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SafeAI raises $38 million funding to develop autonomous heavy equipment

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SafeAI, a developer of autonomous solutions for heavy equipment, has raised $38 million in its Series B round of funding with key investors including Builders VC, McKinley Management, George Kaiser Family Foundation, and Energy Innovation Capital.

Additionally, Moog Inc joined the round as a strategic investor. SafeAI retrofits construction and mining vehicles with aftermarket hardware and proprietary autonomy software that delivers significant gains in increased worksite productivity, safety and cost savings.

The company will use the funding to accelerate their autonomous vehicle technology roadmap, and to scale operations globally to service and deploy their growing customer base. [Read more…] about SafeAI raises $38 million funding to develop autonomous heavy equipment

Pony.ai and SANY to mass produce autonomous trucks

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Pony.ai, an autonomous driving technology company, has formed a strategic joint venture with SANY Heavy Truck, a subsidiary of SANY Heavy Industry, a Chinese heavy equipment manufacturer and the third largest heavy equipment manufacturer globally.

Pony.ai and SANY say they will collaborate to create a “world-leading autonomous truck brand”.

The two companies say they will “deeply integrate” Pony.ai’s “virtual driver” with SANY’s technical accumulation in the field of wire-controlled chassis and vehicle development to jointly develop high-end heavy trucks that are automotive-grade and have L4-class redundancies. These trucks will inaugurate the future of truck logistics transportation.

The joint venture plans to start small-scale deliveries of the robotrucks in 2022 and 2023. Mass production of the L4 truck will commence in 2024 and within a few years will reach an annual production of around 10,000 trucks. [Read more…] about Pony.ai and SANY to mass produce autonomous trucks

SafeAI, Siemens and Obayashi collaborate to develop retrofitted autonomous, zero emission, off-road heavy vehicles

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SafeAI, a developer of autonomous heavy equipment, is collaborating with Siemens to create an autonomous, zero emission heavy vehicle fleet for Obayashi Corporation.

SafeAI and Siemens will work with Obayashi Corporation, a Japan-based global leader in construction, to create smarter, safer, more sustainable and productive construction sites.

SafeAI and Obayashi originally announced their partnership in October 2020, beginning with a pilot site in Cupertino, California, USA. [Read more…] about SafeAI, Siemens and Obayashi collaborate to develop retrofitted autonomous, zero emission, off-road heavy vehicles

Danfoss and RISE Robotics collaborate on new innovation to ‘accelerate electrification of heavy machinery’

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Danfoss Power Solutions and RISE Robotics have signed a collaboration agreement to jointly validate and test a key innovation that has the potential to transform the heavy machinery market through electrification.

Danfoss Power Solutions, a global supplier of mobile and industrial hydraulics as well as electric powertrain systems, and RISE Robotics, a leading zero-emission heavy machinery company, have formalized their collaborative relationship.

The two businesses have signed an agreement to work together to validate the latest electromechanical actuator technology from RISE. [Read more…] about Danfoss and RISE Robotics collaborate on new innovation to ‘accelerate electrification of heavy machinery’

Fanuc launches new 1,000 kg payload industrial robotic arm

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Fanuc America, the world’s largest maker of industrial robots, has introduced the new M-1000iA robot capable of handling very heavy products including automotive components, construction materials and battery packs for electric vehicles.

The M-1000iA’s serial-link construction gives the robot a wider range of motion in every direction. It can extend its arm upright or rotate it backwards, which is not possible for typical heavy-payload robots with a parallel-link mechanism.

With a 1,000 kg payload, a 3,253 mm horizontal reach, and a 4,297 mm vertical reach the M-1000iA is ready to go to work for manufacturers looking to increase output and maximize their production line’s efficiency. [Read more…] about Fanuc launches new 1,000 kg payload industrial robotic arm

SafeAI releases ‘first operating system purpose-built for autonomous heavy equipment’

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SafeAI, a developer of software for autonomous heavy equipment, has released its SafeAI Autonomous Framework, which the company claims is “the first operating system built specifically for autonomous heavy equipment”.

The company says that, with the SAF, companies can use both SafeAI’s infrastructure and industry expertise to accelerate their autonomous application development and create safer, more productive job sites faster than ever.

Off-road heavy industries know they need to deploy autonomous solutions to remain competitive. However, many do not have the time, resources or in-house expertise to build the solutions they need from the ground up. [Read more…] about SafeAI releases ‘first operating system purpose-built for autonomous heavy equipment’

GreyOrange upgrades its warehouse automation system to enable movement of heavy items

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GreyOrange, a warehouse robotics and automation company, says its GreyMatter fulfillment operating system now supports unmanned heavy payload movement, directing its Ranger Intralogistics robots to move heavy payload inventory within warehouse zones.

GreyMatter continuously assesses Distribution Center (DC) performance and deploys intelligent Ranger IL robots to transfer a diverse range of inventory payloads that weigh up to 2,205 pounds—on pallets, racks, cages or trolleys—within a facility.

GreyMatter’s mobile-spatial intelligence enables these Ranger robots to operate accident-free, utilizing LiDAR based SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) to perceive surroundings and select collision-free routes. [Read more…] about GreyOrange upgrades its warehouse automation system to enable movement of heavy items

Omron launches new SCARA robot

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Omron has launched a new industrial robot, the i4 series SCARA robot, which the company says “automates high-speed, high-precision assembly and transportation with easy installation”.

The i4 series consists of an i4H medium to large sized, high-performance model and an i4L that is compact and suitable for lightweight applications.

By seamlessly integrating and controlling the “i4 series” robots and the robot-hands, or end effector, and other peripheral devices; the interlocking of each device is enabled and complicated tasks which could not be done with conventional SCARA robots are now automated. [Read more…] about Omron launches new SCARA robot

Japanese construction giant Obayashi to integrate SafeAI technology to make its vehicles autonomous

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SafeAI, a technology platform for autonomous heavy equipment, and Obayashi Corporation, a Japanese-based global leader in construction, have agreed a partnership to create autonomous construction sites, beginning with a pilot program on a US test site.

Joining with one of the largest names in construction, SafeAI is demonstrating industrial autonomy in a real world situation and setting a standard for future autonomous heavy equipment.

The news follows Obayashi’s strategic investment in SafeAI in November 2019. [Read more…] about Japanese construction giant Obayashi to integrate SafeAI technology to make its vehicles autonomous

Hyundai Robotics secures $42 million investment from KT

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Hyundai Robotics, a specialized robot company and subsidiary of Hyundai Heavy Industries, has secured an investment of 50 billion Korean won (approximately $42 million) from KT, formerly Korea Telecom.

Hyundai Robotics recently signed a pre-IPO investment contract for the investment with KT at KT Gwanghwamun Building East in Jongno, Seoul. [Read more…] about Hyundai Robotics secures $42 million investment from KT