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Bosch to invest a further €3 billion in chip manufacturing business

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From cars and e-bikes to household appliances and wearables – semiconductors are an integral part of all electronic systems. They are the motor that drives the modern world of technology.

Bosch recognized their growing significance early on and has now announced investment of further billions of euros in order to strengthen its own semiconductor business. By 2026, Bosch plans to invest another €3 billion in its semiconductor division as part of the IPCEI funding program on microelectronics and communications technology.

Dr Stefan Hartung, chairman of Bosch, says: “Microelectronics is the future and is vital to the success of all areas of Bosch business. With it, we hold a master key to tomorrow’s mobility, the internet of things, and to what we at Bosch call technology that is ‘Invented for life’.” [Read more…] about Bosch to invest a further €3 billion in chip manufacturing business

Autonomous trucks make the ‘most compelling case’ for automation in commercial vehicles, says report

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Autonomous trucks make “the most compelling case for automation in commercial vehicles”, according to a new report.

The new IDTechEx study, Heavy-Duty Autonomous Vehicles 2023-2043: Trucks, Buses & Roboshuttles, has found significant activity in the autonomous heavy-duty and commercial vehicle space.

Today, there are hundreds of vehicles around the globe in various stages of trialing, piloting, and even some companies teetering on the precipice of fully unmanned commercial deployment. Each industry has unique strengths and challenges, here are some key findings from the report. [Read more…] about Autonomous trucks make the ‘most compelling case’ for automation in commercial vehicles, says report

Robot sales reach record high in North America for third consecutive quarter

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For the third-straight quarter, robot sales in North America hit a record high, driven by a resurgence in sales to automotive companies and an ongoing need to manage increasing demand to automate logistics for e-commerce.

According to the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), of the 12,305 robots sold in Q2 2022, 59 percent of the orders came from the automotive industry with the remaining orders from non-automotive companies largely in the food and consumer goods industry, which saw a 13 percent increase in unit orders over the same period, April through June, in 2021.

Jeff Burnstein, A3 President, says: “While automotive entities have long been the frontrunner in deploying robotics and automation, the last few years have seen food & consumer goods, life sciences and other industries grow at even higher rates. [Read more…] about Robot sales reach record high in North America for third consecutive quarter

Airbus to expand robotic usage at Rochefort logistics site

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Airbus, the world’s largest airplane manufacturer, is expanding its usage of robotic solutions at its Rochefort, France logistics facility.

Airbus expects to be manufacturing a staggering 1,000 aircraft a year by 2025, which would significantly increase its requirements for parts picking in its warehouses.

Airbus’ partners at the Rochefort warehouse are Blondel Group and Scallog. Specifically, logistics company Blondel manages the warehouse and has installed Scallog robotic systems to accelerate operations. [Read more…] about Airbus to expand robotic usage at Rochefort logistics site

SRI unveils autonomous digger for construction sites

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SRI, a technology development company founded in 1946 by Stanford University, has unveiled an autonomous digger for construction sites and other similar heavy-duty applications. (See video below.)

The “smart excavator” can be operated remotely and comes with an augmented reality system which makes the process secure, more convenient, and “as easy as playing a video game”.

SRI likens it to the Nintendo Wii, saying the control system only takes “a couple of minutes to master”, adding that, by giving excavators a “robotification upgrade”, the operator doesn’t need to be in the driver’s seat and can even “operate the machinery from anywhere around the world”. [Read more…] about SRI unveils autonomous digger for construction sites

Scythe Robotics receives 7,000 orders for its autonomous law mowers

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Scythe Robotics has received 7,000 orders for its autonomous law mowers, according to a report The Denver Post website.

The startup company says it plans to expand its manufacturing facility in Colorado to be able to handle the orders, adding that its mowers have received strong interest from all across the United States.

Scythe Robotics specializes in building commercial-grade autonomous robotic solutions for the landscaping industry, and its first offering is an all-electric, fully autonomous mower, designed completely in-house. [Read more…] about Scythe Robotics receives 7,000 orders for its autonomous law mowers

Unbox Robotics launches ‘first-of-its-kind’ vertical robotics sortation solution

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Unbox Robotics, a robotics technology company specializing in logistics, has launched what it says is “the first-of-its-kind vertical robotics sortation solution”.

Called “UnboxSort”, the solution was unveiled on the sidelines of the India Warehousing Show 2022 in New Delhi. Unbox describes UnboxSort as a “swarm intelligence-powered Industry 4.0 plug-and-play robotics solution”.

With the help of UnboxSort, Unbox Robotics aims to help e-commerce retailers scale up their logistics to handle the high parcel volume brought in by the change in online buying behaviour since the pandemic. [Read more…] about Unbox Robotics launches ‘first-of-its-kind’ vertical robotics sortation solution

Ottonomy closes $3.3 million seed funding round

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Ottonomy has closed its seed funding round of $3.3 million, bringing its total funding to date to $4.9 million.

The funding is planned to support the scale of Ottobots for fully autonomous airport, retail and restaurant deliveries with its robots.

The funding round is led by Pi Ventures who back deep tech startups. Connetic Ventures and Branded Hospitality Ventures and the Founder & CEO of Addverb Technologies, Sangeet Kumar, also joined this round; making the group a dynamic mix from retail, food and robotics industry investors for Ottonomy’s seed round. [Read more…] about Ottonomy closes $3.3 million seed funding round

How Automation is Influencing the Automotive Industry Today

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Last year, robot orders were up by 67 percent in comparison to the previous year. And according to the International Federation of Robotics, 1 in every 2 industrial robots sold globally is bought by US automakers. This goes to show just how much the auto industry appreciates the benefits of automation.

Automakers have always been pioneers of automation; they started using sensor technology and industrial robots in their assembly plants years ago to increase efficiency and productivity. Want to know how automation is influencing the automotive industry today? Read on. [Read more…] about How Automation is Influencing the Automotive Industry Today

Industrial robot sales in North America ‘continue record surge into 2022’

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North American companies started the year by purchasing “the most robots ever in a single quarter”, with 11,595 robots sold at a value of $646 million.

According to the Association for Advancing Automation, these Q1 numbers represent growth of 28 percent and 43 percent respectively over the first quarter of 2021 and 7 percent and 25 percent respectively over the previous best quarter, Q4 of 2021. Each industry segment experienced double-digit growth over the same quarter of 2021. [Read more…] about Industrial robot sales in North America ‘continue record surge into 2022’