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Marine robotics specialist Vaarst raises $20 million to expand

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Marine robotics specialist Vaarst has closed on the first $20 million of its Series B round led by energy transition investor Legal & General Capital, alongside the venture capital arm of the international energy company Equinor.

Existing shareholder Foresight Group also participated alongside In-Q-Tel, the strategic investor for the US intelligence and defence communities and allied nations.

Vaarst is a leading provider of autonomy and cloud managed robotics; supporting the offshore wind, wave & tidal, scientific, maritime security, and civils industries. [Read more…] about Marine robotics specialist Vaarst raises $20 million to expand

The Impact of Automation on the Job Market

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As more and more processes become automated, it can seem like a threat to traditional employment. However, that’s not necessarily the case, and automation can actually improve worker safety, create better jobs, and generally advance society as a whole.

If you are worried that your job is at risk of elimination due to automation, it’s a good idea to create a powerful resume now, that shows how you can still provide value to a company as well as work and grow alongside automation. [Read more…] about The Impact of Automation on the Job Market

How Robotic Process Automation is Impacting Key Industries

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Necessity is considered one of the major reasons for invention. But the IT world does not compromise in coming up with innovations that are revolutionary. It all started with reducing the manpower, cutting off the cost and having reached the sole aim of pacing up.  [Read more…] about How Robotic Process Automation is Impacting Key Industries

Caterpillar claims ‘world’s largest’ number of autonomous trucks

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Industrial vehicles manufacturer Caterpillar claims it now has the largest number of autonomous trucks in operation anywhere in the world.

The company calls it “a significant milestone”, adding that it has “long been recognized as the industry leader” in autonomous vehicle implementation.

Caterpillar says the achievement is “exciting” not only for the mining industry, but also its customer base as it looks to expand its autonomous technology offerings into quarry and aggregates and construction industries’ product lines with competitive offerings. [Read more…] about Caterpillar claims ‘world’s largest’ number of autonomous trucks

RE2 Robotics partners with JLG Industries to build robotic elevation platforms

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RE2 Robotics, a developer of intelligent mobile manipulation systems, has agreed a developmental partnership with JLG Industries, part of the Oshkosh group and a manufacturer of mobile elevating work platforms and telehandlers.

The collaboration of these two companies is intended to advance the integration of robotics with access equipment.

Jorgen Pedersen, RE2’s president and CEO, says: “The future of work is here. Humans and robots are working more closely together, and the construction industry is no exception. [Read more…] about RE2 Robotics partners with JLG Industries to build robotic elevation platforms

Industrial robot sales have ‘strongest year ever’ in 2021

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Industrial robot sales in North America have had their “strongest year ever in 2021”, according to a new report by the Association for Advancing Automation (A3).

Propelled by a surge in non-automotive sectors, the number of robots sold in North America set a new record in 2021, with 39,708 units sold at a value of $2 billion, a 14 percent increase over the previous high in 2017.

A3 says the number of robots sold in 2021 rose 28 percent over 2020. Record robot sales in the fourth quarter of the year – up 9 percent over Q4 2020 – demonstrated the strong momentum already realized through the previous nine months as more industries look to automation to increase productivity and alleviate ongoing labor shortages. [Read more…] about Industrial robot sales have ‘strongest year ever’ in 2021

India’s richest man spends $132 million buying majority stake in robotics company

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India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, has bought the majority stake – 54 percent – in a robotics company called Addverb Technologies through his Reliance Industries conglomerate.

Addverb Technologies is a warehouse automation company, mainly in the intralogistics space, providing autonomous mobile robots and other systems, and was already working with Reliance Industries.

The purchase of the shares took place during the startup’s latest funding round. [Read more…] about India’s richest man spends $132 million buying majority stake in robotics company

Sarcos Robotics ‘merges’ with Rotor Acquisition

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Shareholders in Rotor Acquisition, a publicly-traded special-purpose acquisition company, have approved what’s being described as a “business combination” – possibly meaning a merger – with Sarcos Robotics, a maker of exoskeletons.

Upon completion of the transaction, subject to the satisfaction of certain customary closing conditions, Rotor will change its name to Sarcos Technology and Robotics Corporation.

The post-closing company’s common stock and warrants are expected to commence trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbols “STRC” and “STRCW” respectively. [Read more…] about Sarcos Robotics ‘merges’ with Rotor Acquisition

ABB and Zume to accelerate transition away from single use plastics

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ABB Robotics has signed an agreement to collaborate with California-based Zume, a global provider of innovative, compostable packaging.

ABB will supply robotic cells that will enable Zume’s production of sustainable packaging on a global scale, helping to reduce reliance on single-use plastics.

ABB will integrate and install more than 1,000 molded fiber manufacturing cells (MFC) – including up to 2,000 robots at Zume customer’s sites worldwide over the next five years. [Read more…] about ABB and Zume to accelerate transition away from single use plastics

Micropsi Industries automates ‘fridge sniffing’ with AI-supported robot control system

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Micropsi Industries’ artificial intelligence-supported robot control system MIRAI now automates previously manual leak detection for leading global household appliance manufacturers such as BSH Hausgeräte GmbH.

In conjunction with Atec GmbH Automatisierungssoftware, Micropsi offers this leak testing as a complete solution that provides a “quick, reliable, and cost-effective” remedy to manual leak detection tasks and other complex industrial processes, lowering ongoing operating costs and reducing maintenance.

Ronnie Vuine, CEO, Micropsi Industries, says: “AI-driven systems such as MIRAI independently derive solutions in the event of variances such as changing lighting conditions or workpieces whose position or composition deviates. [Read more…] about Micropsi Industries automates ‘fridge sniffing’ with AI-supported robot control system