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US retailer Meijer to launch beach and water cleaning drones in the Great Lakes

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US Midwest retailer Meijer is launching its participation in the Great Lakes Plastic Cleanup Program with the use of two innovative technologies – the BeBot and Pixie Drone, partly based on the WasteShark produced by Ranmarine – to clean up Midwestern beaches and waterways in partnership with the Council of the Great Lakes Region. 

This initiative is supporting the single largest deployment of these types of eco-friendly and remote-controlled devices across multiple states in the Great Lakes, which encompass the largest surface freshwater system in the world.

Rick Keyes, Meijer president and CEO, says: “It is a privilege to live near the Great Lakes, which inherently comes with the responsibility to protect them. [Read more…] about US retailer Meijer to launch beach and water cleaning drones in the Great Lakes

Japanese government to develop common standards for robots in workplaces

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The Japanese government is planning to develop common standards for robots in workplaces such as offices, shops and other environments where they would be working with humans, according to the Nikkei Asian Review.

The country’s industry ministry will lead the initiative and will establish a public-private partnership under the working name Robot Revolution & Industrial IoT Initiative, according to the Nikkei Asian Review.

The group will define common telecommunications standards as well as produce guidelines on creating object shapes that are easier for robots to grip, pick up, hold, move and so on. [Read more…] about Japanese government to develop common standards for robots in workplaces

Reshoring from China to US not a short-term solution

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Reshoring industrial operations from China to the US has not been as straightforward as it may have sounded at first, and companies looking to do so “face significant problems”, according to a report by the South China Morning Post.

American companies, encouraged by the administration of President Donald Trump to relocate to the US, have found that there are numerous problems with reshoring.

One of the main issues relates to recruitment. The industrial sector – whether you’re talking about manufacturing, logistics, or other segments – has long had to contend with deep, structural problems in attracting workers. [Read more…] about Reshoring from China to US not a short-term solution

Support for Universal Basic Income growing as economies look to recover from coronavirus devastation

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A couple of years ago, RoboticsAndAutomationNews.com published a story about Finland introducing a “Universal Basic Income” for a small number of its citizens as an experiment.

The Finnish government’s idea was that it would study the possibility of using UBI as a way to offset the unemployment caused by automation.

Although it was well worth reporting, we were somewhat flippant about UBI, suggesting it was a communist idea that would never take off. Finland, of course, was within the sphere of influence of the old Communist or Eastern Bloc, and the now-gone USSR. [Read more…] about Support for Universal Basic Income growing as economies look to recover from coronavirus devastation

iRobot begins manufacturing operations in Malaysia

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iRobot, a maker of consumer robots – most famously a robotic vacuum cleaner, has officially commenced production in Malaysia ahead of schedule.

Working with Jabil Inc, a manufacturing solutions provider based in St Petersburg, Florida, iRobot has expanded its manufacturing capabilities into Malaysia as part of its strategic supply chain diversification initiative.

Jabil has served as one of iRobot’s trusted manufacturing and supply chain partners in China since 2010. [Read more…] about iRobot begins manufacturing operations in Malaysia

Traxens joins French ‘Smart Port in Med’ initiative to facilitate digital transition of Port of Marseille Fos

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Traxens, a company providing data and services for the supply chain industry, is joining the French Smart Port in Med initiative as an associate partner. Traxens is the only IoT company supporting the association.

The project was officially launched in October 2018 as part of First Smart Port Challenges by the port authority of Marseille Fos, the Marseille Provence Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Aix-Marseille University, with the aim of supporting the digital transformation of the Port of Marseille Fos.

Key strategic objectives include the economic and environmental improvement of the port and its ecosystem, the creation of new job opportunities, the strengthening of the relationship between the port and the local community, and positioning the Port of Marseille Fos as an innovative digital port in the Mediterranean. [Read more…] about Traxens joins French ‘Smart Port in Med’ initiative to facilitate digital transition of Port of Marseille Fos

China says its Belt & Road initiative is a way out of the global economic slump

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China is planning to create what looks like will be the largest, longest and most complex logistics network in history – at a cost to itself of almost $1 trillion. 

The so-called Belt & Road Initiative will virtually encircle China, most of Asia and much of Europe, and will mostly consist of interconnected roads, but will also include sea lanes and railways, and possibly some airways.

In total, it will connect approximately 60 countries, and cost anything between $4 trillion and $8 trillion. And the timescale is anyone’s guess.

The northern parts of the Belt & Road network will include the revival of the ancient Silk Road, which connected China to Persia and the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and India, Indonesia and Arabia via sea lanes to the south.  [Read more…] about China says its Belt & Road initiative is a way out of the global economic slump

Manufacturing in the USA: The same story told from many angles

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Most stories have at least two sides, usually one negative and one positive, depending on your point of view or what aspect of the story you choose to highlight. 

So, for example, if you read CNN you will see mentions of “record” levels of business, such as in the sectors of automaking and aerospace.

“US aircraft production is at a record high and well ahead of the rest of the world,” says CNN, adding that the auto industry is “within 7 per cent of record levels, making 12 million cars and trucks a year”.  [Read more…] about Manufacturing in the USA: The same story told from many angles