Robotics & Automation News

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Recent Breakthrough May Enable the Automated Laboratory of the Future

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Over the past several months, the world has been dealing with the first major global pandemic in more than a generation.

It has disrupted economies far and wide, cost hundreds of thousands of lives, and laid bare many of the weaknesses of the global medical industry.

One of those weaknesses has been the difficulty that multiple countries have faced in scaling up laboratory capacity to meet the demand for PCR testing created by the crisis. [Read more…] about Recent Breakthrough May Enable the Automated Laboratory of the Future

Peachtree Corners launches ‘world’s first fleet of self-driving e-scooters’ as part of styling itself as a smart city

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Peachtree Corners, a tiny city in the state of Georgia, USA, is launching what it believes is the “world’s first fleet of self-driving e-scooters” as part of styling itself out as a smart city.

Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners is on a mission to solve many of the technology issues facing cities and municipalities around the country. For many, the term “smart city” is an unclear concept.

For Peachtree Corners, Georgia, it’s about empowering the latest in emerging technologies to solve real-world problems. [Read more…] about Peachtree Corners launches ‘world’s first fleet of self-driving e-scooters’ as part of styling itself as a smart city

Mercedes expands development of autonomous commercial vehicle systems

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From project to product: With AXYARD, Lab1886 and Daimler Trucks automate the operation of commercial vehicles

The automated snow removal by two self-driving Mercedes-Benz Arocs in Immendingen shows a successful application for automated commercial vehicles in closed areas.

The joint project of Lab1886, the innovation unit for new business models within Mercedes-Benz AG, and Daimler Trucks, the inventor of the truck, has now become a product that can be used as a solution for various customer requirements in sectors such as on-site logistics and agriculture.

Lab1886 and Daimler Trucks, together with Fraport, demonstrated the operation of self-driving snow-clearing vehicles in non-public closed areas for the first time in October 2017 as part of a pilot project on the site of the former Pferdsfeld air base. [Read more…] about Mercedes expands development of autonomous commercial vehicle systems

Showcasing the future of nonwoven materials

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Visitors and exhibitors will gather at Index 20, the world’s leading nonwovens exhibition, in Geneva from 31st March to 3rd April 2020, to participate in the industry’s largest platform for cutting-edge nonwoven technologies.

Non-woven fabric is a fabric-like material made from staple fibre and long fibres, bonded together by chemical, mechanical, heat or solvent treatment. The term is used in the textile manufacturing industry to denote fabrics, such as felt, which are neither woven nor knitted. The applications of nonwovens are many and varied, and include many in the automotive industry.

Over the course of four days of the Index event, more than 13,500 visitors and over 750 exhibitors representing around 100 countries will gather to meet like-minded professionals as well as take part in industry workshops, seminars, and networking events. [Read more…] about Showcasing the future of nonwoven materials

Iowa scientists create nanoscale sensors to ‘better see how high pressure affects materials’

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Scientists at Iowa State University have developed new nanoscale technology to image and measure more of the stresses and strains on materials under high pressures.

As the researchers reported in the journal Science, that matters because, “Pressure alters the physical, chemical and electronic properties of matter.”

Understanding those changes could lead to new materials or new phases of matter for use in all kinds of technologies and applications, said Valery Levitas, a paper co-author and Anson Marston Distinguished Professor in Engineering at Iowa State University, the Vance Coffman Faculty Chair and professor in aerospace engineering. [Read more…] about Iowa scientists create nanoscale sensors to ‘better see how high pressure affects materials’

Visteon opens new technical center in Mexico

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Visteon, a supplier of digital automotive dashboard electronics, has opened a newly constructed engineering center in Querétaro, Mexico.

Visteon says its Querétaro Technical Center (VTCQ) is home to highly skilled software, hardware and mechanical engineers responsible for developing advanced cockpit electronics products for North America-based vehicle manufacturers.

These products include digital instrument clusters, infotainment and information displays – and new technologies for connected and autonomous driving. [Read more…] about Visteon opens new technical center in Mexico

Cornell scientists develop new material to give robots more sensitive touch

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A new synthetic material created by a scientist at Cornell University is said to give robots a “softer touch”.

Developed by PhD student Patricia Xu, at Cornell’s Organic Robotics Lab, the “sensory network” – also dubbed “optical lace” – is said to be similar to the human biological nervous system.

The lab’s paper, Optical Lace for Synthetic Afferent Neural Networks, was published in Science Robotics. [Read more…] about Cornell scientists develop new material to give robots more sensitive touch

Peachtree Corners opens ‘America’s first’ 5G-powered smart city tech proving ground

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The City of Peachtree Corners, in the state of Georgia, has opened what is claimed to be “America’s first 5G-powered smart city tech proving ground”.

Curiosity Lab at Peachtree Corners, powered exclusively by True Mobile 5G from Sprint, enables companies to prove out emerging technologies in a living environment with smart city infrastructure, next-generation connectivity and real-world conditions.

Sprint says the “groundbreaking” Curiosity IoT dedicated network and advanced operating system is poised to enable a new world of applications. [Read more…] about Peachtree Corners opens ‘America’s first’ 5G-powered smart city tech proving ground

International Space Station creating new biological life forms

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The International Space Station is creating new biological life forms using “cutting-edge 3D biomanufacturing”.

3D printing – also known as additive manufacturing – is a well-known method of making things here on Earth, and on the ISS, but this method uses materials such as plastics and metals.

However, 3D biomanufacturing uses biological materials such as new tissue or blood vessels. (See video below.) [Read more…] about International Space Station creating new biological life forms

Robert Bosch Venture Capital leads growth funding round in MegaRobo

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Robert Bosch Venture Capital, the corporate venture capital company of the Bosch Group, is leading a growth financing round in MegaRobo. 

The Chinese high-tech robotic company with over 100 employees is headquartered in Beijing and integrates cutting-edge machine vision and artificial intelligence (AI) to provide modular automation solutions for lab automation, smart retail and light industrial sectors.

“MegaRobo’s technology increases efficiency in production automation. Already today, robots from MegaRobo are used for special applications in the end-of-line production of household appliances at Bosch”, says RBVC managing director Dr Ingo Ramesohl.

[Read more…] about Robert Bosch Venture Capital leads growth funding round in MegaRobo