Robotics & Automation News

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Parrot and Survae partner to develop drone imagery with interactive mapping

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Parrot, a drone manufacturer, and Survae, a software platform for managing aerial and ground-based imagery, have agreed a partnership through Parrot’s SDK program to combine Parrot’s ANAFI and ANAFI Thermal hardware and Survae’s software for professional drone use.

Parrot’s ANAFI and ANAFI Thermal drones offer an ultra-compact tool for professionals, helping them gain new vantage points to make informed decisions using the drone’s aerial insights.

In addition to its built-in 4K HDR camera, ANAFI Thermal also integrates a FLIR thermal sensor – allowing working professionals to easily capture thermal and visual readings for faster response times, along with higher precision and efficiency. [Read more…] about Parrot and Survae partner to develop drone imagery with interactive mapping

Open Manufacturing Platform expands with new industrial giants joining

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The Open Manufacturing Platform has expanded, with new steering committee members and new working groups established.

OMP is an alliance founded in 2019 to help manufacturing companies accelerate innovation at scale through cross-industry collaboration, knowledge and data sharing as well as access to new technologies.

The OMP was founded under the umbrella of the Joint Development Foundation, which is part of the Linux Foundation. [Read more…] about Open Manufacturing Platform expands with new industrial giants joining

Columbia engineers develop ‘tactile robot finger with no blind spots’

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Researchers at Columbia Engineering say they have developed a new type of robotic finger with a sense of touch. Their finger can localize touch with very high precision – less than 1 mm – over a large, multicurved surface, much like its human counterpart. (See video below.)

Matei Ciocarlie, associate professor in the departments of mechanical engineering and computer science, says: “There has long been a gap between standalone tactile sensors and fully integrated tactile fingers–tactile sensing is still far from ubiquitous in robotic manipulation.”

Ciocarlie led this work in collaboration with Electrical Engineering Professor Ioannis Kymissis. [Read more…] about Columbia engineers develop ‘tactile robot finger with no blind spots’

HOOPS Exchange 2020 ramps up support for manufacturing as a service

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Tech Soft 3D, a provider of software development toolkits to engineering software companies, has released HOOPS Exchange 2020.

The company describes it as “the industry’s fastest and most accurate CAD data access and reuse technology for manufacturing and architecture, engineering and construction workflows”.

Tech Soft adds that HOOPS Exchange 2020 continues to improve support for manufacturing as a service applications. [Read more…] about HOOPS Exchange 2020 ramps up support for manufacturing as a service

SICK’s Industry 4.0 training gets you started with IO-Link on the PLC

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SICK is holding a series of hands-on training days to help machine builders and end-users progress on their Industry 4.0 journey by unlocking valuable data from IO-Link sensors via a PLC.

During the one-day course, delegates will learn, step-by-step, how to set up an IO-Link Master to enable sensors to communicate data with a PLC.

By the end of the course, “Getting Started with IO-Link on Your PLC”, delegates will be able to control and monitor sensors from the PLC and collect data which can be used to increase plant efficiency and productivity. [Read more…] about SICK’s Industry 4.0 training gets you started with IO-Link on the PLC

New Scale Robotics earns UR+ certification for its components

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New Scale Robotics says its NSR-PG-10-20-URe Gripper/Caliper and NSR-MTM-3-URe Multi-Tool Mount have received UR+ Certification from Universal Robots.

With this certification, UR confirms that it has tested and approved the products to work with UR e-Series collaborative robots to provide fast deployment, simple programming and reliable operation.

The NSR-PG-10-20-URe Gripper/Caliper is the smallest parallel gripper and the first robotic digital caliper for collaborative robots. [Read more…] about New Scale Robotics earns UR+ certification for its components

Mercedes expands development of autonomous commercial vehicle systems

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From project to product: With AXYARD, Lab1886 and Daimler Trucks automate the operation of commercial vehicles

The automated snow removal by two self-driving Mercedes-Benz Arocs in Immendingen shows a successful application for automated commercial vehicles in closed areas.

The joint project of Lab1886, the innovation unit for new business models within Mercedes-Benz AG, and Daimler Trucks, the inventor of the truck, has now become a product that can be used as a solution for various customer requirements in sectors such as on-site logistics and agriculture.

Lab1886 and Daimler Trucks, together with Fraport, demonstrated the operation of self-driving snow-clearing vehicles in non-public closed areas for the first time in October 2017 as part of a pilot project on the site of the former Pferdsfeld air base. [Read more…] about Mercedes expands development of autonomous commercial vehicle systems

SICK launches SIG200 ProfiNet sensor integration gateway

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SICK has unveiled its SIG200 ProfiNet Sensor Integration Gateway, the first in a family of intelligent Industry 4.0 gateways designed to work as both IO-Link Masters and small, distributed control systems in one.

The sensor specialist says it makes light work of configuring localised sensor applications and, at the same time, opens up high-speed transfer of sensor status, parameter and diagnostics data with enterprise-level or cloud-based systems.

SICK’s SIG200 Sensor Integration Gateway is an IO-Link Master with an on-board web server that collects, combines, evaluates and transmits signals from IO-Link devices from any manufacturer. [Read more…] about SICK launches SIG200 ProfiNet sensor integration gateway

Advanced driver assistance systems: Disrupting the global automotive safety landscape

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Automotive accidents and road mishaps and the subsequent injuries and fatalities present a significant global concern today.

According to the Association for Safe International Road Travel, nearly 1.25 million people succumb to road accidents every year, which equates to an average of almost 3,287 deaths a day.

Despite the alarming statistics however, strong technological evolution across the industrial landscape, particularly in the automotive domain, is ensuring that things take a turn for the better. [Read more…] about Advanced driver assistance systems: Disrupting the global automotive safety landscape

Panasonic develops ‘multifunctional secure’ IC for industrial IoT

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Panasonic has developed a multifunctional secure integrated circuit in response to the need for enhanced security measures to protect internet of things and industrial devices used in facilities such as factories and warehouses.

When installed in such devices, Panasonic says its new IC with unique encrypting functions will “boost their security”. The company will start sample shipments in February 2020.

The use of IoT devices has been growing rapidly in a variety of fields, requiring improved measures against increasingly sophisticated and diverse security attacks. [Read more…] about Panasonic develops ‘multifunctional secure’ IC for industrial IoT