Robotics & Automation News

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Daimler Trucks sets up global organisation for highly automated driving

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Daimler Trucks is establishing the Autonomous Technology Group as a global organisation for automated driving, bringing together its worldwide expertise and activities, as of June 1.

The main tasks of the new unit comprise overall strategy and implementation of the automated driving roadmap, including research and development as well as setting up the required operations infrastructure and network, heading towards the series production of highly automated trucks (SAE level 4).

The newly established Autonomous Technology Group is part of Daimler Trucks’ global effort to put highly automated trucks onto the roads within a decade.

[Read more…] about Daimler Trucks sets up global organisation for highly automated driving

BMW establishes its ‘Startup Garage’ to gain early access to pioneering innovations

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The BMW Startup Garage – part of the company’s Research, New Technologies and Innovations unit – has been tracking down the most innovative startups in the business for four years now, allowing the BMW Group to tap into their potential quickly and directly.

So far, more than 50 up-and-coming technology companies have completed its startup programme.

The BMW Startup Garage talks with over 1,500 startups from all over the world every year.

[Read more…] about BMW establishes its ‘Startup Garage’ to gain early access to pioneering innovations

BMW and Microsoft launch ‘Open Manufacturing Platform’

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Microsoft and the BMW Group have announced what they describe as “a new community initiative” to enable faster, more cost-effective innovation in the manufacturing sector.

In manufacturing today, production and profitability can be hindered by complex, proprietary systems that create data silos and slow productivity.

The Open Manufacturing Platform (OMP) is designed to break down these barriers through the creation of an open technology framework and cross-industry community.

[Read more…] about BMW and Microsoft launch ‘Open Manufacturing Platform’

Massive data centre: BMW launches ‘high-performance’ platform for development of autonomous driving systems

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BMW says its launch of the High Performance D3 platform represents ‘a key milestone’ on the automaker’s roadmap to highly and fully automated driving

It was back in 2000 when the BMW Group first started to conduct research into its vision of a car that people could drive themselves – but didn’t have to.

Six years later, in 2006, a BMW was following the racing line around the Hockenheim circuit without human assistance for the first time.

Since 2011, highly automated test vehicles from the BMW have been driving on the A9 motorway between Munich and Nuremberg. And as part of the CES in 2014, the BMW gave a demonstration of highly automated driving at the limits of performance on the Las Vegas Speedway. [Read more…] about Massive data centre: BMW launches ‘high-performance’ platform for development of autonomous driving systems

Endress+Hauser expands sensor technology plant

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Innovative Sensor Technology IST AG, part of the Endress+Hauser Group, has expanded its plant in Ebnat-Kappel in eastern Switzerland.

The expansion of the site is in response to growing demand for its sensors. The facility, built at a cost of nearly 15 million euros, now offers double the floor space.

The 13,500-square-metre plant includes roughly 3,700 square metres of production space, 1,500 of which is set aside for clean rooms.

[Read more…] about Endress+Hauser expands sensor technology plant

Sepro and Universal Robots agree new collaborative robots partnership

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Sepro Group, a provider of robotics and industrial automation for the plastic industry, and Universal Robots, a maker of collaborative robots, have signed a partnership agreement enabling Sepro to offer its Vision Control System with UR cobots.

Under the terms of this partnership between Sepro and UR, Sepro Group will integrate its Visual Control System with cobots supplied by UR.

The Visual Control Platform was developed by Sepro especially for robots used in plastics injection-molding machines. [Read more…] about Sepro and Universal Robots agree new collaborative robots partnership

Volkswagen partners with Infineon for electric vehicles

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Infineon Technologies is a new partner in the Volkswagen Group’s strategic supplier network called “Fast”, short for Future Automotive Supply Tracks.

Infineon says the program is aimed at developing close cooperation in key future fields.

As the market leader in semiconductors for electro-mobility, Infineon says it contributes significantly to the move toward electric drivetrains by the world’s largest car maker.

[Read more…] about Volkswagen partners with Infineon for electric vehicles

Eclipse Foundation launches openMobility group to plan future of autonomous cars

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The Eclipse Foundation has launched the openMobility Working Group, which will focus on open and shared collaboration around one of the major issues in urban planning around autonomous vehicles and future transportation requirements – traffic simulation and modelling.

The Eclipse Foundation is an independent, not-for-profit corporation that acts as a steward of the Eclipse open source software development community.

Based on the cutting-edge Eclipse Simulation of Urban Mobility project that originated at the German Aerospace Center, the openMobility Working Group brings together researchers and industry to create a common simulation platform for urban areas in a shared collaboration, open source environment.

[Read more…] about Eclipse Foundation launches openMobility group to plan future of autonomous cars

UTC begins work on hybrid electric aeroplane

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United Technologies (UTC) has recently launched the advanced projects group within the company, which moves at speed to build and pilot ambitious product and service demonstrators.

The group’s first product demonstrator is a hybrid-electric X-plane under the project name, Project 804.

The number “804” represents the straight-line mileage between the Pratt & Whitney facility in Longueuil, Québec, and the Collins Aerospace facility in Rockford, Illinois.

[Read more…] about UTC begins work on hybrid electric aeroplane

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