Where Innovation Meets Imagination
A Japanese startup company called SkyDrive has unveiled what it claims is the world’s smallest flying car. (See video below.)
Designed to carry one person, the vehicle could be said to be the aerial equivalent of a motorcycle.
SkyDrive says it can put the what we’ll call the “airbike” into mass production in just two years’ time, by which time there should be more regulations about aerial vehicles. [Read more…] about SkyDrive launches ‘world’s smallest flying car’
China’s largest chipmaker Semiconductor Manufacturing International is to double its investment in capital goods to $6.7 billion, according to a report on the Nikkei Asian Review website.
The company is somewhat flush with cash as a result of net profit skyrocketing by 644 percent in the second quarter. Part of the increase is due to Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei stockpiling chips.
Huawei is trying to prepare for any potential shortage in its supply chain caused by the ban imposed on its activities in the US and Europe. [Read more…] about China’s biggest chipmaker to double investment in capital goods to $7 billion
Global sales of semiconductor manufacturing equipment by original equipment manufacturers are projected to increase six percent to $63.2 billion in 2020, compared to $59.6 billion in 2019, before logging record high revenue of $70 billion in 2021 on the strength of double-digit growth, according to industry association SEMI.
The group revealed the figures is its Mid-Year Total Semiconductor Equipment Forecast – OEM Perspective at the annual SEMICON West exposition.
Growth across a number of semiconductor segments is expected to power the expansion. The wafer fab equipment segment – which includes wafer processing, fab facilities, and mask/reticle equipment – is expected to rise five percent in 2020 followed by 13 percent growth in 2021 driven by a memory spending recovery and investments in leading-edge and China. [Read more…] about Spending on chip manufacturing equipment to reach record high of $70 billion in 2021
The global market for robotic lawn mowers is expected to reach $1.3 billion in 2020, growing at an annual rate of more than 12 percent during the period 2019-2025.
The is according to a study by Research and Markets called Insights on the Robotic Lawn Mowers Global Market to 2025.
The year-on-year growth of robotic lawnmowers will be in the double-digit due to the high demand from Europe, North America, and APAC, coupled with the rise in awareness of these devices in developing countries. [Read more…] about Robotic lawn mowers market to grow to $1.3 billion this year
AImotive claims it has become “the most-funded automated driving software supplier in Europe” after its latest investment round.
AImotive, an automated driving technology company, says the new funding round has raised $20 million, and comes despite amid the global coronavirus pandemic.
The round was led by Lead Ventures, a Budapest based scale-up investor. [Read more…] about AImotive becomes ‘most-funded’ automated driving software supplier in Europe
RoboBusiness Direct presents From 1 to 1,000: Lessons Learned in Scaling a Robot Fleet
Featured Speaker: Sarjoun Skaff, CTO, Bossa Nova Robotics
June 17, 2020 – 2:00 PM EST
Bossa Nova Robotics is one of the leaders in the retail robotics sector, providing large retailers with inventory-scanning robots that move up and down aisles, tracking inventory supply levels via computer vision and artificial intelligence to keep items available for customers. [Read more…] about Webinar: Lessons Learned in Scaling a Robot Fleet
Entrepreneurs have invested more money in robotics than all other sectors combined, according to a new report by Silicon Valley Bank.
In a report called The Future of Robotics, SVB says: “Investment in robotics has significantly outpaced the rest of venture (financing), making robotics one of the hottest sectors of the decade.”
SVB’s data shows that robotics venture capital funding represented 55 percent of all venture financing (see bar chart below). [Read more…] about Robotics one of the hottest investment sectors of the decade, says Silicon Valley Bank report
By Maya Xiao of Interact Analysis
The coronavirus pandemic which has devastated economies worldwide is expected to reduce revenues in the industrial robot market by more than 8 per cent, according to a study by Interact Analysis.
“After a weak 2019, we originally expected the 2020 robot market to recover strongly, but Covid-19 changed the market revenue growth forecast from 4.8 percent to -3.6 percent,” writes Maya Xiao, automation market expert at Interact Analysis.
Global industrial robot shipments experienced negative growth for four consecutive quarters from mid-2018, she says. At the end of 2019, recovery signs appeared, and the mid-term growth rate turned positive. This turnaround happened in the context of a continued slowdown in general global manufacturing activity, which led to weak spending on machinery and automation equipment. [Read more…] about Coronavirus expected to cut industrial robot revenue by more than 8 per cent this year
Semiconductor fabrication companies are expected to log record spending of nearly $68 billion in 2021 after the 2020 lull caused by the coronavirus pandemic, according to industry association SEMI.
“2021 is poised to mark a banner year for global fab equipment spending with 24 percent growth to a record $67.7 billion, 10 percent higher than the previously forecast US$65.7 billion,” says SEMI in a statement.
The organisation adds that all product segments look like they will provide “solid growth rates”. [Read more…] about Semiconductor fabricators expected to spend record $68 billion in 2021
IAM Robotics, makers of autonomous mobile manipulation robots, has won a contract with new client A.S. Watson Group, one of the world’s largest international health and beauty retailers with over 15,700 stores in 25 markets.
A.S. Watson will implement a fleet of Swift robots from IAM Robotics at its Benelux e-commerce fulfillment center in the Netherlands to help solve labour and capacity constraints due to a fast-growing, high-volume health and beauty retail business.
Ed van de Weerd, CEO of A.S. Watson health and beauty Benelux, says: “Our business in e-commerce is growing rapidly, and we need a way to keep up with the growth while offering next-day delivery within our existing fulfillment center, which is important for us to deliver the group’s online and offline strategy. [Read more…] about IAM Robotics wins contract with global health and beauty retailer
