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Explosion-proof ANYmal canine robots inspecting Petronas’ offshore platform

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Petronas, a global energy and solutions company from Malaysia, is testing the ANYmal four-legged dog-like robot from ANYbotics for autonomous robotic inspection on its oil and gas platforms. (See video below.)

They recently conducted a successful multi-week installation with the robot ANYmal C on one of their offshore facilities. For commercial use in 2022, ANYbotics and Petronas are co-developing a specialized version of ANYmal for potentially explosive environments.

Petronas relies on robotics to enable unmanned industrial inspections in its production operations. Its long-term partnership with ANYbotics focuses on bringing robotic routine inspection to offshore and onshore facilities targeting the commercial use of the ANYmal canine robot in potentially explosive environments by 2022. [Read more…] about Explosion-proof ANYmal canine robots inspecting Petronas’ offshore platform

Yaskawa achieves 30 million total shipments of AC drives

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Yaskawa, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of industrial robotics and automation technologies, says it has reached 30 million total shipments of alternating current drives.

An AC drive is a device that is used to control the speed of an electric motor, which are present in almost all robots and automated machines.

In a statement, Yaskawa, which shipped the world’s first transistor inverter in 1974, says: “We are pleased to announce that the cumulative shipments of AC Drives reached 30 million units in January 2021.” [Read more…] about Yaskawa achieves 30 million total shipments of AC drives

Bürkert releases new pressure controller for precise time-pressure dosing

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Bürkert Fluid Control Systems has developed a new pressure controller for gases. It ensures stable pressure conditions inside the dosing tank, thereby allowing even the smallest of quantities to be dosed with a high level of precision.

As a result, the fluidics expert offers coordinated system components for time-pressure dosing from a single source. Customers profit from a shorter development period. Further, the digital variant enables automated documentation.

The bidirectional control of the pressure controller Type 8763 allows the pressure inside the container to be increased or actively reduced for precise and repeatable dosing. [Read more…] about Bürkert releases new pressure controller for precise time-pressure dosing

Pandemic-Driven Automation Adoption Will Forever Change These 3 Sectors

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For quite a while now, experts have predicted that a wave of automation would remake labour markets.

For businesses, it would be the beginning of a new age of efficiency. For workers, it would be a job apocalypse.

But no matter how you viewed it, the automation wave wasn’t expected to crest until sometime around 2030. Then, the Covid-19 pandemic threw decades of business technology planning into a sudden tailspin. [Read more…] about Pandemic-Driven Automation Adoption Will Forever Change These 3 Sectors

Digital platform wants to put a robot into every factory

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Too many small- and medium-sized businesses risk losing out on the next big industry transformation, says Søren Peters, CEO of the world’s first digital robot hub, HowToRobot.com. The hub aims to increase robot adoption globally by breaking down the barriers to automation for smaller businesses.

Robots are spreading with haste among the largest enterprises globally. But the many small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are lagging behind when it comes to adopting robots.

This, however, is bound to change. The digital robot hub HowToRobot.com now aims to get a robot into every factory across the world by making automation easier and more accessible for SMEs. [Read more…] about Digital platform wants to put a robot into every factory

Reduce Risk and Accelerate Robotic Deployment

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Cybersecurity and Safety for Every Robot

Building a robot or autonomous system is challenging and complex. But to deploy at scale, these smart machines need to be trusted by humans, with assurances that the system is safe and secure. 

At FORT Robotics, we are mission-driven to help you reduce risk and accelerate autonomy. Learn how the FORT platform supports security for your system in our Security Solution brief: [Read more…] about Reduce Risk and Accelerate Robotic Deployment

Teledyne Technologies to acquire FLIR Systems

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Teledyne Technologies and FLIR Systems have entered into a definitive agreement under which Teledyne will acquire FLIR in a cash and stock transaction valued at approximately $8 billion.

Under the terms of the agreement, FLIR stockholders will receive $28 per share in cash and 0.0718 shares of Teledyne common stock for each FLIR share, which implies a total purchase price of $56 per FLIR share based on Teledyne’s 5-day volume weighted average price as of December 31, 2020.

The transaction reflects a 40 percent premium for FLIR stockholders based on FLIR’s 30-day volume weighted average price as of December 31, 2020. [Read more…] about Teledyne Technologies to acquire FLIR Systems

10 Benefits of ERP integration for B2B eCommerce

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In their 2020 report, Digital Commerce 360 estimated last year, online sales on B2B eCommerce sites have increased by 18.2% to $1.3 trillion.

This growth in sales spans across manufacturers, distributors, retailers, and B2B businesses of all sizes operating in various industries. As B2Bs embrace digital transformation initiatives and move to eCommerce, a seamless ERP integration must be on top of their list.

Gartner predicts that B2B businesses that consider their integration capabilities as strategic investments will grow from 40% in 2019 to 65% in 2024. The main driver of growth is expected to be in online systems integration between tools like ERP, CRM, and eCommerce. [Read more…] about 10 Benefits of ERP integration for B2B eCommerce

The impact of self-drive cars on the insurance industry

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When you think about it, the year 2021 sounds quite futuristic, doesn’t it?

If the film 2001: A Space Odyssey is anything to go by, we should be a further two decades of technology on from immersive interplanetary space travel by now – but unfortunately, we’ve underachieved a little on those goals.

While the sci-fi fantasists of the 1960s might be somewhat disappointed in what we currently have to offer, one mind bending technology that is making palpable and commercially viable strides forward is the self-driving car. [Read more…] about The impact of self-drive cars on the insurance industry

Hyundai to acquire controlling stake in Boston Dynamics from SoftBank

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Hyundai Motor Group and SoftBank Group have agreed on the main terms of a transaction through which Hyundai Motor Group will acquire a controlling interest in Boston Dynamics in a deal that values the world’s leading creator of creepy robots at $1.1 billion. 

The deal came as Hyundai Motor Group envisions the transformation of human life by combining world-leading robotics technologies with its mobility expertise. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Under the agreement, Hyundai Motor Group will hold an approximately 80 percent stake in Boston Dynamics and SoftBank, through one of its affiliates, will retain an approximately 20 percent stake in Boston Dynamics after the closing of the transaction. [Read more…] about Hyundai to acquire controlling stake in Boston Dynamics from SoftBank