Robotics & Automation News

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Kuka receives ‘record orders’ in first six months of year

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Kuka, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of industrial robots, says it has achieved “record orders” in the first six months of 2022.

At €2,545.4 million, the value of Kuka Group’s orders received in the first half of the year was 34.8 percent higher than in the previous year, and sales revenues increased by 13.5 percent to around €1.7 billion.

In addition, Kuka improved earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) to €48.6 million (H1/21: €33.8 million). The EBIT margin increased to 2.8 percent in the first half-year 2022. [Read more…] about Kuka receives ‘record orders’ in first six months of year

634AI to install 200 autonomous mobile robots in Musashi manufacturing facilities worldwide

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634AI, the developers of Maestro, an artificial intelligence-enabled control tower for indoor mobility management, and Musashi Seimitsu, a global tier-1 auto part manufacturer, have signed an agreement to install 200 autonomous mobile robots, powered by Maestro, across Musashi Seimitsu’s 35 manufacturing facilities worldwide.

634AI’s Maestro powered AMRs will be used to automate Musashi Seimitsu’s intra logistics operation and increase the safety and efficiency of activity on its manufacturing floors.

Musashi Seimitsu, a global transmission gear manufacturer, is a major shareholder in 634AI. After two years of testing 634AI’s Maestro in live manufacturing facilities in Japan, Musashi Seimitsu will be rolling out 634AI’s AMRs under the management of Maestro over the next four years. [Read more…] about 634AI to install 200 autonomous mobile robots in Musashi manufacturing facilities worldwide

ABB opens $100 million global innovation and training campus for machine automation at B&R in Austria

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ABB opened its new global innovation and training campus at the headquarters of B&R in Eggelsberg, Austria, its global center for machine and factory automation. B&R is a subsidiary of ABB. 

The new campus will create up to 1,000 additional high-tech jobs and includes world-class research and development laboratories, as well as global training facilities for up to 4,000 people per year in collaboration with universities. ABB invested EUR 100 million ($103 million) in the expansion of the B&R headquarters.

Campus innovations around artificial intelligence and machine and factory automation will play an essential role in unlocking the potential of future industrial production – in sectors such as electronics, e-mobility, food and beverage, recycling, logistics, or agriculture. [Read more…] about ABB opens $100 million global innovation and training campus for machine automation at B&R in Austria

Volkswagen enters global electric vehicle battery business

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Volkswagen has broken ground for its first battery production factory in Salzgitter, Germany last week in the presence of Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

Production will start in 2025. With immediate effect, responsibility for global battery business is to be held by the newly created company “PowerCo”. In addition to cell production, the new company will be responsible for activities along the entire battery value chain.

Up to 2030, PowerCo is to invest more than €20 billion together with partners in the development of the business area, to generate annual sales in excess of €20 billion and to employ up to 20,000 people in Europe alone. [Read more…] about Volkswagen enters global electric vehicle battery business

Global Money Transfer: Past, Present and Future

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In a world where people are increasingly mobile, the need for efficient and cost effective methods of transferring money internationally is greater than ever.

Global money transfer has come a long way in recent years, with new technologies and services emerging to make the process easier than ever. But what does the future hold for global money transfer?

In this blog post, we will take a look at the past, present and future of global money transfer, and explore some of the key trends that are shaping this industry. [Read more…] about Global Money Transfer: Past, Present and Future

Global semiconductor equipment sales grow 5 percent to $25 billion

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Global semiconductor equipment billings grew 5 percent year-over-year to $24.7 billion in the first quarter of 2022, according industry association SEMI.

The figures were revealed in SEMI’s Worldwide Semiconductor Equipment Market Statistics Report. Quarter-over-quarter billings in the seasonally soft first quarter declined 10 percent.

Ajit Manocha, SEMI president and CEO, says: “Year-over-year first quarter equipment revenue growth is in sync with positive forecasts for 2022 as the semiconductor industry continues its robust increase of fab capacity. North America and Europe logged healthy quarter-over-quarter rises in equipment spending as they intensify efforts to bolster domestic chipmaking.” [Read more…] about Global semiconductor equipment sales grow 5 percent to $25 billion

ForwardX Robotics partners with Qualcomm to develop new autonomous mobile robots

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ForwardX Robotics, a manufacturer of autonomous mobile robots for warehouses, is partnering with chipmaking giant Qualcomm to develop new robots.

The two companies showcased the results of their collaboration at the recent Hannover Messe event in Germany, where ForwardX and Qualcomm jointly gave demonstrations.

Qualcomm showcased its Robotics RB5 Platform with the ForwardX Flex AMR on display. The robotics platform supports 5G connectivity, AI and machine learning, superior computing, and intelligent sensing capabilities. [Read more…] about ForwardX Robotics partners with Qualcomm to develop new autonomous mobile robots

SLAMcore raises $16 million to give spatial understanding to robots and the metaverse

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SLAMcore, a developer of vision-based location and mapping for robots and autonomous machines, has raised $16 million in Series A capital.

The company says the funding will allow the business to rapidly capitalize on its proven technology which combines AI with consumer-grade cameras, sensors and processors to solve the complex challenges of mapping and navigating for a wide range of autonomous machines and devices.

The funding round was led by ROBO Global Ventures and Presidio Ventures who invested alongside Amadeus Capital, Global Brain, IP Group, MMC and Octopus. Strategic investors Samsung Ventures, Toyota Ventures, and Yamato Holdings also joined the round. [Read more…] about SLAMcore raises $16 million to give spatial understanding to robots and the metaverse

GXO partners with 6 River Systems for supply of warehouse robots

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GXO Logistics, one of the world’s largest contract logistics providers, has reached a multi-year global agreement with 6 River Systems, a robotic fulfillment solutions provider, to meet the demand for collaborative mobile robots – also known as autonomous mobile robots – in its logistics operations across the US and Europe.

Sandeep Sakharkar, chief information officer at GXO, says: “6 River Systems’ Chucks provide a huge boost to the retention of our team members and deliver a substantial sustained increase in operational productivity.

“This agreement fortifies our long-term partnership with 6RS, ensuring rapid deployment of popular productivity-enhancing warehouse collaborative robots that give our customers a competitive advantage.” [Read more…] about GXO partners with 6 River Systems for supply of warehouse robots

Key VPN Statistics: What Are the Numbers Telling Us?

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All over the world, individuals use virtual private networks (VPNs) to secure their connections to the internet. The encryption protects your activity from prying eyes, allowing you to browse the web with greater anonymity.

Furthermore, a VPN may replace your actual IP address with one from another region, allowing you to access material that would otherwise be. [Read more…] about Key VPN Statistics: What Are the Numbers Telling Us?