Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Infrastructure

Drones are bridging the gap in US inspection technology

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Drones and non-destructive testing devices are shaping the future of bridge inspection and rehabilitation, by helping to improve project safety, reduce costs, and create more efficient and sustainable methods.

There are critical infrastructure needs across North America, especially when it comes to bridges. In the U.S., for example, over 54,000 U.S. bridges are structurally deficient, which is nearly 9% of all bridges across the country.

Not only that, but assessing the current state of bridge infrastructure requires an increasing amount of time and resources – and there are no shortage of safety concerns.

[Read more…] about Drones are bridging the gap in US inspection technology

Japanese company unveils construction robot

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A Japanese company called Daiwa House Industry has been demonstrating a robotic system which can help in the construction of houses and buildings.

The robot appears to work by spraying layers of plaster on metallic structures, which themselves could be constructed by a robot – as can be seen in the image on Mainichi.jp.

It seems to work along similar lines to a robotic construction system developed by researchers at ETH Zurich, in Switzerland.

Daiwa House executives say the company’s system can labour costs of 30 per cent compared with human workers.

The main task it is designed to perform is to spray fireproof coating on a building – something which is said to be one of the most difficult parts of construction.

Daiwa House, which has so far invested almost $1 million into developing the system, plans to put it into operation sometime next year.

Head of technology Kazuto Tsuchida says: “It is expected the construction industry will face a shortage of 1.12 million workers in 2025.

“There are major expectations for robots, and we hope this will lead to high quantity production.”

This is not the only area of robotics Daiwa House been researching. The partners with Cyberdyne, which builds robotic exoskeletons, to supply the latter’s “HAL” exoskeletons.

The exoskeletons are designed to provide assistance to caregivers to the elderly (see picture below).

daiwa house cyberdyne

Daiwa House is Japan’s largest homebuilder, and also has interests in many other design and construction sectors, including in the building of care homes for the elderly.

The company’s annual revenue is more than $20 billion and it employs approximately 30,000 people.

Work starts to build Europe’s first steel plant in 40 years

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Voestalpine invests up to €350 million in the world’s most advanced special steel plant in Kapfenberg

A groundbreaking ceremony marked the official start of the three-year construction phase for the new Voestalpine special steel plant in Kapfenberg, Austria. (See video below.)

From 2021 onwards, each year the fully digitalized plant will produce around 205,000 tons of sophisticated high-performance steels, especially for the international aviation and automotive industries as well as for the oil & gas sector, while at the same time securing more than 3,000 highly skilled jobs in the region over the long term.

Preparations for the major project with an investment volume of up to €350 million are already fully under way: the construction site is currently being prepared, with work focusing on energy supply and logistics infrastructure.  [Read more…] about Work starts to build Europe’s first steel plant in 40 years

World’s first 3D printed house built in days

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The world’s first house has been built by a robot 3D printer in Nantes, France. This 95m2 house has 5 rooms, rounded walls, windows and doors… a set of complex architectural forms, achieved by means of a revolutionary technology, on a site provided by Nantes Métropole Habitat.

This innovative project is led by a consortium of scientists, manufacturers, and public and socio-economic actors. The aim: to quickly build affordable, adaptable, and energy efficient housing.

This innovative system makes it possible to build the walls of a house by 3D printing, on the construction site itself and in just a few days.

Watch how they did it here

 

Construction robotics startup Kewazo raises €1m+ in seed funding

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Kewazo, a robotics start-up in construction, has successfully raised over 1 million euros of seed funding, led by MIG Fonds 14 and Business Angel Alfred Bauer.

The funding will enable Kewazo to bring its robotic solution for scaffolding assembly to the market and to establish the company’s sales and distribution network.

Kewazo GmbH has developed a smart robotic logistics system, which provides autonomous transportation of materials on construction sites.

[Read more…] about Construction robotics startup Kewazo raises €1m+ in seed funding

Hospital achieves IoT equipment integration with LoRaWAN

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Two recognized players in IoT technologies, Adeunis and ARC Informatique, are integrating their solutions to achieve unprecedented IoT equipment integration with an existing Building Management System (BMS) using LoRaWAN technology at Grenoble Alpes University Hospital.

The Grenoble Alpes University Hospital´s technical teams wanted to be able to monitor and control various pieces of equipment quickly, inexpensively and without cabling (Ethernet and power). The Grenoble Hospital asked Adeunis and ARC Informatique the question of how to best solve this operational challenge.

In addition, the Hospital wanted to use their existing BMS software without adding additional software layers. PcVue supervision from ARC Informatique, is the BMS in charge of managing two of the Hospital´s sites, the GTB and the GTE site.

[Read more…] about Hospital achieves IoT equipment integration with LoRaWAN

Skycatch and DJI to deliver drones for Komatsu Smart Construction sites

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Commercial drone data company Skycatch, and drone manufacturer DJI have extended their partnership to manufacture and deliver a fleet of high-precision drones for Komatsu Smart Construction.

Each DJI drone is fitted with specialized Skycatch technology, the first time DJI has manufactured a custom drone for a partner.

The Skycatch Explore1 drone autonomously flies over job sites to create accurate 3D site maps and models and will be deployed on Komatsu job sites.

[Read more…] about Skycatch and DJI to deliver drones for Komatsu Smart Construction sites

Large-scale battery to counter power outages launched

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Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. has developed a container-type large-scale energy storage system for instantaneous voltage drop countermeasures, and has released the developed system to the market in cooperation with Japan Facility Solutions, Inc., a 100％ subsidiary of Tepco Energy Partner, Inc.

The energy storage block of this system uses the olivine-type iron phosphate lithium-ion battery “Fortelion”, manufactured by Murata subsidiary Tohoku Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., and is used in combination with an AC-DC converter made by Meidensha Corporation or Yamabishi Corporation.

Instantaneous voltage drop (a momentary drop in power system voltage) such as due to lightning strikes to power transmission lines may have a large impact, such as stopping production in factories.

[Read more…] about Large-scale battery to counter power outages launched

Startup Built Robotics raises $15 million to develop technology to enable autonomous construction

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A startup company called Built Robotics has raised at least $15 million to develop technology that would enable construction equipment such as bulldozers, earth diggers and excavators to operate themselves. 

Self-operating construction equipment would obviously save a significant amount of the costs associated with construction as humans would not need to be driving those vehicles any more.

It might also make the industry safer.

Speaking to USA Today, founder Noah Ready-Campbell, says: “The idea behind Built Robotics is to use automation technology make construction safer, faster and cheaper.”  [Read more…] about Startup Built Robotics raises $15 million to develop technology to enable autonomous construction

Green buildings provide $6 billion in benefits to health and climate, says Harvard study

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Environmentally-firendly buildings provide $6 billion in benefits to health and climate, says a new Harvard study supported by United Technologies.

These previously undocumented benefits are in addition to $7.5 billion in energy savings, for a combined $13 billion in total benefits.

The public health benefits include fewer hospitalizations and reduced climate impacts.  [Read more…] about Green buildings provide $6 billion in benefits to health and climate, says Harvard study