Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

News

Chinese companies set to spend $12 billion a year on semiconductor manufacturing equipment

by

 

Chinese semiconductor manufacturers are on course to spend $12 billion on fabrication equipment annually, according to a new report.

Semi, the industry association and provider of electronics market research, says the opportunities in China’s integrated circuits market are “expanding dramatically”.

Semi’s new China IC Industry Outlook Report also notes that China has an increasing presence in the global semiconductor manufacturing supply chain.  [Read more…] about Chinese companies set to spend $12 billion a year on semiconductor manufacturing equipment

Honeywell launches new hardware and software platform for its mobile computers

by

 

Honeywell has launched a new hardware and software platform for the next generation of its mobile computers.

The devices are generally used globally by distribution centers, transportation and logistics providers, hospitals, and retailers to capture critical data.

The Mobility Edge Platform comprises common hardware architecture and a suite of tools on which Honeywell and its partners will build future mobility solutions, which include rugged handheld computers, wearable devices, voice-directed technology, tablets and vehicle-mounted computers.  [Read more…] about Honeywell launches new hardware and software platform for its mobile computers

Altizon and Cross Company team up to accelerate industrial internet applications

by

 

Altizon and Cross Company have formed a partnership that they say will help accelerate the adoption of internet of things and digital transformation technology for the industrial enterprise.

Altizon is an IIoT platform company, while Cross is a systems integrator specializing in critical industrial controls and data solutions.

The companies say Cross’ information services group will utilise Altizon’s Datonis platform for smart manufacturing.  [Read more…] about Altizon and Cross Company team up to accelerate industrial internet applications

Robotic gripper soft enough to change light bulbs without breaking them

by

How many robots does it take to screw in a light bulb?

The answer: just one, assuming you’re talking about a new robotic gripper developed by engineers at the University of California San Diego.

The engineering team has designed and built a gripper that can pick up and manipulate objects without needing to see them and needing to be trained.  [Read more…] about Robotic gripper soft enough to change light bulbs without breaking them

Arnold Automation becomes ‘first official distributor’ of Ready Robotics’ ‘robot for hire’

by

New business model allows companies of various sizes to buy or lease robots, says Ready Robotics

Arnold Automation, a newly created division of Arnold Packaging, says it has signed the first-ever distribution deal with Ready Robotics to distribute the TaskMate, Ready Robotics’ flexible automation platform.

The TaskMate can be quickly deployed in a wide variety of manufacturing environments and easily programmed to perform repetitive tasks.  [Read more…] about Arnold Automation becomes ‘first official distributor’ of Ready Robotics’ ‘robot for hire’

Portescap launches new high torque brushless direct current motor for surgical applications

by

 

Company says the new high torque brushless DC motor offers improved thermal characteristics and reliability for orthopedic large bone applications

Portescap has launched its newest surgical motor solution for large bone orthopedic powered hand tools. 

The company says this new size 12 (31.5 mm diameter) mini motor is available in 9.6V, 12V and 14.4V versions with cannulated and non-cannulated options, these motors can deliver peak torques of up to 1,720 mNm in a compact envelope.  [Read more…] about Portescap launches new high torque brushless direct current motor for surgical applications

Continental unveils new human machine interface for automated driving

by

 

Continental, a developer of advanced driver assistance systems, has developed a new human-machine interface which places the control of a vehicle at the user’s fingertips, says the company.

The HMI – which is designed to be integrated into a vehicle dashboard (as pictured above) – provides a central input device for maneuver control in the center console as an element of the holistic human-machine dialogue, says the company.

Continental says the input element increases the mode awareness when moving from manual to automated driving mode.  [Read more…] about Continental unveils new human machine interface for automated driving

Microsoft and partners lay superfast subsea cable across Atlantic

by

 

There’s not many things more fascinating in today’s high-tech world than subsea cables.

In and of themselves, in principle, they’re just cables. But also in and of themselves they are highly sophisticated and powerful pieces of equipment.

And the sheer magnitude of the engineering involved in laying them undersea across oceans and connecting continents is arguably a wonder of the modern world.  [Read more…] about Microsoft and partners lay superfast subsea cable across Atlantic

Providing orientation for materials: MEquadrat builds test systems using Kollomogren servo motors

by

 

Swiss company MEquadrat builds test systems with decentralized servo technology from Kollmorgen, and the servo motors from the Kollmorgen AKM series also travel along on the rotary indexing table, as Martin Zimmermann explains

Materials with optoelectronic functions are an indispensable part of electrical components today.

Users need to know the material’s precise internal molecular structure before the components are installed so that these then work reliably in the application.

MEquadrat (ME2) builds test systems for this purpose that are designed as a rotary indexing table.  [Read more…] about Providing orientation for materials: MEquadrat builds test systems using Kollomogren servo motors

Renesas launches Linux platform for developing human machine interfaces

by

 

Renesas Electronics, a provider of advanced semiconductor solutions, has launched the RZ/G microprocessor series, which the company says enables rapid development of high-performance Linux and Android applications.

Designed for industrial, home appliances, and office equipment employing a human machine interface, the RZ/G Series extends the capabilities of the RZ/A Series MPUs – which supports 2D graphics at up to WXGA resolution – to deliver high-end performance in applications such as image processing, video sensing, and 3-D graphics and multimedia at up to 1080p resolution.

One of the key features of the new RZ/G Series, says Renesas, is the high performance for enhanced UI expressiveness and video sensing.  [Read more…] about Renesas launches Linux platform for developing human machine interfaces