Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

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Piab introduces soft gripper range for industrial robots

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Piab has introduced a soft gripper – or end effector – for industrial robots. The company says its piSoftGrip range is developed for the automation of the food and chocolate industry.

Piab once again extends the pi-SoftGrip family with a new pinch gripper developed for the automation of the food/chocolate industry. The vacuum-based soft gripper can grip sensitive and lightweight oblong objects with odd geometries and/or objects with an unusual surface.

piSoftGrip has two gripping fingers and a sealed vacuum cavity, all made in one piece, resulting in a simple and robust product. [Read more…] about Piab introduces soft gripper range for industrial robots

South Korea looks to strengthen position in global autonomous vehicles market with billion-dollar investment

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South Korea is looking to strengthen its position in the global autonomous vehicles market with an investment of 1.1 trillion South Korean won, which equates to about $1 billion.

The investment calls for the development of “level 4” autonomous cars, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT, according to a report on the Korean Times website.

Level 4 autonomy – as defined by the SAE – means that a car is capable of driving itself but is designed to be ultimately controlled by a human driver. [Read more…] about South Korea looks to strengthen position in global autonomous vehicles market with billion-dollar investment

Boston Dynamics’ dancing robots herald the end of the world as we know it

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Dumbstruck. Speechless. Those were our reactions when we first saw the new video of the dancing robots created by Boston Dynamics (see for yourself below). 

There’s not much we can say about this diabolical intrusion into our deep-seated and secure understanding of what the world is supposed to be like, but we must at least express our collective horror at the sheer spookiness of these humanoid and canine robots apparently auditioning to be in Mariah Carey’s next video. It’s just not right.

If we’ve ever seen videos of dancing robots before, this one has made us forget all of them. It’s an abomination. [Read more…] about Boston Dynamics’ dancing robots herald the end of the world as we know it

Einride driverless trucks now powered by Nvidia chips

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Autonomous electric truck maker Einride says the next generation of its groundbreaking “Pods” will use the Nvidia Drive AGX Orin autonomous vehicle computing platform to handle high-speed, unmanned operations.

Pär Degerman, CTO of Einride, says: “Safety and functionality in autonomous drive are achieved in two ways: diversity and redundancy.

“To capture and account for the diversity in a myriad of operational scenarios, and to develop the redundancy necessary to improve functionality, we need the most advanced processors possible, and that’s where Nvidia Orin comes in.” [Read more…] about Einride driverless trucks now powered by Nvidia chips

Avnet poised to play key role in next-generation automotive technology

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The automotive industry is undergoing an historic transformation which will fundamentally shift the way vehicles are manufactured as well as change the way we look at and use cars, and possibly all road-going automobiles.

In-keeping with the widespread trend, Avnet, one of the world’s leading distributors of electronic components, is taking a leading position in developing the technologies required to make the future a reality.

A number of predictions are being made for the automotive industry, and many of them may have sounded outlandish in the past, but now that the public at large has accepted driverless cars as a realistic concept, anything is possible – even flying cars. [Read more…] about Avnet poised to play key role in next-generation automotive technology

Daimler Trucks and Torc Robotics celebrate one year of successful collaboration

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September 2020 marks one year of Daimler Trucks and Torc Robotics partnering as a team after the US-based automated driving technology company became part of Daimler Trucks’ Autonomous Technology Group.

One year together, collaboratively pursuing a common goal of bringing series-produced highly automated trucks (SAE Level 4) to the roads within the decade; including on-road deployment of a Level 4 test fleet, initiation of redesign of truck chassis, adoption of a hub-to-hub model, formalized rigorous testing protocols, formal truck safety driver certification process, and extended software capabilities.

Now, the Autonomous Technology Group will extend its testing to New Mexico by building up a new testing center in Albuquerque. Expanding to a new location will support testing and provide data for more use cases of next generation vehicles on public roads starting this fall. [Read more…] about Daimler Trucks and Torc Robotics celebrate one year of successful collaboration

How to Take Care of Your CNC Machine

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CNC machines provide high-performance levels for cutting a wide variety of parts and components, and they usually remain in operation for lengthy periods.

Like any machinery, to ensure your CNC machine lasts longer and maintains its quality of accuracy, it is essential to give it a regular service. Read on to find out how to take care of your CNC machine. [Read more…] about How to Take Care of Your CNC Machine

Buyers don’t all know the potential of robots nor who can supply them, says Lux Research

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Potential buyers are not aware of the potential of robots, nor which companies can supply and integrate them into their business, according to a report by Lux Research.

The research company says businesses are “increasingly using robotics” across a wide variety of industries, but many companies still fail to understand what’s currently possible with today’s technology or which vendors can provide the solutions they need.

In its new report, Building Robotics Solutions, Lux Research attempts to create a framework for selecting robotics vendors based on the key capabilities and level of customization required. [Read more…] about Buyers don’t all know the potential of robots nor who can supply them, says Lux Research

Will Automation Make Lorry Drivers Obsolete?

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The haulage industry is an essential part of the network that is keeping the economy going, but for the last decade, there have been whispers of big changes that will ultimately change and revolutionise the way that day-to-day haulage works. 

Huge corporations like UPS and Daimler have been investing in automation technology, working closely with robotics companies to create a standard for the haulage industry that will speed up the process of transporting freight across the world.

There have even been estimations made that 1.2 million lorry driver jobs will be eliminated. But will automation really make the lorry driver obsolete? [Read more…] about Will Automation Make Lorry Drivers Obsolete?

SICK continues to grow despite ‘challenging market’

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Sensors giant SICK says its business has continued to grow despite a “challenging market environment”.

Group sales by the sensor producer increased by 7 percent to €1,750.7 million during the 2019 fiscal year (2018: €1,636.8 million).

Growth was considerably higher than the average for the sensor industry, estimated as having shrunk by 1 percent for 2019 by the AMA Association for Sensors and Measurement. [Read more…] about SICK continues to grow despite ‘challenging market’