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Kuka receives ‘record orders’ in first six months of year

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Kuka, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of industrial robots, says it has achieved “record orders” in the first six months of 2022.

At €2,545.4 million, the value of Kuka Group’s orders received in the first half of the year was 34.8 percent higher than in the previous year, and sales revenues increased by 13.5 percent to around €1.7 billion.

In addition, Kuka improved earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) to €48.6 million (H1/21: €33.8 million). The EBIT margin increased to 2.8 percent in the first half-year 2022. [Read more…] about Kuka receives ‘record orders’ in first six months of year

Embark Trucks completes autonomous vehicle testing in snowy conditions

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Embark Trucks, a developer of autonomous technology for the trucking industry, says it has successfully completed on-road testing in snowy conditions in Montana, USA.

The testing, which Embark announced earlier this year, was conducted to demonstrate the performance and safety of Embark’s patent-pending Vision Map Fusion (VMF) technology in geographies that experience severe winter weather.

Results from the testing demonstrate that in approximately 90 percent of runs through the snowy conditions under study – which could result in delays for HD map-based autonomous driving systems – VMF should operate successfully, or pause and resume travel within acceptable shipper delivery windows. [Read more…] about Embark Trucks completes autonomous vehicle testing in snowy conditions

Sweden’s largest pharmacy chain partners with GreyOrange to increase warehouse automation

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Apotek Hjärtat, Sweden’s largest pharmacy chain, has signed a new partnership with GreyOrange to develop automation solutions for its new 20,000 square meter e-commerce warehouse that will open in September in Norrköping.

Through the partnership, Apotek Hjärtat will take the next step in automating its logistics. The warehouse that supplies pharmacies with goods is already largely automated, but the new collaboration gives Apotek Hjärtat the conditions to continue to improve customer experience through faster and smoother deliveries.

Eric Lundberg, CEO of Apotek Hjärtat, says: “Through the collaboration, we continue to automate our logistics flows and thereby lay the foundation for the next generation of e-commerce offering. [Read more…] about Sweden’s largest pharmacy chain partners with GreyOrange to increase warehouse automation

AMD given approval to acquire Xilinx

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Semiconductor giant AMD says it has received approval from “all necessary authorities” to proceed with the acquisition of Xilinx, a chip maker which specialises in the industrial sector.

With the exception of the remaining customary closing conditions, all conditions to the transaction closing have been satisfied and the company expects the transaction to close on or about February 14, 2022.

AMD announced its intention to acquire Xilinx in an all-stock transaction on October 27, 2020. [Read more…] about AMD given approval to acquire Xilinx

ANYmal helps mining giant Vale to prioritize people in its industry

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In a partnership with ANYbotics, Vale highlights its commitment to becoming one of the safest and most reliable mining companies in the world.

The results showed that ANYmal helps reduce exposure to hazardous conditions and integrates seamlessly into Vale’s team to autonomously perform routine inspections and deliver improved reporting during operations and periods of downtime. [Read more…] about ANYmal helps mining giant Vale to prioritize people in its industry

Brodmann17 adds ADAS to Peachtree Corners’ Level 3 autonomous vehicle for real-world smart city testing

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Brodmann17 has become the first company to add its technology to Peachtree Corners’ Curiosity Lab’s Level 3 autonomous test vehicle.

Peachtree Corners says it is one of America’s first smart city environments powered by real-world connected infrastructure and 5G.

Brodmann17 will further develop and prove out its state-of-the-art software-only perception technology for assisted driving in real-world conditions. [Read more…] about Brodmann17 adds ADAS to Peachtree Corners’ Level 3 autonomous vehicle for real-world smart city testing

Autonomous excavators ready for around the clock real-world application

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Researchers from Baidu Research and the University of Maryland have developed a robotic excavator system that integrates perception, planning, and control capabilities to enable material loading over a long duration with no human intervention

Researchers from Baidu Research Robotics and Auto-Driving Lab (RAL) and the University of Maryland, College Park, have introduced an autonomous excavator system (AES) that can perform material loading tasks for a long duration without any human intervention while offering performance closely equivalent to that of an experienced human operator.

AES is among the world’s first uncrewed excavation systems to have been deployed in real-world scenarios and continuously operating for over 24 hours, bringing about industry-leading benefits in terms of enhanced safety and productivity.

The researchers described their methodology in a research paper published on June 30, 2021, in Science Robotics. [Read more…] about Autonomous excavators ready for around the clock real-world application

NuPort Robotics selects Nvidia Drive platform for autonomous trucks

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NuPort Robotics, a Canada-based autonomous trucking company, has selected the Nvidia Drive platform to power its middle-mile semi-truck transportation solutions, which will be capable of safely operating in all weather conditions.

NuPort is defining next-generation transportation solutions for the Canadian trucking industry. Using state-of-the-art technology and a unique approach, NuPort is poised to change the middle-mile logistics.

NuPort will leverage the centralized compute capabilities of the Nvidia Drive platform-which is scalable to Level 4 autonomy-for processing a wide array of deep neural networks (DNNs) necessary for autonomous trucks to operate safely under various weather conditions. [Read more…] about NuPort Robotics selects Nvidia Drive platform for autonomous trucks

Toyota launches new cars equipped with ‘Advanced Drive’

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Toyota has launched two new cars – the Lexus LS and Mirai – equipped with what it describes as “Advanced Drive”, which sounds somewhat similar to an advanced driver assistance system, or ADAS, a widely known term to mean a range of automated or autonomous driving functions.

Toyota says its Advanced Drive “enables drivers and cars to drive together”, and that the company is seeking to enrich people’s lives through mobility.

Advanced Drive has five technology characteristics: Intelligent, Reliable, Perceptive, Interactive, and Upgradeable. [Read more…] about Toyota launches new cars equipped with ‘Advanced Drive’

Baidu Apollo awarded China’s first licenses to test autonomous vehicles at night and in special weather conditions

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Baidu Apollo has received China’s first batch of qualifications to test autonomous vehicles at night and in special weather conditions on public roads in Beijing.

A total of 53 such test qualification notices along with five general public road test licenses were granted to Baidu Apollo at the Beijing Intelligent Connected Vehicle Policy Pilot Zone launch event on April 13, 2021. The Pilot Zone encompasses 225 square kilometers, six highways, and urban expressways that cover a total length of 143 kilometers.

The ability to transport users during peak rush hours, nighttime, and bad weather scenarios – such as rainstorm conditions – poses an immense challenge in regards to the perception, prediction, planning and control capabilities of autonomous vehicles. [Read more…] about Baidu Apollo awarded China’s first licenses to test autonomous vehicles at night and in special weather conditions