental says the partnership is designed to “speed up neural networks for the car of the future and safety of AI systems”.  [Read more…] about Continental strengthens AI research partnership with University of California

Volkswagen increases automation in its parts depot

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Volkswagen says it has significantly increased the level of automation in its massive Kassel depot, in Germany.

The company says the upgrade has cost at least $10 million and involved designing its own “ergonomic repackaging stations”.

The vast majority of the depot is automated using conveyors, but new equipment and more digitalization has improved productivity, says Volkswagen.  [Read more…] about Volkswagen increases automation in its parts depot

All stocks on the Robotics and Automation News list show growth

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This website does not give financial or investment advice – we would need a specific license for that.

But we made a list a couple of years ago of industrial companies related to our news coverage, and all of them – without exception – have seen increases in their share prices over a 52-week period, with several growing by more than 50 percent.

That is true for each of the past two years we have analyzed. In fact, last year when we checked, many more companies – at least 10 – had grown by more than 50 percent. Probably because last year saw an intensification in the wider public’s interest in robotics, automation and artificial intelligence.

Much as we’d like to, we don’t claim to be responsible for some of this, but it may interest readers to know that our website audience has grown by several hundred percent in the past two years, to almost a quarter of a million unique visitors a month. Ironically, some of it may be bots, but that is true of most websites these days.

We made the list more as a way of learning about the sector and to see which companies to watch and write about.  [Read more…] about All stocks on the Robotics and Automation News list show growth

Nano robots could eventually reduce the need for surgical procedures

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The day when you can choose to have nano robots inserted into your body to rid yourself of some serious disease like cancer, instead of undergoing some sort of surgical procedure, is drawing nearer, but there are many challenges yet to overcome. 

Numerous researchers have developed tiny robots that cannot be individually seen by the human eye but which can operate like machines within your bloodstream or other parts of your body.

One example was what could be described as a “swimming nanobot” demonstrated towards the end of last year by scientists at the University of California San Diego.  [Read more…] about Nano robots could eventually reduce the need for surgical procedures

Walmart testing new warehouse robot from startup Alert Innovation

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Walmart is testing a new warehouse robot called Alphabot, supplied by startup company Alert Innovation, which built the robot for the US retail giant. (See video below.)

Alert is a developer of automated storage and retrieval systems, or ASRS, and something else called automated each-picking system, or AEPS.

A typical complete system Alert supplies includes a large storage shelving unit, along with its Alphabot, which is the only moving part.  [Read more…] about Walmart testing new warehouse robot from startup Alert Innovation

Koki connects all 60 of its industrial robots to ABB’s Ability internet platform

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Koki Transmission has connected all 60 of its industrial robots to the ABB Ability internet platform.

The company is said to have connected its robots for the purposes of condition monitoring and diagnostics.

This is designed to address previous problems which were leading to unplanned downtime in material handling.  [Read more…] about Koki connects all 60 of its industrial robots to ABB’s Ability internet platform

General Electric: An industrial giant learning to live in a small world

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After years of rebranding itself as a “digital” company, General Electric is returning to being a plain old $100-billion industrial giant that builds aircraft engines and equipment for the energy industry.

According to the New York Times, GE spent “several billion dollars” building its digital business, with former CEO Geoff Immelt telling the Harvard Business Review that the company “put about $4 billion into developing analytics software and machine learning capabilities”.

The idea seemed to have been, and still may be, to provide the equivalent of an operating system for machinery and equipment which are connected to the industrial internet of things, and, in the process, become one of the top 10 software companies in the world. [Read more…] about General Electric: An industrial giant learning to live in a small world

Schaefer invests in DS Automation and expands AGV development

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SSI Schaefer says it is expanding its development activity in the area of automated guided vehicles through an investment in DS Automation.

The company says it is doing this “in order to meet the increasing demand for AGVs”.

Schaefer is expanding its product portfolio through co-operation with, and investment in, the Austrian AGV specialist DS Automation.  [Read more…] about Schaefer invests in DS Automation and expands AGV development

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