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Toyota showcases its new advanced autonomous car platform to Boston robotics community

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Boston has become one of the main centres for robotics technologies in recent years, with many well-known companies emerging from the area. 

Perhaps with this in mind, the Toyota Research Institute decided to showcase its latest developments in autonomous vehicle technology, something it’s calling “Platform 2.0” – basically, its new driverless car – to attendees at the Robotics: Science and Systems conference at MIT.

“This is the first time that we are showing the car off to the Boston-area robotics community,” said a spokesman for TRI. “This new advanced safety research vehicle is the first autonomous testing platform developed entirely by TRI, and reflects the rapid progress of our autonomous driving program.”  [Read more…] about Toyota showcases its new advanced autonomous car platform to Boston robotics community

HMS Industrial launches new smart grid connectivity gateway

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hms_ixxat-sg-gateways

New IXXAT SG-gateways from HMS Industrial Networks enable data exchange between infrastructure and energy networks based on IEC61850 or IEC60870-5-104, and common fieldbus and industrial Ethernet systems, says the company.

While industrial communication between devices and systems is typically done with fieldbus and industrial Ethernet, modern infrastructure and energy networks are based upon other protocol standards such as IEC61850 and IEC60870-5-104.

The new IXXAT SG-gateways from HMS address the increasing need for data exchange between these two worlds, offering a wide protocol coverage and easy integration.  [Read more…] about HMS Industrial launches new smart grid connectivity gateway

New report highlights 5G opportunities for operators

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ADL 5G_Rollout_models

New business models are emerging as enterprises and solution providers get ready for the next generation of mobile networks, according to a new report. 

In its latest report, 5G Deployment Models Are Crystallizing, Arthur D. Little examines the opportunities that exist for telecom operators to facilitate new business ecosystems enabled by the next generation of mobile networks.

Promising huge increases in speed and bandwidth, 5G has the potential to deliver a vast array of realistic, interactive experiences to consumers, for example, in the areas of immersive games and sports viewing, autonomous driving and augmented reality infotainment, with use cases currently being built.  [Read more…] about New report highlights 5G opportunities for operators

Americans positive about future of manufacturing but wouldn’t want to work in it

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Americans are optimistic about the future of manufacturing despite saying they wouldn’t want to work in the sector. 

The US manufacturing industry suffers from an important image problem that undermines its competitiveness, says a new opinion survey by Deloitte and the National Association of Manufacturers.

Only 50 per cent of Americans think manufacturing jobs are interesting and less than 30 per cent are likely to encourage their children to pursue a career.  [Read more…] about Americans positive about future of manufacturing but wouldn’t want to work in it

Next generation pick-to-light offers dynamic automation scalability

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Pick-to-Light

By Thomas Cutler

Until now pick-to-light equipment has represented a significant fixed capital expense with little consideration for variable use, often driven by seasonality, warehouse/distribution variance, and project management flux.

From manufacturers to 3PL (third-party logistics) companies, these swings in low or high usage represented a level of waste as purchased lights went unused and wasted.

Pick-to-light is a fulfilment technology which uses alphanumeric displays and buttons at storage locations to guide the manual picking and recording of items for shipment.  [Read more…] about Next generation pick-to-light offers dynamic automation scalability

DHL and Wärtsilä complete tests of mobile robots from Fetch Robotics for warehouse operations

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Industrial technology company Wärtsilä and the world’s largest logistics company, DHL, say they have been utilising mobile robots from Fetch Robotics to streamline warehouse operations. (See video below.)

The companies say they have completed a “successful pilot”, where they tested autonomous vehicles from Fetch Robotics.

The pilot was carried out in Wärtsilä’s central distribution centre in Kampen, the Netherlands, where the entire logistics chain of Wärtsilä’s spare parts, from order intake to customer delivery, is managed.

As Wärtsilä’s partner, DHL runs the warehouse operations.  [Read more…] about DHL and Wärtsilä complete tests of mobile robots from Fetch Robotics for warehouse operations

Dassault Systèmes boss talks about generative design and whether humans are necessary

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Nothing is as straightforward as it might first sound. So, for example, one might imagine that, by using generative design software, a designer could set parameters for the computer to produce a structure and then use a 3D printer to output that structure, whether that structure is a single molecule of steel or a larger, more complex structure, like a car body. Basically, you could get the computer to do almost all of the design work.

The technology is available to do those things. And any designer who’s produced countless iterations of one basic design would certainly appreciate such powerful software. But is it really as simple as that? Probably not.

If anyone would know the answer for sure, it would be Stephen Chadwick, managing director of Dassault Systèmes for the north European region, or EuroNorth, and he says it’s possible to remove humans from the design process completely.  [Read more…] about Dassault Systèmes boss talks about generative design and whether humans are necessary

WTWH Media buys The Robot Report

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therobotreport homepage

Business-to-business publisher WTWH Media has bought The Robot Report for an undisclosed sum.

TheRobotReport.com was founded in 2008 by Frank Tobe, and is one of the leading websites in this growing sector of publishing.

The website covers robotics in a variety of business segments, including transportation, agriculture, manufacturing and even outer space.  It has an international perspective, covering many countries around the globe.  [Read more…] about WTWH Media buys The Robot Report

Denso opens new sales and training centre as it celebrates 50 years

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denso mobile robot

Denso Robotics has opened its latest and “most modern” sales, application and training center, located 40 minutes northeast of Cincinnati.

The Denso Robotics sales, application and training Center in West Chester, Ohio provides production operators, programmers and maintenance personnel training on the finer points of today’s cutting edge robotic arms, controllers and applications.

Staffed with experts in their field, the center is designed to serve Denso Robotics’ customers in the Midwest, East Coast and Southern regions of the country.  [Read more…] about Denso opens new sales and training centre as it celebrates 50 years

South Korea’s largest airport has hired robots made by LG to assist travellers

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lg electronics robot for airports small
The LG Airport Guide Robot

South Korea’s largest airport – Incheon International Airport, in Seoul – has given jobs to a number of robots made by LG Electronics. 

The mobile machines are designed to enable travellers to scan their tickets to get flight information and they can escort them to the flight gates.

Alternatively it can just provide directions to locations within the airport, complete with walking distances and times, or information about the traveller’s eventual destination, such as weather and other details.  [Read more…] about South Korea’s largest airport has hired robots made by LG to assist travellers