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Volvo Cars to impose 180 kph speed limit on all cars

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Volvo Cars is sending a strong signal about the dangers of speeding and will limit the top speed on all its cars to 180 kph from 2020.

The company’s Vision 2020, which aims for no one to be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo by 2020, is one of the most ambitious safety visions in the automotive industry.

But realising that technology alone will not get it all the way to zero, Volvo Cars is now broadening its scope to include a focus on driver behaviour.

[Read more…] about Volvo Cars to impose 180 kph speed limit on all cars

Kawasaki adds new high-speed, low-payload robots to line-up

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In response to the rising demand for fast, flexible and compact industrial robots in food and other industries, Kawasaki has developed two 6-axis vertically articulated robots with a maximum payload capacity of 7 kg and different reach.

The RS007N and RS007L models are the latest additions to the company’s general-purpose R series line of small-to-medium payload (3-80 kg) robots, suited to a wide range of applications including packing, material handling and machine tending.

The Kawasaki RS007N and RS007L robots offer the operational features of the R series robots while incorporating a newly redesigned arm structure and main-unit weight reductions.

[Read more…] about Kawasaki adds new high-speed, low-payload robots to line-up

Collaborative robot maker Kassow Robots to make its Hannover Messe premiere

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Collaborative robot manufacturer Kassow Robots will make its first appearance at the Hannover Messe event this year.

The technology trade fair takes place from 1 to 5 April 2019. It will be the first chance to visit the company’s own booth since Kassow’s market launch at Automatica in Munich last summer.

The Danish start-up will be attending Hannover Fair together with Project Automation & Engineering. The partner from Kranenburg, Germany, will showcase an automated banding application.  [Read more…] about Collaborative robot maker Kassow Robots to make its Hannover Messe premiere

Airbus’ Skyways drone trials world’s first shore-to-ship deliveries

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Airbus has begun shore-to-ship trials in Singapore with its Skyways parcel delivery drone.

This marks the first time drone technology has been deployed in real port conditions to deliver a variety of small, time-critical maritime essentials to working vessels at anchorage.

The maiden shore-to-ship delivery flight was made to the Swire Pacific Offshore’s Anchor Handling Tug Supply vessel M/V Pacific Centurion, 1.5 km from the shoreline of Singapore’s Marina South Pier, carrying 1.5 kg of 3D printed consumables.

[Read more…] about Airbus’ Skyways drone trials world’s first shore-to-ship deliveries

Teradyne and Silan collaborate on testing automotive and high power electronics

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Teradyne, Inc., a leading supplier of automated test solutions, has announced, with Silan Microelectronics, the release of the new Silan Intelligent Power Module (IPM) test cell for automotive and high power devices. The IPM test cell is supported by Teradyne’s ETS-88TH Power Discrete tester.

The synergy will allow customers to grow on one test platform as product requirements change, while supporting both industry leading quality of test and throughput.

Xinwei NI, assistant production director and chip testing department manager at Silan said: “With the modularity of the ETS-88TH, our customers will have access to standard or custom solutions for their automotive and high power devices.”

[Read more…] about Teradyne and Silan collaborate on testing automotive and high power electronics

Scientists take first step towards creating terrifying liquid metal robot last seen in Terminator 2

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Researchers create new kind of robot composed of many simple particles with no centralized control or single point of failure

The concept of “gray goo”, a robot comprised of billions of nanoparticles, has fascinated science fiction fans for decades. But most researchers have dismissed it as just a wild theory.

Current robots are usually self-contained entities made of interdependent subcomponents, each with a specific function. If one part fails, the robot stops working. In robotic swarms, each robot is an independently functioning machine.

In a new study published today in Nature, researchers at Columbia Engineering and MIT Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Lab demonstrate for the first time a way to make a robot composed of many loosely coupled components, or “particles”. (See video below.) [Read more…] about Scientists take first step towards creating terrifying liquid metal robot last seen in Terminator 2

Lumotive launches new LiDAR to enable autonomous vehicles

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Lumotive, the Bill Gates-funded startup developing LiDAR systems for autonomous vehicles, has launched a beam-steering technology which it claims will “significantly improve” the performance, reliability and cost of LiDAR systems for the emerging self-driving car industry.

Initially targeting the robo-taxi market, Lumotive’s patented system uses liquid crystal metasurfaces (LCM) and silicon fabrication to achieve “unmatched levels” of manufacturing efficiency while simultaneously delivering unprecedented range, resolution and frame rate.

Dr William Colleran, Lumotive co-founder and CEO, says: “Lumotive’s solution is ideal for automakers and Tier-1s seeking safer yet more cost-effective perception solutions for their vehicles.  [Read more…] about Lumotive launches new LiDAR to enable autonomous vehicles

Abstract raises $30 million to enable designers to work like developers

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Abstract, the git-enabled design workflow platform that already supports thousands of modern product design teams, has raised $30 million in Series C funding.

Lightspeed Venture Partners led the round with participation from existing investors Scale Venture Partners, Amplify Partners, and Cowboy Ventures, bringing the total funding to-date to $54.2 million.

As part of this financing, Lightspeed partner Nakul Mandan will be joining the company board.  [Read more…] about Abstract raises $30 million to enable designers to work like developers

Markforged raises $82 million to bring industrial 3D printing to mass production

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Markforged, a manufacturer of industrial 3D printers, has closed an $82 million Series D round of funding.

The round was led by Summit Partners with participation from existing strategic and financial partners, including Matrix Partners; M12, Microsoft’s Venture Fund; Next47; and Porsche SE.

Markforged says it will use the additional capital to help accelerate its product roadmap, including the introduction of mass production printers and new materials.  [Read more…] about Markforged raises $82 million to bring industrial 3D printing to mass production

Nvidia to acquire Mellanox for $7 billion

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Nvidia and Mellanox have reached a definitive agreement under which Nvidia will acquire Mellanox.

Nvidia will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Mellanox for $125 per share in cash, representing a total enterprise value of approximately $6.9 billion.

The acquisition will unite two of the world’s leading companies in high-performance computing.  [Read more…] about Nvidia to acquire Mellanox for $7 billion

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