Robotics & Automation News

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manufacturing automation

MicroFactory raises $1.5 million to scale ‘general-purpose robot’ for manufacturing

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MicroFactory, a robotics startup specializing in how manual labor gets automated, has raised $1.5 million in pre-seed funding from a set of visionary backers.

The backers include Clement Delangue, the founder of Hugging Face, and Naval Ravikant, early investor in Uber and Twitter. This gives the company a post-money cap of $30 million.

The company is leveraging the funds for its flagship product: an AI-powered general-purpose robotic system enclosed in a compact, box-shaped frame with two robotic arms and interchangeable tools. [Read more…] about MicroFactory raises $1.5 million to scale ‘general-purpose robot’ for manufacturing

After doing the laundry, Figure AI humanoid robot loads the dishwasher

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Helix, humanoid robotics specialist Figure AI’s Vision Language Action (VLA) model, has shown it can “adapt to dramatically different real-world challenges with nothing more than new data”.

After folding laundry and rearranging packages, Helix is now taking on another everyday task: loading a dishwasher.

At first glance, loading a dishwasher sounds like a simple task – just pick up each object and place it in the dishwasher. [Read more…] about After doing the laundry, Figure AI humanoid robot loads the dishwasher

Intrinsic and Google DeepMind unveil AI breakthrough for multi-robot orchestration

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Intrinsic, a robotics software company owned by Alphabet, parent company of Google, has announced a major advance in artificial intelligence that enables multiple industrial robots to work together in shared environments without colliding.

The development stems from long-term research led by Google DeepMind Robotics – now apparently rebranded as Gemini Robotics – in collaboration with Intrinsic and University College London.

Details of the project were published in Science Robotics under the title “RoboBallet: Planning for Multi-Robot Reaching with Graph Neural Networks and Reinforcement Learning”. [Read more…] about Intrinsic and Google DeepMind unveil AI breakthrough for multi-robot orchestration

FFS Bagging Machines: The Overlooked Champions of Today’s Packaging

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While manufacturing processes attract interest due to their product generation capabilities, automating the packaging and sealing processes is equally, if not more, important due to its relation to product safety, branding, and preservation.

FFS bagging machines constitute a crucial sector of the automation in packaging technology category, and provide uniformity, scalability, and consistency in packaging across diverse sectors.

FFS bagging machines form an integral part of a plethora of industries, from food and feed to fertilizers. FFS machines have undergone drastic changes over the years to provide the functionalities they do today. [Read more…] about FFS Bagging Machines: The Overlooked Champions of Today’s Packaging

Exclusive interview: LG’s big bet on smart robotics for the household and beyond

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LG Electronics, formerly Lucky-Goldstar, is one of South Korea’s largest and most globally recognised engineering powerhouses.

A household name for decades, LG has built a reputation through its expansive portfolio of consumer appliances – from televisions and refrigerators to washing machines and air conditioners.

But behind the scenes, LG is also rapidly becoming a serious force in industrial and service robotics, with ambitions that stretch well beyond your kitchen or laundry room. [Read more…] about Exclusive interview: LG’s big bet on smart robotics for the household and beyond

Smart factory vision: Interview with robotics boss at Panasonic Connect

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The vision of the “smart factory” has moved from a futuristic concept to a critical strategic goal for manufacturers worldwide.

In an era defined by labor shortages, supply chain volatility, and ever-increasing consumer demands for customization, the ability to create a more intelligent, agile, and resilient production environment is paramount.

Panasonic Connect has positioned itself as a key enabler of this transition, leveraging its deep manufacturing heritage and a broad portfolio of integrated hardware, software, and service solutions. [Read more…] about Smart factory vision: Interview with robotics boss at Panasonic Connect

Dassault Systèmes and Kuka partner to boost robotics and automation efficiency for manufacturers

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Dassault Systèmes has agreed a partnership with the industrial automation and robotics company Kuka to provide manufacturing industries with comprehensive solutions that meet growing demands in robotics and automation.

Under the terms of the agreement, Dassault Systèmes is joining mosaixx, Kuka’s digital ecosystem for industrial software solutions, offering Kuka customers an easy way to purchase and use Dassault Systèmes’ 3DExperience platform and applications.

By expanding customer access to virtual twin technology and enhanced collaboration capabilities, Dassault Systèmes and Kuka with its newly foundet segment Kuka Digital can unlock opportunities for companies to drive the development of more efficient and adaptable solutions that transform their operations. [Read more…] about Dassault Systèmes and Kuka partner to boost robotics and automation efficiency for manufacturers

Foundation EGI launches AI platform to streamline engineering and manufacturing processes

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MIT spin-out aims to tackle $8 trillion in industrial inefficiencies with engineering-focused AI platform

A new startup out of MIT, Foundation EGI, has emerged from stealth mode with a mission to apply domain-specific artificial intelligence to one of the most complex and least-digitized sectors of the global economy: manufacturing.

The company today unveiled what it calls the first Engineering General Intelligence (EGI) platform – an AI system designed to automate and optimize every phase of product lifecycle management.

The platform is currently being piloted by several Fortune 500 manufacturers, who are exploring its potential to reduce production delays, cut waste, and drive revenue growth. [Read more…] about Foundation EGI launches AI platform to streamline engineering and manufacturing processes

Automation and the workplace: 3 Ways robotics will transform the workplace as we know it

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In a recent research released by Garner, it is revealed that 2 in 10 retailers will establish a robot resource center to oversee their non-human workers by 2025.

This comes as no surprise since the world has been gearing up for a robotic first future for quite a while. Globally, the robotics industry is expected to reach USD 74.1 billion by 2026- a compound annual growth rate of 17.45 percent from 2021.

Over 50 percent of US companies said they are planning to increase their investment in automation within the next few years, spurred on by the ongoing pandemic. [Read more…] about Automation and the workplace: 3 Ways robotics will transform the workplace as we know it

Tips on how to effectively implement automation in the manufacturing process

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Desire to bring automation to the manufacturing process of your company or startup? The following tips will come in handy if you want to succeed in that!

A decade ago nobody could even dream about the technologies that can optimize industries in terms of the design process. Business owners or start-uppers can make the design process more effective via introducing robotic technology and automation.

The last can improve the development process in any industry. However, it makes the biggest influence on the industrial business. [Read more…] about Tips on how to effectively implement automation in the manufacturing process