Robotics & Automation News

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Waabi raises $200 million to launch fully driverless trucks in 2025

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Waabi, a company pioneering generative AI for autonomous trucks, has raised $200 million in an oversubscribed Series B round, led by Uber and Khosla Ventures. 

The funding round includes participation from best-in-class strategic investors Nvidia, Volvo Group Venture Capital, Porsche Automobil Holding, Scania Invest and Ingka Investments.

Additional financial investors include HarbourVest Partners, G2 Venture Partners, BDC Capital’s Thrive Venture Fund, Export Development Canada, Radical Ventures, Incharge Capital, and others. [Read more…] about Waabi raises $200 million to launch fully driverless trucks in 2025

Bison Gear ‘transforms’ blanking operation with robotic automation

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Bison Gear & Engineering says its implementation of robotic automation has “transformed the company’s gear blanking operation”.

Bison Gear, a specialist in power transmission industry and a high-mix, low-volume manufacturer, highlights production gains with robotic automation.

Bison incrementally introduces automation solutions and targets specific steps in the production process where automation can have the greatest impact. [Read more…] about Bison Gear ‘transforms’ blanking operation with robotic automation

Fugro’s marine robot completes ‘world’s first’ fully remote offshore wind ROV inspection

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What is being described as “the world’s first” fully remote inspection of offshore wind farm assets has been successfully carried out by Fugro, using one of its Blue Essence uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) with Blue Volta, an electrical remotely operated vehicle (eROV).

The inspection at the Aberdeen offshore wind farm in the North Sea (also known as the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre) was jointly funded by Vattenfall and Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult.

This partnership gives innovators in the offshore wind supply chain the opportunity to test and prove technologies in real-world conditions to support innovation in operations and maintenance. [Read more…] about Fugro’s marine robot completes ‘world’s first’ fully remote offshore wind ROV inspection

Celera Motion launches ‘world’s first’ platform to simplify PCB design work for robotic solutions

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Celera Motion, a business unit of Novanta, has launched its Summit Designer, which the company describes as “an innovative new tool” that delivers standard market-ready PCB designs for robotic applications to save significant cost, work and time to market.

Summit Designer is an open-source PCB design library featuring a diverse and vast offering of market-ready application-specific PCBs that are designed, supported and updated by experts.

It is an optimal way to effortlessly develop compact robot joints, multi-axis AGV/AMR systems, industrial end-effectors and surgical robots, among many others. [Read more…] about Celera Motion launches ‘world’s first’ platform to simplify PCB design work for robotic solutions

Trimble unveils new ‘advanced’ path planning technology

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Trimble has unveiled its new advanced path planning technology. This software-based technology gives Trimble end users and equipment manufacturers the ability to optimize and automate the trajectory, speed and overall path design of industrial equipment to increase efficiency of work.

Manufacturers worldwide can now provide their customers with an easy-to-integrate, automated solution that works not only with Trimble systems, but also with an equipment manufacturer’s existing system.

The technology will also be available within Trimble Connected Farm and Trimble Construction Cloud, offering a seamless, end-to-end experience to Trimble end users. [Read more…] about Trimble unveils new ‘advanced’ path planning technology

BMW unveils first battery cell coating line at Leipzig factory

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BMW Group Plant Leipzig’s first cell coating line has gone into series operation as e-component production at the site continues to gain momentum.

By 2024 the two existing module assembly lines will be complemented by a third, as well as four more cell coating lines and two more high-voltage battery assembly lines. The four coating lines will enter series operation during the course of this year at roughly two-month intervals.

Markus Fallböhmer, head of battery production at the BMW Group, says: “From 2024 our plant here in Leipzig will be able to run the entire process chain for high-voltage battery production. [Read more…] about BMW unveils first battery cell coating line at Leipzig factory

Ottonomy unveils new delivery robot

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Ottonomy has unveiled Yeti, which it describes as “the first fully autonomous unattended delivery robot on the market”.

Ottonomy adds that the robot as ideal for curbside, first mile and last mile deliveries, locker integration and automating the return process for retailers.

Ottonomy is focused on innovating and paving the way for efficient and sustainable delivery logistics. With its global pilots throughout 2022, Ottonomy successfully demonstrated autonomous deliveries across a range of terrain and in varying inclement weather conditions, in order to provide sustainable solutions for automating deliveries for multiple use cases at scale. [Read more…] about Ottonomy unveils new delivery robot

Thermo Fisher Scientific partners with Celltrio to build fully automated cell culture system

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Thermo Fisher Scientific, one of the world’s leading science companies, and Celltrio, a manufacturer of robotics-based solutions for the life sciences industry, have collaborated to bring a fully automated cell culture system to biotherapeutics customers.

The collaboration will integrate the Thermo Scientific Momentum workflow scheduling software with the Celltrio RoboCell cell line automation platform to address the critical unmet market need for high-throughput automated cell line culturing and maintenance.

Celltrio’s RoboCell systems distributed in Europe will now use Momentum software for work scheduling and data management. [Read more…] about Thermo Fisher Scientific partners with Celltrio to build fully automated cell culture system

Three strikes and you’re out! Humans give up on robots after multiple mistakes

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Humans are less forgiving of robots after multiple mistakes – and the trust is difficult to get back, according to a new University of Michigan study.

Similar to human co-workers, robots can make mistakes that violate a human’s trust in them. When mistakes happen, humans often see robots as less trustworthy, which ultimately decreases their trust in them.

The study examines four strategies that might repair and mitigate the negative impacts of these trust violations. These trust strategies were apologies, denials, explanations and promises on trustworthiness. [Read more…] about Three strikes and you’re out! Humans give up on robots after multiple mistakes

Baidu aims to create ‘world’s largest fully driverless ride-hailing area’

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Baidu, an AI company with strong internet foundation and often referred to as China’s equivalent of Google, has embarked on a major expansion of its commercialized fully driverless robotaxi service in Wuhan.

The new expansion would triple the size of its current operation area, increasing the number of robotaxis in service and expanding operating time to include key evening hours.

The move marks a major milestone on Baidu’s ambitious autonomous ride-hailing roadmap, as the company plans to put an additional 200 fully driverless robotaxis into operation across China in 2023, aiming to cover “the largest fully driverless ride-hailing service area in the world” by the end of the year. [Read more…] about Baidu aims to create ‘world’s largest fully driverless ride-hailing area’