Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

equipment

Yamaha Motor Ventures leads $7.5 million funding round for Verge Ag

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Yamaha Motor Ventures, the strategic business development and investment arm of Yamaha Motor, has led a $7.5 million Series A funding round for Verge Ag, a precision agriculture company.

Verge claims to be the developer of the world’s first AI-powered interactive software that enables farmers to plan, simulate, and validate the movement of equipment in the field and execute field operations efficiently.

Nolan Paul, partner and Global Ag Tech lead for Yamaha Motor Ventures, says: “This investment in Verge Ag underlines our thesis that precision farming technologies are mission critical to a sustainable future for agriculture. [Read more…] about Yamaha Motor Ventures leads $7.5 million funding round for Verge Ag

Tips for Minimizing Bodily Injury in the Field

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It might seem strange that painters would need to watch out for injuries, but they do. Whether it’s minor sprains or painful falls, there are countless things that you need to protect yourself from.

This post will explore some of the most common painting injuries and how you can minimize them. [Read more…] about Tips for Minimizing Bodily Injury in the Field

Global semiconductor manufacturing equipment sales surge 44 percent to record $103 billion

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Worldwide sales of semiconductor manufacturing equipment in 2021 surged 44 percent to an all-time record of $102.6 billion from $71.2 billion in 2020, SEMI, the industry association representing the global electronics product design and manufacturing supply chain, reported.

The data is now available in SEMI’s Worldwide Semiconductor Equipment Market Statistics (WWSEMS) Report.

China claimed the largest market for semiconductor equipment for the second time with sales expanding 58 percent to $29.6 billion to mark the fourth consecutive year of growth. [Read more…] about Global semiconductor manufacturing equipment sales surge 44 percent to record $103 billion

Will Hiring an Office-Moving Company Save You Time and Money?

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Whether you are just relocating your offices down the street or packing your entire business and moving across the state, the whole process can be daunting and quite stressful.

Unfortunately, many business owners make the mistake of assuming that handling the move on their own can be cost-effective. However, nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, evidence shows that hiring professional office movers will save you time and money. And this is why. [Read more…] about Will Hiring an Office-Moving Company Save You Time and Money?

Spending on semiconductor fabrication equipment expected to reach record $107 billion in 2022

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Global fab equipment spending for front-end facilities is expected to jump 18 percent year-over-year to an all-time high of $107 billion in 2022, marking a third consecutive year of growth following a 42 percent surge in 2021, according to a report by industry association SEMI.

Ajit Manocha, president and CEO of SEMI, says: “Crossing the $100 billion mark in spending on global fab equipment for the first time is a historic ​milestone for the semiconductor industry.

“This ​significant achievement is a tribute to the relentless drive to add and upgrade capacity to address a diverse range of markets and emerging applications, solidifying expectations for long-term industry growth to enable electronics for the digital world.” [Read more…] about Spending on semiconductor fabrication equipment expected to reach record $107 billion in 2022

Berkshire Grey launches new robotic system for autonomous e-commerce autobagging

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Berkshire Grey, a developer of in AI-enabled robotic solutions that automate supply chain processes, has introduced its new Robotic Pick and Pack with Identification (BG RPPi) system, which now includes advanced auto-identification and item manipulation technology, for touchless eCommerce autobagging.

Using Berkshire Grey’s advanced AI-enabled robotic technology, this system combines automated picking with intelligent placement for packing eCommerce items directly into autobagging equipment, thereby increasing throughput capacity without adding additional labor.

Kishore Boyalakuntla, VP of Product at Berkshire Grey, says: “Berkshire Grey’s Robotic Pick and Pack with Identification (BG RPPi) system for autobagging is the newest addition to our innovative portfolio of eCommerce solutions. [Read more…] about Berkshire Grey launches new robotic system for autonomous e-commerce autobagging

Interview: Formic aims to change the way you integrate robotics and automation into your facility

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Formic Technologies is a new type of company which, itself, is the result of the huge changes that are occurring in the robotics and automation market, what with all sorts of new robots and technologies emerging, none of which is cheap to buy, and creating an increasing amount of complexity when it comes to implementing them in an integrated system at, say, a factory. 

In simple terms, you can hire robots – for example, Universal Robots collaborative robots – and other automation technologies from Formic. But it’s more than that. You can also have Formic design the implementation, and handle the integration, for which the startup company has many established partners.

And possibly Formic’s unique selling point is its promise to link its income from its customers to those customers’ success with the automation systems Formic installs. In other words, it’s a kind of like a robotics-as-a-service company which you can pay as you go according to a sliding scale – or “Easy to start, easy to scale”, as Formic likes to put it. [Read more…] about Interview: Formic aims to change the way you integrate robotics and automation into your facility

Metal Nameplates: What Are Their Uses?

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Metal nameplates are widely used in home appliances, machinery, electronic products, and other fields. They can also be used as metal labels on machines to ensure that equipment is used correctly. In addition, information for safety guidelines, asset tracking, or manufacturing data can be embedded in them.

The metals that are used often include iron, stainless steel, aluminum, zinc alloy, tin, copper, and more. The plates can be created through methods such as etching, printing, stamping, electroplating, drop plastic, wire drawing, and other processes.

You can have customized nameplates made and designed according to your specifications. Metal Marker Manufacturing provides more information about metal nameplates and how you can have yours made with custom specifications. [Read more…] about Metal Nameplates: What Are Their Uses?

Agtonomy raises another $5 million to develop technology platform for local agriculture

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Agtonomy, a hybrid autonomy and tele-assist service platform, has raised an additional $5 million in Seed II funding from strategic and venture investors Toyota Ventures, Flybridge, Hampton VC, E²JDJ and Momenta, for a total of $9 million in seed funding to date.

The startup, which is developing a platform for local agriculture, raised $4 million in its seed round from Grit Ventures, GV (formerly called Google Ventures), and Village Global, the venture firm backed by some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs including Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Michael Dell, in September last year.

This latest round will be used to accelerate development and trials of the Agtonomy platform to address the growing labor and sustainability challenges facing local agriculture. [Read more…] about Agtonomy raises another $5 million to develop technology platform for local agriculture

The autonomous future of industrial vehicles: Interview with John Deere business manager Jesse Haecker

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John Deere is, by most accounts, the world’s largest manufacturer of agricultural machinery – tractors, combine harvesters and so on. According to figures published by Statista, the 185-year-old American giant generated revenues of almost $32 billion in 2020. 

The next three companies on the list are, in order, Kubota ($15 billion), CNH Industrial ($11 billion), and AGCO ($9 billion). So Deere is clearly in the lead now, but one of those three companies – CNH Industrial – may be in a good position to grow its market share going forward because it launched a quite striking looking autonomous tractor a couple of years ago.

While CNH’s machine may look too futuristic for most farms, possibly leading people to believe it won’t take off any time soon, John Deere has nonetheless responded to the whole autonomous trend by launching its own driverless tractor (pictured below), which was showcased at the recent CES event. [Read more…] about The autonomous future of industrial vehicles: Interview with John Deere business manager Jesse Haecker