Robotics & Automation News

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National Science Foundation awards Michael Bartlett $590,600 to study soft composite manufacturing

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Michael Bartlett, an assistant professor in Virginia Tech’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, has been granted a $590,600 National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award to research and understand new strategies for manufacturing liquid metal-based soft composites.

These functional composites are deformable robust materials that could be used to make robots and electronics that are soft, stretchable, and compatible for skin-like wearable devices.

The CAREER award is the foundation’s most prestigious award for early career faculty, encouraging them to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their organizations. [Read more…] about National Science Foundation awards Michael Bartlett $590,600 to study soft composite manufacturing

Blue Robotics wins award from Society of Underwater Technology

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The Society for Underwater Technology’s Gwyn Griffiths Award for Underwater Robotics has been won by Rustom (Rusty) Jehangir, founder and CEO of Blue Robotics, an ocean technology company based in Torrance, California.

Neil Bose, chair of SUT’s Underwater Robotics Panel, and vice president (research), Memorial University, Newfoundland and Labrador’s University, says: “The standard of entries for the SUT’s Gwyn Griffiths Award for Underwater Robotics was extremely competitive this year, and the nominees of high calibre, which challenged the judges to select this year’s winner.

“On behalf of the Panel, the judges and SUT, we would like to recognise the talent, innovation, and qualities of all the entrants working in underwater robotics.” [Read more…] about Blue Robotics wins award from Society of Underwater Technology

ABB wins Red Dot award for FlexPacker industrial Delta robot

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ABB’s IRB 390 FlexPacker industrial Delta robot designed for ultra-fast packing has been chosen for the Red Dot Product Design Award – the second ABB robot to receive the prestigious award in two consecutive years.

The global Red Dot Design Awards recognize achievements in product design, with the jury – comprised of over 50 international design experts – testing and evaluating thousands of entries every year.

In 2022, the Red Dot Award panel looked for products that showed design quality and a high degree of innovation – attributes that informed the FlexPacker’s development from the beginning. [Read more…] about ABB wins Red Dot award for FlexPacker industrial Delta robot

Canadian innovator wins award for robot that does the dirtiest of industrial dirty work

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Nicolas Olmedo is on a mission to keep people safe by sending robots where no human should ever have to go: into the murky, muddy sludge of industrial mine tailing ponds and other hazardous terrains that need to be continually monitored.

His ground-breaking work to develop intelligent robots capable of traversing mud, snow, ice or rock using screw-shaped pontoons has earned Olmedo a prestigious award from Mitacs, a national innovation organization that fosters growth by solving business challenges with research solutions from academic institutions.

In recognition of his efforts to advance the robots through his company, Copperstone Technologies, Olmedo – one of three Copperstone co-founders who completed his PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Alberta – was presented the Mitacs Outstanding Entrepreneur Award on June 2 at a ceremony in Montreal, Canada. [Read more…] about Canadian innovator wins award for robot that does the dirtiest of industrial dirty work

Monarch Tractor showcases ‘world’s first fully electric, driver-optional tractor’

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Monarch Tractor has been showcasing what it says is “the world’s first fully electric, driver-optional tractor” and has been selected for 2022 CES Innovation Award in the process.

The annual CES competition honors outstanding design and engineering in consumer technology products.

Monarch says it has been named a CES 2022 Innovation Awards Honoree and was honored in the Robotics category for its flagship MK-V tractor, which it says is “the first to deliver a convergence of electrification, automation and data analysis that empowers sustainable farming, increases efficiency and safety, and maximizes profitability for farmers”. [Read more…] about Monarch Tractor showcases ‘world’s first fully electric, driver-optional tractor’

Leica Geosystems nominated for robotics award at CES

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Leica Geosystems, a provider of measurement technology, has been named a CES 2022 Innovation Awards Honoree for the Leica BLK ARC, a four-legged canine type of robot.

This year’s CES Innovation Awards program received a record high number of over 1,800 submissions. The announcement was made ahead of CES 2022, the world’s most influential technology event, happening January 5-8 in Las Vegas, Nevada and digitally.

The Leica BLK ARC is an autonomous laser scanning module for robotics applications. It provides a safe and autonomous way to perform reality capture of images and 3D data of areas that are difficult or dangerous for humans to reach. [Read more…] about Leica Geosystems nominated for robotics award at CES

Russia’s Sber Bank establishes new science award with $820,000 prize money

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Sber, Russia’s largest banking group, has created a competition to find innovative startup companies in the country, pledging to give approximately $270,000 in prize money to the winners.

It’s officially the “Year of Science and Technology” in Russia, so Sber decided to mark it by establishing the Sber Science Award, which is planned to be an annual science award to support the research and development efforts that have a considerable potential to impact the progress of science and technology.

Three winners will receive 20 million roubles (approximately $270,000) in prizes. The total prize pool of the science award reaches 60 million roubles (approximately $820,000). [Read more…] about Russia’s Sber Bank establishes new science award with $820,000 prize money

Mecademic Robotics expands into huge markets with its tiny robot

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Mecademic Robotics, the Canada-based maker of a tiny industrial robot, is expanding into some of the largest robotics markets in the world.

The company has reached strategic agreements with new “value-added partners” which will enable it to grow into reginal markets in the US, Canada, France, Germany, and Australia.

As the global market continues to see increased demand for small industrial robot arms, Mecademic says it has increased its production capacity and regional presence to better serve its customers.

Mecademic describes its new partners – which are Allied Automation (USA), The Knotts Company (USA), Electromate (Canada), Pagès Group (France), LMZ (Germany), and Andrew Donald Design Engineering (Australia) – as “cutting-edge automation solution providers”. [Read more…] about Mecademic Robotics expands into huge markets with its tiny robot

Winners of the Robotics and Automation News Awards 2021-22

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The votes are counted and decisions made, so… Congratulations to all the winners of the Robotics and Automation News Awards 2021-22, in association with SICK Sensor Intelligence. 

Download a copy of the publication: Robotics and Automation News Awards 2021-22

Watch the video below or on YouTube: Robotics and Automation News Awards 2021-22

The awful coronavirus pandemic has changed many people’s lives forever. Many have lost loved ones and many more have suffered illness and inconvenience to their lives and livelihoods.

For businesses in many sectors, it has been extremely difficult to keep going through lockdowns which reduced their income to zero or thereabouts. And despite previously unimaginable levels of government support, they were forced to wind down, perhaps to fight another day sometime in the future. [Read more…] about Winners of the Robotics and Automation News Awards 2021-22

SICK earns Innovation Award from Robotics Business Review for LiDAR Localization Product

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SICK has received an Innovation Award from the Robotics Business Review for its LiDAR-LOC product, a software solution that enables contour-based localization using LiDAR technology.

This is the third consecutive year that SICK has been given an award from the Robotics Business Review.

RBR50 is an annual list that recognizes and celebrates forward thinking companies and the original, impact solutions created by these companies. [Read more…] about SICK earns Innovation Award from Robotics Business Review for LiDAR Localization Product