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ESMERA opens €200,000 competition to fund small businesses developing robotics solutions

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The EU funded robotics project ESMERA – the European SMEs Robotics Applications – has opened its second open call to help fund small businesses developing robotic solutions for enterprise applications.

Within that call, industrial end-users have defined specific challenges that are to be solved by introducing a robotics solution.

The challenges come from the areas of manufacturing, energy, construction, agriculture, food processing, retail, healthcare and emergency response. [Read more…] about ESMERA opens €200,000 competition to fund small businesses developing robotics solutions

Groupe PSA tests test vehicle-to-infrastructure communications in Spain

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For the first time in an urban environment, The Automotive Technology Centre of Galicia and Groupe PSA are testing the contribution that communication technologies can make to the development of automated vehicle functions.

The aim is to see how well vehicles can communicate with the surrounding infrastructure in a complex urban environment.

The tests carried out in Vigo related to: an automated valet parking system; autonomous driving in an urban environment; optimal speed regulation when approaching a traffic light; and protection of vulnerable users.

[Read more…] about Groupe PSA tests test vehicle-to-infrastructure communications in Spain

Brain Corp expands global presence with opening of European headquarters

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Brain Corp, a San Diego-based artificial intelligence and robotics company, has opened its new European headquarters.

Located in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Brain Corp Europe will serve as a hub for operations, software development, and continuing research and development activities.

In the near term, efforts will primarily focus on providing increased support to regional partners, ensuring the successful development and sell-through of BrainOS-powered robots. [Read more…] about Brain Corp expands global presence with opening of European headquarters

UPS upgrades European network with ‘highly automated’ Dutch superhub

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UPS has opened a new automated package sorting and delivery facility in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, aimed at facilitating cross-border trade and improving its package delivery service for businesses.

The 27,000 square metre superhub is equipped with advanced technology that can sort up to 29,000 packages per hour, with the potential to expand to 40,000 per hour.

“Superhubs like this one are game changers and drive our European transborder connectivity, especially in the tech corridor where Eindhoven sits, the fastest growing part of the country where speed and reliability count,” said Nando Cesarone, President, UPS International.

[Read more…] about UPS upgrades European network with ‘highly automated’ Dutch superhub

European robotics organisation looking for external evaluators

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ESMERA, short for European SME Robotics Application, an EU-funded robotics organisation, is looking for external evaluators.

Within the robotics project ESMERA, funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 programme, a number of proposals are submitted by potential applicants.

To guarantee a neutral evaluation of these proposals, they are evaluated by a team of independent, external experts. [Read more…] about European robotics organisation looking for external evaluators

Second SpaceDataHighway satellite to launch in July

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The EDRS-C satellite, the second node of the SpaceDataHighway network (also known as EDRS), will be launched into geostationary orbit at 31° East on 24 July 2019 by an Ariane 5 launcher.

Once positioned above Europe, it will provide redundant back-up for the SpaceDataHighway system, double transmission capacity and be able to relay the data from two observation satellites simultaneously.

This second satellite will be joining EDRS-A which transmits the images of Earth acquired by the Copernicus programme’s four Sentinel observation satellites on a daily basis.

[Read more…] about Second SpaceDataHighway satellite to launch in July

Challengers in Esmera robotics competition in line to receive €200k each

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In the context of the European robotics project Esmera, 12 experiments have now started to solve industry challenges by developing new robotics solutions.

The Esmera consortium has chosen the best twelve experiments from 32 proposals that were handed in during the first Open Call in 2018.

The solution design by the experiments will be carried out in two competitive phases.

[Read more…] about Challengers in Esmera robotics competition in line to receive €200k each

Yaskawa opens new production facility in Slovenia

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Following two years of construction, Japanese technology group Yaskawa has officially opened its new robot production facility with European robotics development center at Kočevje, Slovenia. (See video below.)

Yaskawa already started European production of its Motoman robots at the end of 2018. The investment volume is about 25 million euros.

The new plant supplements the existing production facilities in Japan and China and will satisfy about 80 per cent of the European demand for Motoman robots.

[Read more…] about Yaskawa opens new production facility in Slovenia

Groupe PSA carries out autonomous driving tests in L3Pilot project

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Since the start of April, Group PSA’s vehicles equipped with level 3 autonomous driving functions have been operating on open roads in France as part of the European L3Pilot project.

Six to eight vehicles will undergo intensive driving tests to validate autonomous functions on dual carriageways.

The project is strengthening Groupe PSA’s expertise in the development of autonomous vehicles, thanks to a global ecosystem of partners, including European carmakers, research centres and roads authorities.

[Read more…] about Groupe PSA carries out autonomous driving tests in L3Pilot project

Esmera launches new robotics competition – each winner to receive more than €200,000

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An EU-backed project called the European SMEs Robotic Applications, or Esmera, has launched a competition to find solutions to industrial end-user challenges.

Esmera says it is looking for real-life problems in which providers would like to introduce a robotics solution.

Eight of these challenges will be included in an open call in September 2019, to which SMEs all over Europe will apply to solve them. [Read more…] about Esmera launches new robotics competition – each winner to receive more than €200,000