france

Groupe PSA carries out autonomous driving tests in L3Pilot project

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…]

Sepro launches €11 million expansion of robot operations in France and the US

The Sepro Group has embarked on an €11 million expansion plan which will accelerate its robot operations in France and the US.

Following four years of “record-setting sales growth”, Sepro says its three-phase, €11 million expansion plan will increase production capacity at the company’s headquarters facility in La Roche-sur-Yon, France, and launch a new global training facility nearby.

In the US, the plan will add large-robot assembly capabilities to the systems integration and service operations already in place at the Sepro America operation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. [Read more…] about Sepro launches €11 million expansion of robot operations in France and the US

Lucas presents Comau to France

Robotics and automation distributor Lucas is presenting Comau robots to its French market at an event this week.

Lucas signed a deal with Comau as an official distributor of its robots in France. Lucas, is a long-established French company based in Bazas, and has been active for over 50 years in manufacturing and supplying linear axis and Cartesian robots.

Lucas organized an open house October 12 and 13 in order to present the new partnership with Comau, and a series of products and active robot cells to the market and French media. [Read more…] about Lucas presents Comau to France

InnoTrans 2016 prepares for record number of exhibitors

This year’s InnoTrans event is set to be the biggest in its 11-year history, with record numbers of companies booked to showcase their transport solutions.

InnoTrans claims it is the world’s leading international trade fair for transport technology, and this year almost 3,000 exhibitors are preparing their stalls for the 100,000 trade visitors the organisers are predicting will attend.

InnoTrans is a favourite with train companies, particularly as they look to upgrade their rail networks using automation technology as did Norway, and because there is increasing interest in and talk of intelligent transport systems.

And this year the French are particularly enthusiastic about the event.

Famed for the TGV – Train à Grande Vitesse – high-speed rail service, the French legion readying themselves to go to the event boast that the French are “at the forefront of the rail industry not only in France but all over the world”. [Read more…] about InnoTrans 2016 prepares for record number of exhibitors

Rethink Robotics signs up 10 new partners in eight months

Rethink Robotics’ Baxter and Sawyer collaborative robots

Rethink Robotics says it has reached partnership agreements with 10 separate companies in seven different countries in the past eight months.

Rethink, which makes collaborative robots it gives human names like “Baxter” and “Sawyer”, recently arranged inaugural global channel partner summit in Boston which was attended by more than 30 of its partner companies.

The companies discussed market trends in the rapidly growing collaborative robotics industry at the summit, which was the first meet of its kind for the group. [Read more…] about Rethink Robotics signs up 10 new partners in eight months