Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

delivery

ROEQ launches ‘world’s most precise’ docking station for Mobile Industrial Robots

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ROEQ claims to have launched the “world’s most precise docking station for Mobile Industrial Robots”. 

The new docking station’s ± 1mm repeatability ensures precise delivery of products and pallets carried by the autonomous mobile robots from Mobile Industrial Robots equipped with ROEQ’s cart solution.

The company unveiled its new product at Pack Expo, which is also the first chance to see ROEQ’s new TR1000 Top Roller live – a unique new conveyor top module for MiR1000, the largest model from Mobile Industrial Robots with up to 1,000 kilo payloads. [Read more…] about ROEQ launches ‘world’s most precise’ docking station for Mobile Industrial Robots

China’s largest food delivery company to test robots

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China’s largest food delivery company is to test robots, according to a report on Abacus News. 

Meituan employs more than 600,000 delivery drivers across China, and deals with more than 25 million orders a day.

The company is predicting growth of 200 per cent by 2025 and is reportedly testing the delivery robots – called “Xiaodai”, meaning “pouch” – in Beijing and Shenzen. [Read more…] about China’s largest food delivery company to test robots

Starship robots make 100,000 deliveries as startup raises $40 million in funding

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Starship Technologies, which makes an autonomous delivery robot, has closed $40 million in Series A funding.

The company, which has just become the first to complete 100,000 commercial deliveries, also announced that it plans to expand its service to 100 university campuses in the next 24 months.

Delivery robots arrived today at the University of Pittsburgh. Purdue University, Indiana is launching on September 9 with more following shortly. [Read more…] about Starship robots make 100,000 deliveries as startup raises $40 million in funding

Attabotics raises $25 million to ‘transform supply chains’

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Attabotics, a robotics company specialising in supply chain technology, has raised $25 million in Series B funding from financial and strategic investors.

Participants in the round included Coatue, Comcast Ventures, and Honeywell alongside returning early investors Forerunner Ventures and Werklund Growth Fund.

The new funding will go toward supporting Attabotics’ continued, explosive growth, including new hires, scaling manufacturing operations, the development of new technologies, and more. Attabotics has raised $32.7 million in funding to date. [Read more…] about Attabotics raises $25 million to ‘transform supply chains’

Postmates chooses Ouster lidar for autonomous delivery rover

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Delivery firm Postmates has selected the Ouster OS1 lidar sensor for use in its Serve autonomous delivery rover, which is being deployed in Los Angeles.

The Ouster OS1 lidar enables Serve to navigate pavements, detect pedestrians, and interact with the community.

The rover combines Postmates’ Socially-Aware-Navigation system and Ouster’s multi-beam flash lidar architecture to give a new platform for on-demand commerce.

[Read more…] about Postmates chooses Ouster lidar for autonomous delivery rover

From old mail order catalogues to same-day delivery: Warehouse robots are the quintessential sign of changing times

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Ever since Amazon acquired Kiva Systems in 2012 for $775 million and took the startup company’s robots off the market, warehouse managers have been looking for alternative suppliers. 

At that time, there simply no significantly well-known alternatives or proven solutions, but now, seven years on, there is a relatively large number of companies which build and supply warehouse robots.

It’s highly unlikely to be a coincidence that, in the intervening years, Amazon has grown extremely fast to become not only the world’s largest online retailer but also one of the largest logistics companies – not just in its native US, but worldwide. [Read more…] about From old mail order catalogues to same-day delivery: Warehouse robots are the quintessential sign of changing times

Drones expected to grow to $100 billion market as they take off in commercial and industrial sectors while delivery market beckons

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Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS), more commonly referred to as drones, have been in the public eye for well over this decade and a hype cycle developed around its applications for the consumer and commercial space.

The high-profile failure of major drone manufacturers and software providers, such as US firm Airware in 2018, somewhat tempered initial enthusiasm, causing early projections from industry organizations such as the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) to look overly optimistic.

However, according to a new report from global tech market advisory, ABI Research, commercial drone usage, especially in the industrial space, will be a source of accelerating growth throughout the next decade with $101 billion in revenue being created annually by 2030 across the commercial, military, civil, and consumer sectors. [Read more…] about Drones expected to grow to $100 billion market as they take off in commercial and industrial sectors while delivery market beckons

How Automation has Transformed the Delivery Process

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The world of logistics has, in recent years, been radically altered by automation.

More than ever before, the process of getting a package from one location to another has been put into the hands of machines, and the change is behind many of the recent improvements in packaging and distribution that even small businesses can enjoy.

But exactly how does automation impact the delivery process, and what changes might we continue to see in the future? Let’s take a look. [Read more…] about How Automation has Transformed the Delivery Process

Seat and Grupo Sesé launch a parts delivery service using drones

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The Seat factory in Martorell is the first Spanish plant to receive components via drone delivery. In collaboration with Grupo Sesé, the Spanish carmaker has a pioneering service connecting Sesé’s logistics centre in Abrera with the Seat factory using drones.

The first parts delivery service between two production plants in Spain by drone will deliver steering wheels and airbags to the Seat assembly lines.

The pilot project is being carried out under the supervision of the Spanish Aviation Safety and Security Agency (AESA) and will go forward in an experimental phase with several flights per day.

[Read more…] about Seat and Grupo Sesé launch a parts delivery service using drones

Udelv accelerates autonomous delivery with Microsoft Azure

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Udelv will deploy their newest autonomous delivery van (ADV), Newton, to Microsoft’s Redmond, Washington, USA campus to showcase its leading autonomous delivery service, dubbed “Autodeliv”.

The Newton ADV has modular cargo space, 1,200lb carrying capacity, and experience of more than 10,000 autonomous deliveries projected by the end of 2019.

The company plans on deploying hundreds of ADVs in key markets by the end of 2020.

[Read more…] about Udelv accelerates autonomous delivery with Microsoft Azure