Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

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Electric Future: Stalled car revolution

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How green are electric vehicles?

Believe it or not, if you had been walking through Manhattan in 1900, there is a good chance you would have seen an electric car. Roughly one third of cars on the road in New York back then were electric, while the city’s taxi fleet had 30 electric vehicles (EVs). It was to be a brief heyday.

It was Henry Ford’s Model T – first produced in 1908 – that signalled the beginning of the end of the electric car. Suddenly, petrol-fuelled cars were relatively affordable and, thanks to Ford’s pioneering use of the production line, ubiquitous.

Improved roads and cheaper petrol prices saw the electric car all but disappear by the mid-1930s, and it wasn’t until the 1970s – amid soaring oil prices and gasoline prices – that the potential of EVs began to be seriously considered again. [Read more…] about Electric Future: Stalled car revolution

With Human Controls Abolished, Only a Few Hurdles Remain in Making Automation Legally Secure

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One of the greatest barriers to the true stress testing of automated devices is the need for human control.

According to Reuters, however, US regulators have now eliminated the need for human control in automated devices, such as cars, paving the way for significant future developments.

But the removal of human control does not remove total legal liability, and there are a few legal hurdles yet left that will need to be addressed before automation innovation can start to progress quickly. [Read more…] about With Human Controls Abolished, Only a Few Hurdles Remain in Making Automation Legally Secure

What Happens When Cybercriminals Target Industrial Robots?

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Historically, robots were just dumb pieces of programmable machinery that did the same task over and over again. They had virtually no ability to sense their environment. And they certainly couldn’t make decisions for themselves.

With the advent of machine learning and smart systems, that’s all changing. Now designers are imbuing their mechanical appendages with all manner of intelligence. And it’s only getting better.

For economists, these trends are extremely exciting. We could be looking at a future where robots do the vast majority of manual jobs, freeing up labour for other tasks, boosting productivity like nothing else in human history. [Read more…] about What Happens When Cybercriminals Target Industrial Robots?

Common 3D Printing Issues (and How to Address Them)

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Since the 1980s, 3D Printing has become more and more common in the industry. Also known as additive manufacturing, it is basically the process of putting together a three-dimensional object from a computer-generated CAD or 3D model.

Multiple computer-controlled processes are involved. Among the most commonly observed is the layer-by-layer joining of materials and eventual solidification.

3D printing offers a lot of advantages. Among the most frequently cited benefit is its ability to expedite production. [Read more…] about Common 3D Printing Issues (and How to Address Them)

5 ways robots are cleaning up the world’s oceans

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Written by Pippa Strickland from iDiveblue.com

Robotics have changed our lives in remarkable ways and when you consider the vastness of our oceans (which cover more than 70 percent of the Earth’s surface), it makes sense that robotics is being harnessed to conduct research and preserve our ocean health.

From improving ship fuel efficiency to repopulating reefs and removing marine litter, here are five ways that robotic innovations are leading to a brighter future for our ocean-dwelling species. [Read more…] about 5 ways robots are cleaning up the world’s oceans

How Robots Repair Aging Water Pipes

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Robots are incredibly useful when working in hard-to-reach areas, such as the cramped confines of the municipal water pipes.

But robots can perform the tasks of accessing and repairing these water pipes without facing the challenges that humans usually do.

Many companies are already building robots that can function in areas that are not easily accessible to humans. [Read more…] about How Robots Repair Aging Water Pipes

OptiPro uses New Scale Robotics system to inspect small parts

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OptiPro Metrology Lab is using a system supplied by New Scale Robotics to inspect small parts. (See video below.)

The optics manufacturer is using New Scale’s Q-Span technology, based on its “precision gripper / caliper”, to automate measurement and machine tending.

The optics measuring solution involves a collaborative robot from Universal Robots and end effectors developed by New Scale. [Read more…] about OptiPro uses New Scale Robotics system to inspect small parts