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Even if it ain’t broke, you still oughta fix it

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Making FMCG manufacturing more sustainable through intelligent energy management

Patricia Torres, Industry Marketing Manager Food and Commodities Solutions, OMRON Industrial Automation Europe

Some factory managers take the view that ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. This approach is understandable and, in many instances, valid – particularly if it relates to a process that took a long time to get right in the first place, or a line or machine that is running reliably.

However, as fast-moving consumer goods manufacturers embark on net zero journeys, a passive attitude towards factory automation won’t cut it. [Read more…] about Even if it ain’t broke, you still oughta fix it

Carnegie Mellon scientists demonstrate head-worn assistive device for robotics

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Researchers say they have learned a lot from in-home test of adaptive robot interface

No one could blame Carnegie Mellon University students Akhil Padmanabha and Janavi Gupta if they were a bit anxious this past August as they traveled to the Bay Area home of Henry and Jane Evans.

The students were about to live with strangers for the next seven days. On top of that, Henry, a person with quadriplegia, would spend the week putting their Head-Worn Assistive Teleoperation (HAT) — an experimental interface to control a mobile robot – to the test. (See video below.)

HAT requires fewer fine motor skills than other interfaces to help people with some form of paralysis or similar motor impairments control a mobile robot and manipulator. It allows users to control a mobile robot via head motion and speech recognition, and versions of the device have featured a hands-free microphone and head-worn sensor. [Read more…] about Carnegie Mellon scientists demonstrate head-worn assistive device for robotics

Stanford scientists unveil new spring-assisted actuator: A replacement for traditional motors that could enhance next-gen robots

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By Laura Castañón

Researchers at Stanford have designed a spring-assisted actuator – a device that can accomplish dynamic tasks using a fraction of the energy previously required. (See video below.)

Whether it’s a powered prosthesis to assist a person who has lost a limb or an independent robot navigating the outside world, we are asking machines to perform increasingly complex, dynamic tasks.

But the standard electric motor was designed for steady, ongoing activities like running a compressor or spinning a conveyor belt – even updated designs waste a lot of energy when making more complicated movements. [Read more…] about Stanford scientists unveil new spring-assisted actuator: A replacement for traditional motors that could enhance next-gen robots

What did Lithuanian startup company LastMile learn from its autonomous car experiment?

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The future of home shopping delivery is clearly linked to autonomous technologies. Lithuania is not chasing others in this field, but is rather taking a lead that brings useful insights for the whole market.

In Vilnius, fleets of delivery robots have joined already the busy city center traffic for the first time in Europe. According to Tadas Noruskaitis, CEO and co-founder of LastMile, the startup that implemented the project, the decision to entrust shopping to robots has paid off, showing what already works and what could be improved.

In 2022, the first LastMile fleet of delivery robot rolled into Vilnius’ Balsiai district. Less than a year later, three robots appeared in the center of the capital, becoming the first trio of robot couriers to operate as fully-fledged vehicles on the city’s central streets. [Read more…] about What did Lithuanian startup company LastMile learn from its autonomous car experiment?

Boston University celebrates grand opening of its Robotics & Autonomous Systems Teaching & Innovation Center

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An autonomous robot cut the ceremonial ribbon at the grand opening of Boston University’s $8.8 million Robotics & Autonomous Systems Teaching & Innovation Center (RASTIC).

Held March 4th, the grand opening included talks from state, industry and university leadership; facility tours; and 16 student demonstrations of robotic projects, spanning smart cities, medical robotics, drones, autonomous driving, smart home applications, and more.

In development over the past year, RASTIC brings together academia and industry to develop the next-generation competitive robotics and autonomous systems workforce. [Read more…] about Boston University celebrates grand opening of its Robotics & Autonomous Systems Teaching & Innovation Center

Massachusetts grants over $3 million to boost manufacturing statewide

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The Healey-Driscoll Administration has announced 17 new grantees from the Massachusetts Manufacturing Accelerate Program (MMAP). 

A total of $3,144,982 was awarded to the manufacturers, empowering them to purchase new capital equipment to enhance production, meet customer demand, increase workforce skills for employees, and boost job creation.

The Center for Advanced Manufacturing at MassTech Collaborative (CAM) launched MMAP in June 2021, and has since invested nearly $11 million total in projects for 56 small to medium-sized manufacturers statewide. [Read more…] about Massachusetts grants over $3 million to boost manufacturing statewide

RoboDK and Comau partner to offer ‘improved’ robotic simulation and offline programming

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RoboDK, a pioneer in the world of robotics simulation and offline programming, has formed a strategic partnership with Comau, a global provider of advanced automation solutions and robot manufacturer. The latest version of Comau Roboshop Next Gen software seamlessly integrates with RoboDK, making simulation “more advanced”.

This collaboration solidifies RoboDK’s presence in the OEM market, marking a significant step as an embedded solution. Comau users can now enjoy the benefits of RoboDK directly due to RoboDK’s integration into Comau’s Roboshop Next Gen software suite.

This integration allows users to easily simulate and program robots using advanced CAD to path features, import 3D Models, detect collisions, integrate with external axes such as turntables and linear rails, support multiple robot cells in the same project, improved integration with CAD/CAM software and use advanced simulation features such as conveyors and grippers. [Read more…] about RoboDK and Comau partner to offer ‘improved’ robotic simulation and offline programming

Comau and Leonardo Helicopters design ‘advanced automated inspection’ system for aeronautical structures

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The increasing push for faster processes, better control and higher quality in the aerospace industry necessitates a new generation of advanced automation designed to automate complex processes that until a short time ago could only be done manually.

When it comes to testing critical structures such as helicopter blades, for example, the potential benefits of automation increase exponentially, as robotic inspection grants accuracy as well as efficiency.

They also ensure standardization of and full compliance with the testing process by objectively completing each assigned task. [Read more…] about Comau and Leonardo Helicopters design ‘advanced automated inspection’ system for aeronautical structures

International work puts robot avatars on the move 

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The term “avatar” might be most familiar as a picture used on social media, but in the technology world, it can mean much more. 

When James Cameron’s hit movie “Avatar” came to theaters in 2009, it introduced a concept already cooking in the technology community: for a connected operator to be able to fully remotely opperate the movements of a robot.

In the movie, the robots were biological, but the technology in the real world is connected to more traditional robots with circuits and computers. These also are called avatars.  [Read more…] about International work puts robot avatars on the move 

Bio-inspired neuroprosthetics: Sending signals the brain can understand

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Prostheses that connect to the nervous system have been available for several years. Now, researchers at ETH Zurich have found evidence that neuroprosthetics work better when they use signals that are inspired by nature.

A few years ago, a team of researchers working under Professor Stanisa Raspopovic at the ETH Zurich Neuroengineering Lab gained worldwide attention when they announced that their prosthetic legs had enabled amputees to feel sensations from this artificial body part for the first time.

Unlike commercial leg prostheses, which simply provide amputees with stability and support, the ETH researchers’ prosthetic device was connected to the sciatic nerve in the test subjects’ thigh via implanted electrodes. [Read more…] about Bio-inspired neuroprosthetics: Sending signals the brain can understand

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