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Simbe Robotics introduces ‘industry-first’ farm supply solution

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Simbe Robotics, the provider of in-store inventory robots and its proprietary Store Intelligence software, is expanding into farm supply with a partnership with Country Supplier.

After a successful proof of value, Country Supplier, a farm and ranch retailer with stores across Idaho, Utah, Nevada and Arizona, will install Simbe technology across additional locations.

Farm supply stores are vital to local communities, providing essential products that support daily operations for farms and local businesses. To meet seasonal demand, store shelves need to be well-stocked with the right products, at the right time, and at price points that customers expect. [Read more…] about Simbe Robotics introduces ‘industry-first’ farm supply solution

Predictions for 2025: Generative AI and more technology in factories

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Chris Iveson, CEO and co-founder of FourJaw Manufacturing Analytics, shares four predictions for how he believes smart factory operations will evolve in 2025

The manufacturing industry is often bombarded by tech companies and consultants pushing pipedream technologies nowhere near ready for implementation in most factory settings.

Despite this, the smart factory movement keeps marching on, driven by practical, down-to-earth tools that manufacturers can deploy at scale to deliver rapid return on investment. [Read more…] about Predictions for 2025: Generative AI and more technology in factories

Learning from Apple: Designed in the West, manufactured in the East

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Apple wasn’t always the 3.75 trillion-dollar company it is today. The company was close to bankruptcy in 1997, before Steve Jobs returned to launch newly designed and eye-catching products – like the first multi-coloured iMac range, the iPod and then the iPhone – and put the company on the journey to become the modern corporate phenomenon that it is today.

In today’s globalised economy, Apple could now be said to be the quintessential example of a company that designs its products in the United States while manufacturing them in China and across Asia.

Apple is not, of course, unique in this approach. Many other companies have been doing this for a long time. Such companies used to be called “multinationals” before the internet made the term almost redundant.

[Read more…] about Learning from Apple: Designed in the West, manufactured in the East

Humanoid robots: Stepping out of science fiction, into the real world

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For many decades, science fiction films and books have described and shown us a variety of humanoid robots that range from ones that look clearly mechanical and follow simple orders and have limited functionality to ones that are indistinguishable from human beings in appearance but are far stronger, faster and more capable in many ways.

And over those decades, audiences have been encouraged to imagine such robots as figments of the imagination, something for the future – a future after our own lifetimes.

Now, however, instead of waiting there for us to die and spare us from having to deal with it, that future is hurtling towards us with unsettling speed.

[Read more…] about Humanoid robots: Stepping out of science fiction, into the real world

Virginia Tech innovates underwater robotics with support from the Office of Naval Research

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It’s been said that we know more about the surface of the moon than the floor of Earth’s oceans. For more than two decades, Virginia Tech’s Center for Marine Autonomy and Robotics has been developing robots that can find what lies beneath the sea surface with the support of the Office of Naval Research.

Bringing together faculty and students from the College of Engineering and the Virginia Tech National Security Institute, the center is developing advanced underwater robots and autonomy algorithms that enable them to operate intelligently without human oversight.

The research team recently was awarded two grants totaling more than $5 million to continue that mission. Two additional grant proposals, totaling about $2.4 million, have been selected by the agency and awards are in process. [Read more…] about Virginia Tech innovates underwater robotics with support from the Office of Naval Research

Mobile robot shipments set to grow from 547,000 to 2.8 million by 2030, says report

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Mobile robot shipments will remain the highest across all robot form factors. ABI Research, a technology intelligence firm, forecasts shipments to grow from 547,000 units in 2023 to 2.79 million by 2030, a compound annual growth rate of 24.1 percent.

Mobile robots are most used within warehousing and logistics, but the form factor is increasingly essential in manufacturing, last-mile delivery, agriculture, and healthcare. Mobile robots demonstrate efficiency improvements for diverse applications varying from cleaning to security.

Accordingly, revenue generated from mobile robots will rise from $18 billion to $124 billion by 2030, a CAGR of 23.6 percent. [Read more…] about Mobile robot shipments set to grow from 547,000 to 2.8 million by 2030, says report

Locus Robotics and Geodis celebrate ‘10 million units picked’ at US distribution facility

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Locus Robotics, a warehouse automation company, working with its customer, Geodis, a global logistics provider, has surpassed 10 million units picked using Locus’s warehouse automation solution at its Carlisle, Pennsylvania, distribution center.

The companies say the milestone achievement further demonstrates the transformative impact of Locus warehouse automation technology on productivity, operational efficiency, and unmatched flexibility at an “unprecedented scale”.

Rick Faulk, CEO, Locus Robotics, says: “As a trusted collaborator for more than six years, Geodis is setting new standards for speed and efficiency within its facilities. [Read more…] about Locus Robotics and Geodis celebrate ‘10 million units picked’ at US distribution facility

Exotec expands pharmaceutical sector portfolio through partnerships with Hygie31 and Hartmann

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Exotec, a provider of warehouse automation and robotics solutions, has agreed partnerships with two new organisations in the pharmaceutical sector: Hygie31 and Hartmann Group. Both companies will adopt Exotec’s Skypod robotic system to automate warehouse processes and increase efficiency.

Hygie31, a major player in the healthcare industry has chosen Exotec to transform its pharmacy Dhygietal logistics platform, with the Skypod robots implemented at the company’s La Veuve warehouse.

The Exotec installation covers 1,500 sq m and comprises 38 Skypod robots, moving autonomously in all directions and up to 11 metres in height.

[Read more…] about Exotec expands pharmaceutical sector portfolio through partnerships with Hygie31 and Hartmann

Drev and Kollmorgen to develop ‘groundbreaking’ AGV with integrated contamination control technology

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As gigafactories and recycling plants scale to meet rising demands, the need for innovative solutions that address both safety and efficiency continues to grow.

To meet this demand, Drev and Kollmorgen Autonomous Mobile Solutions have agreed to jointly develop “a groundbreaking Automated Guided Vehicle with integrated contamination control technology”.

Designed to operate in large, highly restricted and hazardous environments, this AGV aims to ensure the safety of workers by operating where humans should not, while at the same time recovering valuable raw materials that would otherwise be discarded as dust. [Read more…] about Drev and Kollmorgen to develop ‘groundbreaking’ AGV with integrated contamination control technology

Opinion: Enhancing employee experience with robotics and automation at DHL

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By Sally Miller, global CIO, DHL Supply Chain

As the deployment of robotics and automated solutions accelerates, we are seeing supply chain and logistics operations transform.

Over time, initial concerns that robotics would replace the human workforce have gradually given way to a deeper understanding of how these technologies complement and enhance human roles.

The integration of robotics and automation into supply chains is proving to be a powerful tool which works alongside employees to drive efficiency while reducing manual strain and creating new career development opportunities.

[Read more…] about Opinion: Enhancing employee experience with robotics and automation at DHL