Robotics & Automation News

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Future of Agriculture: What Does Automated Vertical Farming Look Like?

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Today, automation is revolutionizing productivity and bringing other benefits across almost all industries. Agriculture is also shifting from manual labor towards a highly automated model where almost no workers are required on site.

Challenges faced by conventional agriculture such as limited water resources and farmland have facilitated the development of high-tech greenhouses and indoor vertical farms.

They, in turn, spurred smart technologies for professional cultivation in controlled environments.

Automated indoor farming makes use of modern technologies such as sensors, big data, vertical farming robotics and AI-powered software to increase yield, reduce costs and minimize environmental impact. [Read more…] about Future of Agriculture: What Does Automated Vertical Farming Look Like?

Honeywell opens advanced warehouse automation center in Czech Republic

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Honeywell has opened a new research and development center at its advanced technology facility in Brno, a city in the Czech Republic, to help warehouse and logistics companies across Europe enhance their supply chains and strengthen the accuracy, efficiency and throughput of packages.

The state-of-the-art facility will be used by Honeywell’s engineers to develop next-generation warehouse solutions including intelligent conveyor systems, robotics, automatic storage and retrieval systems, sorting systems, palletisers and advanced picking technologies controlled by voice and light commands.

The facility will also enable Honeywell’s regional customer base to experience and train on these technologies for the first time in Europe. [Read more…] about Honeywell opens advanced warehouse automation center in Czech Republic

AutoStore launches pay-per-pick option to meet ‘fast-growing demand’ for its fulfillment automation

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AutoStore has made its warehouse automaton system available as a pay-per-pick service. 

The company says its new offering will “enable a lower entry price point to help retailers meet the growing need for more efficient warehouse operations and faster customer delivery”.

AutoStore also signed a global distribution partnership agreement with THG Ingenuity, the direct-to-consumer digital brands group. [Read more…] about AutoStore launches pay-per-pick option to meet ‘fast-growing demand’ for its fulfillment automation

How Automation is Changing the Landscape of Web Development

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The world of web development has undergone significant changes in recent years, with new technologies and tools constantly emerging to help streamline the development process.

One of the most significant developments in this area is the growing role of automation. As developers seek to optimize their workflows and deliver projects faster and more efficiently, automation has become a key factor in shaping the landscape of web development. [Read more…] about How Automation is Changing the Landscape of Web Development

South Africa’s leading manufacturing and automation shows move to new venue

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The Gallagher Convention Centre, situated in Midrand, Gauteng, has been announced as the new venue for the 12th Africa Automation Technology Fair (AATF), co-located with the inaugural Future Manufacturing Africa Trade Fair and Summit (FMA) for 2023.

Running from 9-11 May 2023, these events will showcase the latest in automation, manufacturing and technology and bring together leading public and private stakeholders, successful entrepreneurs, and small businesses, to drive industry development and growth.

RX Africa, the award-winning organisers behind both events, considered the geographic location of most of their previous visitors and exhibitors and decided that the Gallagher Convention Centre would be best suited for the substantial content involved in the shows and has great proximity for attendees coming from Pretoria and further afield. [Read more…] about South Africa’s leading manufacturing and automation shows move to new venue

Sevensense Robotics to showcase its Alphasense Autonomy Evaluation Kit at ProMAT

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Swiss 3D visual autonomy provider Sevensense Robotics says it is planning to present its Alphasense Autonomy Evaluation Kit at ProMAT 2023.

The software would enable “off-the-shelf prototyping solutions” for manufacturers of autonomous mobile robots, says the company.

Sevensense says automation has the potential to “exponentially increase efficiency, profitability, and safety in the logistics and manufacturing sectors”. But so far, the lack of a robust, yet flexible navigation technology has limited the scope and scale of automation in material handling operations. [Read more…] about Sevensense Robotics to showcase its Alphasense Autonomy Evaluation Kit at ProMAT

Qualcomm and Zebra invest in Third Wave Automation

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Third Wave Automation, a provider of high-reach autonomous forklifts, has received strategic investments from Qualcomm Ventures and Zebra Technologies, bringing the startup’s total funding to $70 million.

Carlos Kokron, vice president, Qualcomm Technologies, and managing director, Qualcomm Ventures Americas, says: “The increasing adoption of advanced robotics, artificial intelligence and 5G connectivity is facilitating the use of autonomous solutions within the warehouse.

“Third Wave Automation’s shared autonomy approach with continuous learning capabilities delivers immediate value to the customers by easily integrating with existing workflows while enhancing labor productivity and safety. We are excited to invest in Third Wave Automation to bring next-generation autonomy to the forklifts.” [Read more…] about Qualcomm and Zebra invest in Third Wave Automation

Growth in electric vehicle manufacturing drives industrial robot sales to record highs in North America

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Data released by the Association for Advancing Automation show that 44,196 robots were ordered in 2022, up 11 percent over 2021. The record results are credited to a resurgence in sales to automotive companies looking to boost electric vehicle production.

Driven by the resurgence in robot orders from automotive companies, the North American robotics market set all-time records in both robots sold and value in 2022.

According to the report from the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), North American companies ordered 44,196 robots valued at $2.38 billion last year, representing increases of 11 percent and 18 percent, respectively, over 2021, the previous record. [Read more…] about Growth in electric vehicle manufacturing drives industrial robot sales to record highs in North America

Warehouse robot maker Seegrid partners with Koops Automation Systems

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Seegrid, a builder of autonomous mobile robots for material handling, has agreed a strategic partnership with Koops Automation Systems, a leading systems integrator specializing in industrial automation for manufacturing environments.

The collaboration agreement enables Koops to bolster their portfolio by introducing their customers to the full suite of Seegrid Palion autonomous mobile robots and Fleet Central enterprise software solutions.

Mike Slager, director of business development for Koops Automation, says: “We are excited to be able to solve yet another set of problems our customers experience. [Read more…] about Warehouse robot maker Seegrid partners with Koops Automation Systems

Automation specialist B&R looking for hundreds of new employees as it significantly expands production

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The ABB Group is expanding production at B&R, its global center for machine and factory automation based in Eggelsberg, Austria.

Now that the global supply chain bottlenecks have eased recently, B&R wants to meet the high customer demand for automation solutions as quickly as possible.

Just this summer, ABB opened a new global innovation and education campus in Innviertel, Upper Austria. In the course of this, production is now also being significantly expanded. [Read more…] about Automation specialist B&R looking for hundreds of new employees as it significantly expands production