Where Innovation Meets Imagination
Kuka, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of industrial robotic arms, is planning to expand into the area of personal assistance robotics.
This is according to an article on FT.com, which quotes Kuka chief executive Till Reuter.
Reuter told the FT that he sees potential for using Midea’s reach into the household appliances market to develop more complex, intelligent machines which can help with household tasks. [Read more…] about Kuka to build personal assistance robot business with Midea
Yaskawa is expanding its manufacturing operation in Sweden, according to a report on Evertiq.com.
One of the world’s largest industrial robot manufacturers, Yaskawa is investing a further €4 million into the plant at Torsås, Sweden.
The work will eventually expand the facility by 2,000 sq m and is expected to be completed by summer 2018. [Read more…] about Yaskawa invests €4 million in production facility in Sweden, and partners with Midea in Asia
ABB has installed three YuMi robots on a new production line at its electrification products plant in Ede, the Netherlands.
Designed for use in small parts assembly, the three YuMi robots will assemble a new cavity wall socket called HW52-F.
ABB says that, due to its “inherently safe” design, the YuMi collaborative dual arm robot solution will ensure the safety of those around it and elevate the nature of work at the plant by performing repetitive tasks to perfection. [Read more…] about ABB puts YuMi collaborative industrial robot to work making wall sockets at its factory in Holland
Japanese robotics maker ZMP has partnered with a taxi operator in Tokyo, as part of its plans to launch a self-driving taxi in the city in time for the 2020 Olympics, said CEO Hisashi Taniguchi.
Japan’s taxi industry, faced with a labour crunch due to an ageing population, has been looking at new technologies to drive growth. The sector may also have to deal with more competition in the future if the government allows ride-sharing services such as Uber to operate across the country.
“Autonomous taxis and the taxi industry can grow and prosper together,” Taniguchi told reporters, after announcing ZMP’s partnership with Hinomaru Kotsu. [Read more…] about ZMP partners with Tokyo taxi operator to launch self-driving cabs for 2020 Olympics
By Lisa Baertlein and Harriet McLeod, Reuters
The merger that shook food and retail stocks on Friday – Amazon’s proposed deal to buy Whole Foods Market – rattled some employees of the upscale grocery chain who expressed fears ranging from layoffs to the loss of their laid-back corporate culture.
The online retailer hopes the $13.7 billion acquisition helps it disrupt the grocery business and expand its real-world store footprint.
Carmen Clark, 37, a six-year employee at a store in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, said some workers worry that Amazon-led automation could lead to job cuts. [Read more…] about Amazon could assimilate Whole Foods workers into robots and drones in some sort of cyber-physical dystopian Borg-like nightmare
Baumüller, a drive and automation systems manufacturer, has received an order from Lemo Maschinenbau to design a cost-optimized, efficient and sustainable foil bag machine that also affords the manufacturer maximum flexibility and quick commissioning in the production process due to its modular structure.
Baumüller says its engineering specialists were able to meet Lemo’s requirement for modularity and a work cycle increase with the help of a new automation concept.
Among other things, a modern and streamlined drive and control architecture was used for this purpose. This means an integrated fieldbus system, minimum number of devices and a reduced control structure. [Read more…] about Baumüller and Lemo to partner on building brand new bag machine
Elsevier has released a couple of new books that take deep dive into the programming of robots. [Read more…] about Books: Journeys into the minds of robots
FemtoPrint, which specialises in the production or printing of 3D microdevices out of glass and other transparent materials, has signed up new partners ahead of EPHJ, one of the most important microtechnology exhibitions in the industry calendar.
FemtoPrint has reached a distribution agreement with Japan Laser Corporation and, separately, a production deal with high-end mechanical watchmaker Ulysse Nardin.
The agreement between FemtoPrint and JLC involves a commercial collaboration which will result in the commercialization of FemtoPrint products and services into the Japanese market. [Read more…] about FemtoPrint signs up new partners ahead of important microtechnology event
The employees at BMW Group’s Dingolfing Plant have a new, highly responsive assistant: an LBR iiwa lightweight robot from Kuka, which they say takes over “monotonous and physically demanding tasks”.
Previously, BMW employees had to lift a differential case which weighed up to 5.5 kg, and had to manoeuvre it with millimeter-precision, in the assembly of the front axle.
Now the robot is taking over this “ergonomically demanding work”. [Read more…] about Collaborative robotic system makes ‘monotonous and physically demanding tasks’ at BMW easier
Automation in the workplace is a polarizing issue for Americans, according to the results of a new American Staffing Association Workforce Monitor survey conducted online by Harris Poll.
About equal percentages of respondents say that automation – for example, robots or artificial intelligence – will be a good or a bad thing for the future world of work.
Specifically, 34 per cent of Americans say automation will be a positive development for the workforce in the next 10 years or more—compared with 31% who say it will be negative. A plurality (35 per cent) are neutral on the matter or just don’t know. [Read more…] about Americans split on impact of automation in the workplace
