Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

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Hirebotics develops new robotic welding system

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Hirebotics has developed a new robotic welding system using Universal Robots machines.

The new for-hire BotX Welder – developed by Hirebotics and utilizing Universal Robots’ UR10e collaborative robot arm – lets manufacturers automate arc welding with no capital investment, handling even small batch runs not feasible for traditional automation.

Nowhere in manufacturing is the shortage of labor felt as urgently as in the welding sector, which is now facing an acute shortage of welders nationwide. [Read more…] about Hirebotics develops new robotic welding system

How AI Could Boost Business Customer Service

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From forecasts to spam filters, artificial intelligence has long been used to help companies across industries. Within recent years, it’s begun to play a key role in a major business area: customer service. 

Though it’s widely seen as a human-led sector, this form of tech could simplify a number of B2C tasks, likely boosting overall client experience as a result. In turn, this may very well improve brand reputation as well as profit turnover.

Let’s explore the main ways in which AI stands to enhance customer service within a business. [Read more…] about How AI Could Boost Business Customer Service

There’s an app for that: Automating the moving of parts from warehouses to field service technicians

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By Travis Smith, founder and CTO, WithoutWire Inventory Sciences

A typical process to move parts from a warehouse to a field technician generates a 77 percent reduction in barcode scans using automated optimization

Field technicians are paid to do their job, not to study software manuals. Many field techs are under 40 and have spent their lives using Android and iOS apps. These solutions are easy to install; with a minimal learning curve, automating, tracking, and replenishing truck inventory in real-time is now possible.  [Read more…] about There’s an app for that: Automating the moving of parts from warehouses to field service technicians

AI driving actionable sales intelligence in manufacturing

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By Barrett Thompson, Zilliant Business Solutions

The manufacturing plant floor has been automated and optimized for years; yet revenue and profit growth remain stagnant.

Seemingly everything has been process-improved with lean manufacturing principles; however, the cost of doing business remains high and the C-Suite continues its demands for an increase in revenue per transaction and gross margins.

Two functions at manufacturing organizations are prime for process improvement:

  • selling; and
  • pricing.

A closer look at the selling function reveals that despite reducing labor costs via transformational automation solutions, sales teams still manage large, antiquated portfolios. They are expected to increase their book of business while retaining current customers. [Read more…] about AI driving actionable sales intelligence in manufacturing

CP Technologies claims to be ‘first’ rugged computer manufacturer to expand into full rack integration

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CP Technologies, a provider of ruggedized computers, is claiming to have become the “first” rugged computer manufacturer to expand into full rack integration. 

The company’s president and CEO, Mike McCormack, gave Robotics and Automation News an interview some time before the latest development in which he explained that the company’s background in the military is useful for the industrial and commercial markets. (See video below.)

For over 20 years, CP Technologies – formerly Chassis Plans – has been designing and manufacturing computers, servers, LCD displays, storage arrays, and human interface devices to defense and industrial customers. [Read more…] about CP Technologies claims to be ‘first’ rugged computer manufacturer to expand into full rack integration

DHL launches last-mile drone delivery service in China

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DHL Express has partnered with autonomous aerial vehicle company EHang to jointly launch a fully automated and intelligent smart drone delivery solution to tackle the last-mile delivery challenges in the urban areas of China.

The launch ceremony was held today at the EHang Command and Control Center in Guangzhou, with the attendance of senior executives from both companies.

This cutting-edge solution takes its inaugural flight for a DHL customer, making DHL the first international express company to provide such a service in China.

[Read more…] about DHL launches last-mile drone delivery service in China

Elisa and NVision partner to provide IIoT and AI for manufacturers

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Elisa and NVision Czech Republic have launched a reseller and customer agreement to bring actionable, real-time insights to customers in manufacturing and industrial process businesses based on Elisa’s Smart Factory solution.

The solution automates customer data collection and integration, creates a 3D visualization of the factory and detects failures and bottlenecks in production.

Kari Terho, general manager, Elisa Smart Factory, says: “We are taking the complex process of messy industrial data into rich insights and visualizing it in a compelling, easy-to-understand way for factory management, production supervisors and operators. [Read more…] about Elisa and NVision partner to provide IIoT and AI for manufacturers

Accenture and SoftBank Robotics combine to offer insight into future of customer relations

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Accenture’s Peter Lacy with Pepper the robot
Accenture’s Peter Lacy with Pepper the robot

In the future, all customer relations could be managed by robots. That’s what science fiction films have been telling us for decades. And now, perhaps more than ever, that vision is becoming more real than ever. 

As part of a newly announced collaboration with SoftBank Robotics to reimagine the future of digital customer interactions, Accenture Interactive demonstrated a new prototype based on the Pepper robot in Paris at Pepper Partners Europe event during InnoRobo (May 24-26), one of the world’s largest robotics events.

Pepper is the ground-breaking humanoid robot with the ability to read emotions that was developed by Softbank Robotics (previously Aldebaran Robotics) and first introduced in Japan in 2014.

The enhanced Pepper-based platform blends human and artificial intelligence, provided by Accenture Interactive, to deliver omni-channel customer service and commerce capabilities – including social media, mobile and in-store applications.  [Read more…] about Accenture and SoftBank Robotics combine to offer insight into future of customer relations