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FarmWise raises $45 million to expand AI-powered farm equipment

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Farm automation startup FarmWise Labs has completed an oversubscribed $45 million Series B funding round, led by leading ag-tech venture firms Fall Line Capital and Middleland Capital, with participation from GV and Taylor Farms, a grower and processor of leafy greens and fresh vegetables.

Existing investors Calibrate Ventures, Playground Global, SVG Ventures and the venture arm of Wilbur Ellis also participated in the round. To date, FarmWise has raised $65 million in equity.

With this round, Clay Mitchell, co-founder and managing director of Fall Line Capital and a fifth-generation Iowa farmer joins the FarmWise board of directors. [Read more…] about FarmWise raises $45 million to expand AI-powered farm equipment

Global spending on semiconductor fabrication equipment expected to reach record $109 billion

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Global fab equipment spending for front-end facilities is expected to increase 20 percent year-over-year to an all-time high of $109 billion in 2022, marking a third consecutive year of growth following a 42 percent surge in 2021.

This is according to industry association SEMI, which published the figure in its latest quarterly World Fab Forecast report. Fab equipment investment in 2023 is expected to remain strong.

Ajit Manocha, president and CEO of SEMI, says: “The global semiconductor equipment industry remains on track to cross the $100 billion threshold for the first time as shown in our latest update of the World Fab Forecast. [Read more…] about Global spending on semiconductor fabrication equipment expected to reach record $109 billion

Ericsson, TIM and Comau test the ‘factory of the future’

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Ericsson, TIM and Comau say they are testing the “factory of the future” through something called “5G network slicing”.

The three companies have joined forces to develop, on an experimental basis, innovative solutions for Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing by leveraging the potential of the 5G network. This initiative is part of the EU-funded 5Growth project.

Thanks to TIM and Ericsson’s deployment of a 5G network at Comau’s headquarters in Turin (Italy), three new applications have been launched to demonstrate the advantages of the new technology, and in particular those arising from the slicing functionality of the network, within an industrial environment. [Read more…] about Ericsson, TIM and Comau test the ‘factory of the future’

Dematic to ‘accelerate supply chain innovation’ with Google Cloud

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Dematic, a subsidiary of the global intralogistics provider KION Group, has agreed a partnership to “transform the supply chain industry” through accelerated cloud innovation.

Dematic aims to bolster supply chain resiliency and deliver go-to-market solutions by combining Dematic’s supply chain expertise with Google Cloud’s cutting-edge cloud, artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies.

The partners will join forces to leverage shared learnings that will drive rapid cloud innovation. By migrating Dematic’s offerings to the cloud and introducing AI and ML, Dematic will improve customers’ supply chain execution. [Read more…] about Dematic to ‘accelerate supply chain innovation’ with Google Cloud

QYSEA unveils new AI vision system for underwater drone for explorations

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QYSEA has unveiled a new AI vision system for underwater drone for explorations.

The development and deployment of compact ROVs (remotely operated underwater vehicles) in recent years have immensely helped users overcome the greater technical difficulties and efficiency issues involving professional small-scale underwater tasks, especially in 4K filming, operational work, and deep-sea inspections.

While the ROVs’ capacity in shooting, mobility, and power is continuously improving, the ability to accurately and actively lock onto subjects visually underwater remained a challenging bottleneck to breakthrough within the industry. [Read more…] about QYSEA unveils new AI vision system for underwater drone for explorations

AGCO taps mobility software experts Apex.AI for its robotic planting concept

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Apex.AI, a company developing safety-certified software for mobility and autonomous applications, says that AGCO, a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of agricultural machinery and precision agriculture technology, is adding new capabilities to its Fendt Xaver concept vehicle, an autonomous farming robot, by incorporating Apex.OS, a software development kit (SDK).

Apex.AI has enabled AGCO’s engineering team to integrate several autonomous driving components into the Fendt Xaver in a tight timeframe, including lidar object detection, collision checking and planning, using the state-of-the-art framework and developer tools that come with Apex.OS.

This technical partnership expands an existing relationship between the two companies. In December 2021, AGCO announced a strategic investment in Apex.AI. [Read more…] about AGCO taps mobility software experts Apex.AI for its robotic planting concept

IIOT trends in 2022

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The Covid-19 outbreak has forced industries to automate processes with Industrial Internet of Things (IIOT) and digitize their operations as much as possible.

Within manufacturing and supply chain industry, most organizations have taken measures to transition to Industry 4.0 so they can continuously automate and improve conventional industrial and manufacturing processes and cut down wherever possible during this recession.

Following are a few IIOT trends that we are hoping to see for the rest of 2022. [Read more…] about IIOT trends in 2022

Reasons to Consider a Career in the Manufacturing Industry

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The manufacturing industry has always been a ripe place for employment. It is continually growing and expanding due to research and development.

Many people don’t realize just how rewarding a career in this industry can be. The job requires attention to detail, passion, and commitment.

Below are some reasons why you should strongly consider a career in the manufacturing industry. [Read more…] about Reasons to Consider a Career in the Manufacturing Industry

Comau brings high-speed robotic precision to the cosmetics industry

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Comau has collaborated with Siscodata for the development of an innovative robotic cell designed to clean and manipulate high-end, pre-printed cosmetic bottles without leaving a single scratch.

With the aim of increasing the production capacity for Cosmint, a premium cosmetic manufacturer who works with some of the world’s biggest names in the industry, the System Integrator used two Comau NJ-40 robots within a high-speed depalletizing solution able to pick, rotate and clean custom-printed plastic bottles at an accelerated rate of 150 pieces per minute.

The new cell replaces three standard machines that were previously installed at the Cosmint facilities. [Read more…] about Comau brings high-speed robotic precision to the cosmetics industry

Ally Robotics aims to raise $8.5 million to bring automation to the restaurant industry

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Ally Robotics, a startup making smart and affordable robotic arms, has launched a campaign to raise up to $8.5 million in seed capital via equity crowdfunding site WAX.

Founded by innovative leaders in the robotics and artificial intelligence industry, Ally is already backed by restaurant automation leader Miso Robotics, who has signed a statement of intent to become Ally’s first partner and purchase its robotic arms for its Flippy 2 product line, representing a potential revenue of $30 million.

While robotics and automation have helped alleviate the well-documented labor shortage, the majority of robots in the world are too expensive and are only deployed for the most difficult tasks that require heavy lifting or minute precision. [Read more…] about Ally Robotics aims to raise $8.5 million to bring automation to the restaurant industry