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General Motors reveals autonomous electric mobile platform

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General Motors has unveiled a new type of vehicle which the company says is flexible, autonomous and is powered by fuel cell technology – or electric. 

GM says the Silent Utility Rover Universal Superstructure – Surus, for short – delivers highly mobile autonomous capability and agility in unpredictable terrain.

This would make it suitable for military use, which is what GM is aiming at. But it could also find applications in the commercial logistics industry, another market GM has listed where Surus could find work. [Read more…] about General Motors reveals autonomous electric mobile platform

GM acquires lidar developer Strobe to accelerate driverless car development

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General Motors has acquired lidar – light detection and radar – technology company Strobe.

As part of the deal, Strobe’s engineering talent will join GM’s Cruise Automation team to develop next-generation lidar solutions for self-driving vehicles.

Kyle Vogt, founder and CEO, Cruise Automation, says: “Strobe’s LIDAR technology will significantly improve the cost and capabilities of our vehicles so that we can more quickly accomplish our mission to deploy driverless vehicles at scale.” [Read more…] about GM acquires lidar developer Strobe to accelerate driverless car development

Japanese companies prepare to bring forward new generation of humanoid collaborative robots capable of a variety of industrial work

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There was a time when Japanese electronics companies were the Apples and Googles of the world, with everyone buying their products and talking about them in the media.

Many of those same formerly pre-eminent names today play second fiddle to the Silicon Valley tech giants.

But while they may not be discussed as much as they were in the past – and their products not as ubiquitous in the consumer market – Japanese companies still loom large in the industrial sector.  [Read more…] about Japanese companies prepare to bring forward new generation of humanoid collaborative robots capable of a variety of industrial work

ABB shows off its range of electric vehicle charging solutions

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As countries all over the world continue to expand their electric vehicle charging infrastructure to cope with increasing consumer and commercial demand, ABB is showcasing its innovative range of solutions at industry event Electric Vehicle Symposium and Exhibition, being held now in Stuttgart.

According to the International Energy Agency, more than 2 million electric cars were on the road worldwide in 2016.

And that number is expected to grow to between 9 and 20 million by 2020.

So the demand for effective EV charging infrastructure has never been greater.  [Read more…] about ABB shows off its range of electric vehicle charging solutions

ABB and Northvolt partner to build Europe’s largest battery factory

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ABB and Northvolt have agreed a wide-ranging supply and technology partnership.

The deal includes products and services for Northvolt’s lithium-ion battery factory and close collaboration on development of battery solutions and research and development activities.

ABB Technology Ventures will support the initial phase of this project through an early investment.  [Read more…] about ABB and Northvolt partner to build Europe’s largest battery factory

Atos to acquire Siemens Convergence Creators

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Atos, a technology company which has a huge interests in digitalisation of industry, says it plans to acquire Siemens Convergence Creators, a global multi-industry digital transformation solutions provider.

Atos says CVC’s highly skilled engineers and a total headcount of approximately 800 staff deliver software based solutions in the fields of communication networks, service and customer management, public safety and security, multimedia infotainment, as well as space technology.

CVC was initially an internal innovative research and development and solutions partner for multiple Siemens business units.  [Read more…] about Atos to acquire Siemens Convergence Creators

Kinova Robotics launches beta version of Movo mobile robot

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Kinova Robotics is set to offer consumers a new product line with the beta launch of Movo, a mobile manipulation platform designed to aid in the research and experimentation of mobile robotics.

Movo has been fully designed and developed using the Robot Operating System, along with MoveIt! and Gazebo, and offers an application programming interface that will provide researchers the most advanced functionality in all areas of robotics.

The new, feature-rich platform benefits from the low weight, low energy demand and compactness of Kinova’s world-renowned manipulators, combined with a powerful omnidirectional mobile system and fully integrated navigational system.  [Read more…] about Kinova Robotics launches beta version of Movo mobile robot

Kinova Robotics raises $25 million for expansion plans

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Kinova Robotics, a designer and manufacturer of robotic solutions, has raised additional funds of $25 million for further expansion.

The money came from four major contributors, including lead investor Fonds Manufacturier Québécois; co-investors KTB Network, and Foxconn; and BDC Capital, the investment arm of BDC.

Kinova says 90 per cent of its business is exports, so establishing an office outside its native Canada is a priority.

Kinova CEO Charles Deguire says: “We want our users to achieve the extraordinary with our robots – creating more value for themselves and our society.  [Read more…] about Kinova Robotics raises $25 million for expansion plans

Elmo launches new Gold Twitter 80 A servo drive

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Elmo, a supplier of motion control technology, has expanded its Gold Twitter of servo drives.

The company says it aims to empower motion applications with high intelligence servo drives and multi-axis motion controllers.

Elmo says its motion control solutions “effectively answer the needs for smart manufacturing”.  [Read more…] about Elmo launches new Gold Twitter 80 A servo drive

ABB robot hatches 30 per cent more eggs for Singapore egg farm

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Growing demand for locally-farmed eggs prompted Seng Choon Farm, to turn to automation in an effort to increase its production capacity

In April this year, ABB installed and commissioned a robotic palletizing system at Seng Choon Farm’s 36 acre site in north-west Singapore, to support increased production output as well as the company’s future expansion plans.

Since then, the robotic palletizing system, that stacks heavy boxes and baskets of eggs onto pallets, has raised the farm’s productivity by 30 per cent.

Before the robotic system was installed, workers would manually stack the cartons and baskets of eggs onto the pallets, with a single worker lifting about 15 tons of eggs a day.  [Read more…] about ABB robot hatches 30 per cent more eggs for Singapore egg farm