Driverless systems like the one in Sydney represent the future of urban clean and efficient transport. In this article, train manufacturer Alstom answers some key questions about driverless trains. [Read more…] about Who drives a driverless train?
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ABB opens $100 million global innovation and training campus for machine automation at B&R in Austria
ABB opened its new global innovation and training campus at the headquarters of B&R in Eggelsberg, Austria, its global center for machine and factory automation. B&R is a subsidiary of ABB.
The new campus will create up to 1,000 additional high-tech jobs and includes world-class research and development laboratories, as well as global training facilities for up to 4,000 people per year in collaboration with universities. ABB invested EUR 100 million ($103 million) in the expansion of the B&R headquarters.
Campus innovations around artificial intelligence and machine and factory automation will play an essential role in unlocking the potential of future industrial production – in sectors such as electronics, e-mobility, food and beverage, recycling, logistics, or agriculture. [Read more…] about ABB opens $100 million global innovation and training campus for machine automation at B&R in Austria
Volkswagen enters global electric vehicle battery business
Volkswagen has broken ground for its first battery production factory in Salzgitter, Germany last week in the presence of Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
Production will start in 2025. With immediate effect, responsibility for global battery business is to be held by the newly created company “PowerCo”. In addition to cell production, the new company will be responsible for activities along the entire battery value chain.
Up to 2030, PowerCo is to invest more than €20 billion together with partners in the development of the business area, to generate annual sales in excess of €20 billion and to employ up to 20,000 people in Europe alone. [Read more…] about Volkswagen enters global electric vehicle battery business
BMW expands battery production in its Leipzig factory
BMW has expanded its electric vehicle battery manufacturing operations.
The German automotive giant has added a second battery module production line at BMW Group Plant Leipzig.
Further expanding e-component production in the German state of Saxony, the new system manufactures modules for the fully electric BMW i4, made in Munich. Plant Leipzig’s first such production line went on stream in May 2021 and supplies the battery modules for the BMW iX. [Read more…] about BMW expands battery production in its Leipzig factory
Washington university develops 3D-printed robotic gripper that can pick up anything, no matter what its geometry
At the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, car manufacturing companies such as Ford quickly shifted their production focus from automobiles to masks and ventilators.
To make this switch possible, these companies relied on people working on an assembly line. It would have been too challenging for a robot to make this transition because robots are tied to their usual tasks.
Theoretically, a robot could pick up almost anything if its grippers could be swapped out for each task. To keep costs down, these grippers could be passive, meaning grippers pick up objects without changing shape, similar to how the tongs on a forklift work. [Read more…] about Washington university develops 3D-printed robotic gripper that can pick up anything, no matter what its geometry
Top 6 Tips for Las Vegas Tourists
Las Vegas is a huge metropolis that always attracts a lot of tourists. This city has many things to see: numerous casinos, expensive shops, Michelin-starred restaurants and beautiful architecture.
Planning a trip to this region can be time-consuming and complicated, especially if you are going to Las Vegas for the first time. Before traveling to this city, you need to know about many things. It is for this reason that we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the main tips when traveling to this city. Be sure to read to the end. [Read more…] about Top 6 Tips for Las Vegas Tourists
Small-batch medical shop triples production with robotics
Figuring out how to meet rising production demand can be deceptive. On the surface, it’s a simple math problem. If you have one machine on the floor and it makes eight parts per day, and you need to produce 16 parts per day, just add another machine, right?
Meeting demand in a consistent, cost-effective manner is a bit more complicated. Sometimes, it takes a little more due diligence to uncover the best way to increase throughput or meet rising demand.
The operations group at Ultradent Products, a leading developer and manufacturer of high- tech dental materials and devices, faced such a problem. In 2017, the company sought to increase production of its industry-leading Valo curing light, used by dental clinicians to cure dental composites, sealants, and various other chemistries. [Read more…] about Small-batch medical shop triples production with robotics
Robots in retail: Delivering the goods in 2022
By Ritukar Vijay, CEO at Ottonomy
Retailers are feeling the heat from rising labor costs, and are increasingly looking to automated solutions to keep worker costs down.
According to a February 28, 2022 story in The Wall Street Journal, US retailers spent 4 percent more cash on labor costs in the fourth quarter of 2021, compared to the same period in 2020.
Big box brands like Target, Costco, and Walmart are all raising wages above beyond the $15 minimum wage level to secure the staffing they need to stay competitive. For retailers, restaurants, and other consumer-facing businesses, the wage growth issue stems from a burgeoning problem – not enough workers. [Read more…] about Robots in retail: Delivering the goods in 2022
‘First-of-its-kind’ $50 million fund launches for early-stage robotics, automation, and AI companies
Cybernetix Ventures, an independent venture capital firm investing in early-stage robotics, automation and AI technology companies, today announced the launch of its first global fund headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.
Cybernetix Fund I will focus on pre-seed, seed and Series A investments into companies in the US and around the world developing robotics solutions for manufacturing, logistics, construction, and healthcare verticals.
The fund will also invest in key robotics-enabling software companies in AI/machine learning, cloud robotics, cybersecurity, autonomy and sensors/edge computing. [Read more…] about ‘First-of-its-kind’ $50 million fund launches for early-stage robotics, automation, and AI companies
Soft assistive robotic wearables get a boost from rapid design tool
Scientists created a new design and fabrication tool for soft pneumatic actuators with integrated sensing, which can power personalized healthcare, smart homes, and gaming.
Soft, pneumatic actuators might not be a phrase that comes up in daily conversations, but more likely than not you might have benefited from their utility. The devices use compressed air to power motion, and with sensing capabilities, they’ve proven to be a critical backbone in a variety of applications such as assistive wearables, robotics, and rehabilitative technologies.
But there’s a bit of a bottleneck in creating the little dynamic devices that have advantages like high response rates and power to input ratios. They require a manual design and fabrication pipeline, which translates to a lot of trial and error cycles to actually test and see whether the designs will work. [Read more…] about Soft assistive robotic wearables get a boost from rapid design tool