Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

coronavirus

Automated COVID Testing Thanks to a Tireless Robot developed by item America

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The sheer scale of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to numerous innovative developments in industry to provide efficient solutions to meet the multitude of new challenges.

item America has played a part in several automation projects in the age of COVID – the manufacture of face masks and a workstation for analyzing coronavirus tests.

Now, item has played a role in the world’s first automated coronavirus testing station. Developed by Munich-based Franka Emika GmbH, a test station housing the “SR-NOCS” (“Swab Robot for Naso- and Oropharyngeal COVID-19 Screening”) swab robot. [Read more…] about Automated COVID Testing Thanks to a Tireless Robot developed by item America

Manufacturing Masks – Using Your Own Production Facilities

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The coronavirus pandemic saw the demand for masks skyrocket. Meeting that demand meant finding solutions fast.

The demand for medical face masks has risen particularly steeply. These are not the everyday fabric or “community” masks that keen crafters around the world are now churning out.

Although such face coverings do lower the risk of the wearer passing on the coronavirus to others (source control), they fall short of the stringent requirements in medical and industrial environments, where the wearer needs to be protected from infection and/or pollutants. [Read more…] about Manufacturing Masks – Using Your Own Production Facilities

How Covid 19 has affected delivery services?

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The well-known deadly virus regarded as Covid-19; aka Coronavirus has undeniably been a significant cause of massive disruption in our daily regime.

Not only it has impacted our occupations but also restrained us from stepping out of the house for all necessary to additional outgoings. Shopping was once the most exciting pastime to do, but today’s critical consequences have indeed made it a daunting task, especially in-person trading.

Online shopping plays an immense role in offering a safe yet convenient method for acquiring your basic necessities and wants. However, the main issue comes on letting those deliveries inside your home. [Read more…] about How Covid 19 has affected delivery services?

ABB robots accelerate coronavirus testing in Singapore

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ABB robots are accelerating coronavirus testing in Singapore through a new robotics lab system which “saves time and costs and keeps lab workers safe”, according to the company.

As part of Singapore’s efforts to enhance its nation-wide COVID-19 testing capabilities, ABB’s high-precision robots have been deployed in a new automated laboratory system, known as the Rapid Automated Volume Enhancer (RAVE).

The system automates some of the manual steps usually required in sample processing. Two sets of RAVE and associated equipment can process an industry-topping throughput of close to 4,000 samples a day. RAVE also reduces test contamination and infection risks for laboratory workers. [Read more…] about ABB robots accelerate coronavirus testing in Singapore

China has more industrial robots than next four countries combined

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China has more industrial robots than next four countries put together, according to a new report. 

Data presented by Buy Shares indicates that China, Japan, and the United States cumulatively control about 58.71 percent of the global industrial robot installations.

As of September 2020, there were 381,000 units of industrial robots globally. [Read more…] about China has more industrial robots than next four countries combined

Investment in agricultural automation increases as farmers look to offset labor shortages

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Total investment in agricultural robot startups has increased significantly as farmers look to offset labor shortages partly caused by the coronavirus pandemic, according to a report on the Financial Times website.

Citing data collated by DealRoom.co, the news website says investment in vertical and indoor farming startups has grown by more than 40 percent this year compared with last year.

Indoor farming is basically the process of growing inside large buildings, some of which are like greenhouses and use natural light coming through transparent roofs, while others use artificial lights if their roofs are opaque. [Read more…] about Investment in agricultural automation increases as farmers look to offset labor shortages

BP’s sale of its petrochemicals business suggests big oil is trying to become big electric

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BP recently sold its petrochemicals business for $5 billion to Ineos, a move which suggests that “big oil” companies are trying to become “big electric” suppliers.

The Wall Street Journal says the sale was the “largest deal by an oil major since the coronavirus outbreak gripped the global economy”.

WSJ says the transaction would enable BP to different itself from its rivals, many of which are forecasting significant growth for the segment and don’t look like they want to sell or leave the petrochemicals sector. [Read more…] about BP’s sale of its petrochemicals business suggests big oil is trying to become big electric

The Robots Are Here to Stay: How Automation is Affecting Global Business

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Robots are shaking up different aspects of the modern business world. Deloitte’s 3rd Annual Robotics Survey suggested that the implementation of robotic process automation (RPA) in organisations is in the rise.

Robotic Process Automation? What Is It?

Simply known simply as RPA, it is the use of robotics systems on computers or robots to support the processing of data, and thereby, making such data processing more effective.

RPA also comes with programs that prevent the need for human hands or humans to perform rule-based tasks that are mostly repetitive. Thus, RPA also leads to very time-efficient processes. [Read more…] about The Robots Are Here to Stay: How Automation is Affecting Global Business

Google to allow 200,000 of its employees to work from home until next summer

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Google, the world’s biggest internet company, is to allow 200,000 of its employees to work from home until this time next year, according to a report on the Wall Street Journal website. 

Although Google officially has just over 100,000 full-time employees, the company’s decision will affect its freelance workers, part-timers and contract staff.

The directive comes amid the chaos caused by the coronavirus pandemic, with the US seeing an upsurge in cases in recent weeks, after becoming the nation with the world’s highest number of deaths caused by the Covid-19 virus. [Read more…] about Google to allow 200,000 of its employees to work from home until next summer

Reshoring from China to US not a short-term solution

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Reshoring industrial operations from China to the US has not been as straightforward as it may have sounded at first, and companies looking to do so “face significant problems”, according to a report by the South China Morning Post.

American companies, encouraged by the administration of President Donald Trump to relocate to the US, have found that there are numerous problems with reshoring.

One of the main issues relates to recruitment. The industrial sector – whether you’re talking about manufacturing, logistics, or other segments – has long had to contend with deep, structural problems in attracting workers. [Read more…] about Reshoring from China to US not a short-term solution