Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

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Werner Enterprises and Kodiak Robotics partner to run 24/7 long-haul autonomous freight operations

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Kodiak Robotics, a startup self-driving trucking company, is partnering with Werner Enterprises, a large US transportation and logistics provider, to establish an autonomous trucking lane and to showcase how efficiently autonomous trucks can be used with a transfer hub model at truckports.

The relationship commenced in August with a week-long pilot program in which a Kodiak truck, accompanied by a human safety driver at all times, completed four tours involving eight unique trips between Dallas and Lake City, Florida.

Werner Enterprises also joined Kodiak’s Partner Deployment Program, which helps carriers establish autonomous freight operations and seamlessly integrate the Kodiak Driver, Kodiak’s self-driving system, into their fleet. [Read more…] about Werner Enterprises and Kodiak Robotics partner to run 24/7 long-haul autonomous freight operations

FDA approves Virtual Incision to complete clinical study enrollment for its MIRA platform

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Virtual Incision, a medical device company pioneering the world’s first miniaturized robotic-assisted surgery platform, says the US Food and Drug Administration has approved an Investigational Device Exemption supplement to complete the final stage of its clinical study analyzing the MIRA Platform in bowel resection procedures.

The approval was supported by a favorable interim clinical study report on the safety profile of MIRA.

The IDE supplement approval puts Virtual Incision on track to obtain the clinical evidence needed to bring innovation to the soft tissue surgical robotics industry, a market that has been historically dominated by a single player. [Read more…] about FDA approves Virtual Incision to complete clinical study enrollment for its MIRA platform

Sole Source Capital raises $555 million for second fund

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Sole Source Capital, an industrial-focused private equity firm, has closed its second fund, SSC Partners II or “Fund II”, with aggregate total commitments of $555 million.

Fund II was significantly oversubscribed with an initial target of $400 million and reached its hard cap. With the closing of Fund II, Sole Source Capital now manages in excess of $1 billion just three years after the launch of Fund I.

Since 2016, Sole Source has completed 24 transactions focusing on driving rapid value creation in lower middle market companies. [Read more…] about Sole Source Capital raises $555 million for second fund

GSR rescues its deep-sea manganese mining robot

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GSR, the deep-sea exploratory division of the DEME Group, has successfully recovered its prototype deep-seabed mining robot – which had become uncoupled from a cable connecting it to a surface vessel – from the floor of the Pacific Ocean.

Patania II – GSR’s purpose-built prototype nodule collector – is currently being trialled in 4,500 metre water depth in the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) of the Pacific Ocean.

On its final dive in the GSR area on 25 April, a lifting point separated and Patania II was uncoupled from the 5 km cable that connects it to the surface vessel. [Read more…] about GSR rescues its deep-sea manganese mining robot

Starship completes ‘1 million autonomous deliveries’ and raises another $17 million

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Delivery robot maker Starship Technologies says it has completed “1 million autonomous deliveries” since its launch in 2014.

The company adds that its business continues to expand with new partners and customers being added all the time.

In a blog post, Ahti Heinla, co-founder and CTO at Starship Technologies, says: “I’m proud to announce we have reached one million autonomous deliveries, more than 6 years after founding the company in 2014. [Read more…] about Starship completes ‘1 million autonomous deliveries’ and raises another $17 million

Locomation completes autonomous truck test involving three states

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Locomation, a startup company providing autonomous trucking technology, has completed an on-road test that involved three different states in America.

The pilot program is intended to showcase autonomous trucking technology for the SmartBelt Coalition (SBC), a collaboration of five transportation agencies and seven research and academic institutions, located throughout Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

Over the course of one week, two Locomation trucks performed three separate interstate routes under close observation from representatives of all involved organizations. [Read more…] about Locomation completes autonomous truck test involving three states

Exploring the Present and Future Impact of Robotics and Machine Learning on the Healthcare Industry

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Robotics has already revolutionized the manufacturing industry, but it has begun to impact the healthcare industry as well. AI is already showing that it can do a lot of what humans can, only faster and cheaper.

The potential benefits of machine learning and artificial intelligence are only starting to be seen, though we can make an educated guess regarding the benefit it can have.

Let’s look at the current and future impact robotics and machine learning is making on the healthcare industry. [Read more…] about Exploring the Present and Future Impact of Robotics and Machine Learning on the Healthcare Industry

Neolix inaugurates factory for manufacturing autonomous vehicles

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Neolix, a maker of small autonomous delivery vehicles, has laid the foundation stone to mark the start of building a factory for manufacturing driverless vehicles. 

The company says the new facility in Changzhou will be the first unmanned vehicle mass-production base in the region, and possibly the world.

The plant will produce vehicles which have “Level 4” autonomation, which is described as “full autonomy with human driver” by the SAE. [Read more…] about Neolix inaugurates factory for manufacturing autonomous vehicles

NextGenAM 3D printing pilot successfully completed

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The “NextGenAM” project, what began as a vision in May 2017, has now reached a successful conclusion.

The aim was to develop a digitalised next-generation manufacturing line to produce aluminium components for the automotive and aerospace sectors significantly more cost-effectively than is currently possible.

The successful outcome was that, in terms of the overall production process, manufacturing costs could be reduced by up to 50 percent compared with existing 3D printing systems.

[Read more…] about NextGenAM 3D printing pilot successfully completed