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University receives $1 million grant to improve collaborative robotics

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The envisioned intelligent material delivery system: a robot will sense when skilled workers need materials, and deliver them in advance. This will help reduce worker frustration, stress, and talent loss, and save approximately $1.7 million dollars an hour by reducing work stoppage problems, according to UC San Diego.

Engineers at the University of California San Diego have been given $1 million to research how to improve the way robots interact with people in US factories

Laurel Riek, a roboticist at the UC San Diego, will lead a three-year, $1 million project funded by the National Science Foundation to help change the role of robots in factories and make it easier for machines to work alongside people.

The goal of the project is to design an intelligent material delivery system, which supports and closely integrates with skilled workers in factories.

The researchers will investigate innovative, multi-disciplinary approaches to dramatically advance the state of the art in smart manufacturing and human-centered robotics.  [Read more…] about University receives $1 million grant to improve collaborative robotics

Universal Robots says it has 10,000 collaborative robots installed around the world

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Universal Robots says it has shipped 10,000 of its collaborative industrial robots worldwide so far.

The company, which is believed to be the first robot manufacturer to have launched a collaborative industrial robot model, made the announcement through a Twitter post.

More as we get it…

Startup claims launch of ‘world’s first robot to sew complete garment’

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Sewbo says its development is a major breakthrough in clothing manufacturing 

A startup company in America is claiming to have developed a robotic system which can make complete garments. 

The simple combination of a robot and a sewing machine has resulted in what the owner, Jonathan Zornow, says is “the world’s first robotically-sewn garment”.

Zornow says: “Many people are surprised to learn that this is the very first time that a robot has sewn a piece of clothing.

“Despite decades and millions of dollars worth of industrial research, the big hurdle has been that robots can’t reliably handle fabrics.”  [Read more…] about Startup claims launch of ‘world’s first robot to sew complete garment’

Autonomous Tractor boss says new technology can help farmers halve their costs

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The Autonomous Tractor Corporation is close to launching a range of new technologies which it says will help farmers halve their equipment costs. 

In exclusive comments to Robotics and Automation News, Kraig Schulz, CEO of ATC, says the company’s latest eDrive system would cost between $250 and $500 per horsepower.

This is approximately half the cost of a new tractor, which costs anywhere between around $750 and $1,000 per hp.

Schulz says: “The system costs will obviously depend on configuration, horsepower, and so on, but we can have a retrofit eDrive system for a 325 hp sprayer done, installed, ready to go for about $75,000 which is a little less than having the whole thing rebuilt with hydrostatic drives – about $80,000. [Read more…] about Autonomous Tractor boss says new technology can help farmers halve their costs

Exclusive: Comau has eyes on massive Asian market

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Exclusive interview with Maurizio Cremonini, head of marketing at Comau

As many readers of Robotics and Automation News will know, Comau (Consorzio Macchine Utensili) is the Italian manufacturer of industrial robotic arms utilised by all the leading automakers in the world. 

One of those automakers is the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Group, which happens to own Comau, as well as the famous Ferrari brand of supercars.

So, in a way, Comau could claim to be the Ferrari of industrial robot makers. If I were the company’s marketing boss, I would certainly make more of the Ferrari connection. Having said that, Comau robots do echo the beauty of Ferrari cars, both in their colour and their shapes, using a similar red to the classic body paint on a Ferrari such as the one pictured above, and lately using a silver/grey/brushed steel and black combination with curves perhaps borrowed from Ferrari cars.

Maurizio Cremonini is head of marketing at Comau, and he has made time to give Robotics and Automation News this exclusive, extensive and deep insight into Comau.  [Read more…] about Exclusive: Comau has eyes on massive Asian market

Tag Team Manufacturing says using Rethink Robotics machines has improved performance by 25 per cent

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Tag Team Manufacturing, a specialist in precision production runs and prototype work for original equipment manufacturers, says deploying Rethink Robotics’ Sawyer for large production jobs at its facility in Parker, Colorado, has led to significant improvements in its productivity.

Tag Team uses Sawyer in an effort to help decrease client costs while shortening the delivery times to market. Sawyer enabled Tag Team to work 24 hours per day, seven days per week to meet the condensed delivery window that otherwise would have required an addition of five machinists in a very tight labor market.

Within weeks of deployment, Sawyer bolstered Tag Team’s production figures by 25 percent, says the company. Sawyer operates a Tag Team computer numerical control (CNC) mill, constantly executing replicable tasks.  [Read more…] about Tag Team Manufacturing says using Rethink Robotics machines has improved performance by 25 per cent

Robotiq launches community for robotics professionals

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Robotiq has launched an open community – called DoF – where industrial automation professionals can share their know-how and get answers to accelerate their robotics projects. 

DoF, which stands for degrees of freedom, is meant as a medium for sharing ideas and solving automation problems, says Robotiq.

Samuel Bouchard, CEO of Robotiq, says: “We realized that the know-how is locked in the head of automation engineers who can’t talk to each other because they are far apart, focused on making their factory run.

“This is why we created this online community, to bring industrial automation pros together so they can help each other with their automation projects and stop reinventing the wheel on their own.”  [Read more…] about Robotiq launches community for robotics professionals

Koops embarks on $5 million industrial automation expansion journey

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Factory automation specialist Koops says its $5 million expansion plan will eventually double its production capacity

Preparing for the increasing global demand for industrial automation systems, Michigan-based automation company Koops broke ground on a new 40,000-square-foot plant expansion that will nearly double production capacity.

The $4.9 million expansion to its current plant at 987 Productions Court in Holland, Michigan, is in response to growing global demand for automation equipment that is expected to hit $200 billion in sales in the next few years.

“Growth in the automation systems industry is on the rise because manufacturing companies worldwide are seeking ways to lower production costs while improving quality through expanded automation processes,” said Koops CEO Paul Brinks at last week’s groundbreaking.

[Read more…] about Koops embarks on $5 million industrial automation expansion journey

Volvo claims to be ‘first in the world’ with self-driving truck in underground mine

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Swedish automaker determined to take the lead in autonomous car technology

Volvo’s fully autonomous truck is the first in the world to be tested in operations deep underground in the Kristineberg Mine, in Sweden, according to the company.

The self-driving truck is part of a development project aimed at improving the transport flow and safety in the mine.

The truck will cover a distance of 7 kilometres, reaching 1,320 metres underground in the narrow mine tunnels.  [Read more…] about Volvo claims to be ‘first in the world’ with self-driving truck in underground mine

Exclusive: Nasa scientists set to revolutionise oil and gas business with robotics and automation technology

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Houston company says it is bringing advanced technology from Nasa to elevate oil and gas operations through robotics and automation

A Texas business grounded in aerospace experience and space technology is changing the face of oil and gas.

Houston Mechatronics, a company founded by former Nasa roboticists, is incorporating intelligent automation and robotics into the energy industry in ways that streamline operations, improve both costs and quality, and remove workers from hazardous environments.

The recent focus on oil and gas was a natural one, says Matthew Ondler, Houston Mechatronics’ co-founder and president. Although the company works with clients across a range of industries, energy is feeling a pinch.  [Read more…] about Exclusive: Nasa scientists set to revolutionise oil and gas business with robotics and automation technology