Driverless systems like the one in Sydney represent the future of urban clean and efficient transport. In this article, train manufacturer Alstom answers some key questions about driverless trains. [Read more…] about Who drives a driverless train?
Search Results for: autonomous
Flytrex receives FAA approval to double drone delivery radius to two nautical miles
Flytrex, a specialist in on-demand drone delivery for food and retail, has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to expand its delivery radius from one to two nautical miles across all its operating stations in North Carolina and Texas.
Deliveries will be made in cooperation with longtime partner Causey Aviation Unmanned, offering food, drinks and other goods to approximately 100,000 eligible customers that can opt into the service – a substantial increase from the 40,000 customers that were previously eligible.
Flytrex and Causey will conduct all flights while maintaining the highest safety standards. [Read more…] about Flytrex receives FAA approval to double drone delivery radius to two nautical miles
Siemens expands robotic activities with Geekplus
Geekplus, a manufacturer of autonomous mobile robots, has expanded its collaboration with electronic components manufacturer Siemens Switchgear Shanghai with the second phase of a smart manufacturing automation project.
The expansion introduces more of Geekplus’s goods-to-person picking and materials handling robots to the multi-robot configuration and opens up a further 3,000 sq m of automated warehousing space. The system achieved a delivery accuracy rate of 100 percent, with materials accuracy of over 99.98 percent in the production line.
Siemens Switchgear Shanghai first joined forces with Geekplus in 2019 and successfully built a full-process flexible automated intelligent logistics factory using four types of Geekplus robots: P800R goods-to-person picking robots, MP1000R moving robots, RS2 tote-to-person robots, and X-series four-way shuttles for high-density storage. [Read more…] about Siemens expands robotic activities with Geekplus
Robots in retail: Delivering the goods in 2022
By Ritukar Vijay, CEO at Ottonomy
Retailers are feeling the heat from rising labor costs, and are increasingly looking to automated solutions to keep worker costs down.
According to a February 28, 2022 story in The Wall Street Journal, US retailers spent 4 percent more cash on labor costs in the fourth quarter of 2021, compared to the same period in 2020.
Big box brands like Target, Costco, and Walmart are all raising wages above beyond the $15 minimum wage level to secure the staffing they need to stay competitive. For retailers, restaurants, and other consumer-facing businesses, the wage growth issue stems from a burgeoning problem – not enough workers. [Read more…] about Robots in retail: Delivering the goods in 2022
Startup uWare Robotics develops ‘first’ complete system to map and monitor coastal ecosystems
A Belgian-Spanish startup called uWare Robotics says it has developed the “first end-to-end technology to map and monitor coastal ecosystems”.
uWare says its system consists of a number of proprietary hardware and software technologies, including an autonomous underwater vehicle, called the uOne.
Designed for maximum mobility, stability, cost-effectiveness, and autonomy, the uOne allows for data collection at “five times the speed of a diver” and with the precision of a robot, claims uWare. [Read more…] about Startup uWare Robotics develops ‘first’ complete system to map and monitor coastal ecosystems
South Korea AutoStore integrator Asetec joins the RightHand Robotics partner integrator network
RightHand Robotics, a provider of autonomous robotic picking solutions for order fulfillment, and Asetec, a logistics automation ICT company, have partnered for future robotic logistics center integration projects in South Korea.
As an AutoStore integrator, Asetec will combine the world’s leading robotic storage system and other matched technologies with RightHand Robotics’ award-winning RightPick item-handling solution to expand its offerings with a diversified range of automation.
Founded in 1996, Asetec is a turnkey integrator for logistics centers, providing customers with consulting and engineering, automation design and construction, and AI software solutions (WMS/TMS/OMS/WCS). [Read more…] about South Korea AutoStore integrator Asetec joins the RightHand Robotics partner integrator network
Serve Robotics partners with Piestro to deliver robot-made pizzas
Piestro, a maker of a robotic pizzeria, is partnering with Serve Robotics, a maker of autonomous sidewalk delivery robots, to offer customers a totally robotic pizza delivery service.
When a customer places an order, Piestro’s scheduling system will notify Serve’s fleet and the nearest available robot will pick up the pizza for transport from a Piestro pod.
The partnership will roll out in the coming months, as Piestro deploys units within Serve delivery areas. [Read more…] about Serve Robotics partners with Piestro to deliver robot-made pizzas
Blendid and Jamba find new customer for their robot-made smoothies
Blendid, a maker of a robotic machine that makes food, and Jamba, a provider of fruit and vegetable smoothies, are planning to expand their “Jamba by Blendid” autonomous robotic kiosk locations to Love’s Travel Stops, building on the system’s initial deployments in retail locations and college campuses.
The first Jamba by Blendid kiosk piloted at a Love’s Travel Stop will open this summer in Williams, California, just outside of Sacramento, marking a strategic expansion into rest area locations to meet the increasing demand for nutritious quick-serve options for commuters, travelers and professional truck drivers across the United States.
With more than 590 locations in 41 states, Love’s Travel Stops provides professional drivers and motorists with 24-hour access to clean and safe places to purchase gasoline, diesel fuel, compressed natural gas, travel items, electronics, snacks, restaurant offerings, and more from coast to coast. [Read more…] about Blendid and Jamba find new customer for their robot-made smoothies
SLAMcore raises $16 million to give spatial understanding to robots and the metaverse
SLAMcore, a developer of vision-based location and mapping for robots and autonomous machines, has raised $16 million in Series A capital.
The company says the funding will allow the business to rapidly capitalize on its proven technology which combines AI with consumer-grade cameras, sensors and processors to solve the complex challenges of mapping and navigating for a wide range of autonomous machines and devices.
The funding round was led by ROBO Global Ventures and Presidio Ventures who invested alongside Amadeus Capital, Global Brain, IP Group, MMC and Octopus. Strategic investors Samsung Ventures, Toyota Ventures, and Yamato Holdings also joined the round. [Read more…] about SLAMcore raises $16 million to give spatial understanding to robots and the metaverse
Soft assistive robotic wearables get a boost from rapid design tool
Scientists created a new design and fabrication tool for soft pneumatic actuators with integrated sensing, which can power personalized healthcare, smart homes, and gaming.
Soft, pneumatic actuators might not be a phrase that comes up in daily conversations, but more likely than not you might have benefited from their utility. The devices use compressed air to power motion, and with sensing capabilities, they’ve proven to be a critical backbone in a variety of applications such as assistive wearables, robotics, and rehabilitative technologies.
But there’s a bit of a bottleneck in creating the little dynamic devices that have advantages like high response rates and power to input ratios. They require a manual design and fabrication pipeline, which translates to a lot of trial and error cycles to actually test and see whether the designs will work. [Read more…] about Soft assistive robotic wearables get a boost from rapid design tool