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Beam me up, Scotty. Or send me a foldable smartphone

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If you’re among the millions of people who watched the sci-fi TV show Westworld and saw the folding smartphones used by some of the characters, you probably immediately thought, “I want one of those.”

That’s what we thought anyway.

And whereas the old, 1960s Star Trek showed off tablet computers and other technologies many decades before they were beamed into our collective – and possibly holographic – reality, nowadays, things happen slightly faster.

[Read more…] about Beam me up, Scotty. Or send me a foldable smartphone

NextShift Robotics receives patent for vertical lift capability in robotic picking

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NextShift Robotics, a provider of autonomous mobile robot solutions for automated order fulfilment and warehouse materials management, has been granted a second patent, US10214354B2, “Method and System for Automated Transport of Items”.

The patent pertains to operating a robotic picking system in which the containers to be picked are positioned on the shelves and within picking stations.

The patent covers the ability of the robot to raise itself vertically to access shelving of different heights in order to pick the appropriate container from a range of shelf heights and storage system configurations.

[Read more…] about NextShift Robotics receives patent for vertical lift capability in robotic picking

Foldable touchscreens: New materials pave the way for a breakthrough

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Foldable smartphones, tablets and screens are finally becoming a reality. Now there is a need for robust conductive materials in touch displays so that the new technology will function reliably.

For a display to be foldable at all, each of its components must be robust and flexible. With the fundamental shift from glass to plastic in displays, the main challenge is to employ materials that are necessary for foldable displays.

The new Clevios HY E from Heraeus Electronic Chemicals is a hybrid material consisting of silver nanowires for higher conductivity and conductive PEDOT polymers as a flexible binding agent that allows for a smaller bending radius.

[Read more…] about Foldable touchscreens: New materials pave the way for a breakthrough

Electric vehicles a practical reality for everyone?

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BASF argues that ‘it is all about the chemistry’ and that the materials inside car batteries will have a major impact on vehicle electrification

With the holiday season and sunnier days approaching in the northern hemisphere, traffic inevitably increases on highways, in cities and around sightseeing spots.

Additionally, a rising number of commuters contribute to growing nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide emissions with adverse impacts on air quality and climate. By 2025, there will be approximately 1.5 billion cars on the roads worldwide.

[Read more…] about Electric vehicles a practical reality for everyone?

Opinion: Super-material graphene could lead to an electric vehicle breakthrough

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Electric vehicle manufacturers and battery makers have long been searching for the “holy grail” technology that could lower the cost of batteries while also extending their range.

Government research labs, venture capital, startups, and large corporations have all toyed with different ways to get to the promise land.

But one material is emerging as the most promising innovation to date that could actually lead to cheap, long-range and fast-charging electric vehicles: graphite.  [Read more…] about Opinion: Super-material graphene could lead to an electric vehicle breakthrough

Oxeon awarded aerospace supply certification

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Oxeon, makers of TeXtreme, has received the AS9100D Aerospace certification. This designates a high-standard Quality Management System.

CEO Henrik Blycker says: ”The official AS9100 certification is a very important step in the development of the company.

“Even though we already deliver material into the Aerospace Supply Chain, it is important that we continue to improve ourselves and show our commitment to the market.  [Read more…] about Oxeon awarded aerospace supply certification

Luxembourg ‘leading the way’ towards the fourth industrial revolution

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The tiny country of Luxembourg is claimed to be “leading the way towards the fourth industrial revolution”.

Luxembourg may have one of the highest per capita GDPs in the world but it’s more a city than a country.

It has a landmass of about 2,500 square kilometres and a population of just over half a million.  [Read more…] about Luxembourg ‘leading the way’ towards the fourth industrial revolution

Bharati Robotics shows off autonomous industrial cleaning robot

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bharati agv crop
The Bharati autonomous guided vehicle for materials transport

Bharati Robotics Systems has been showing off its new autonomous industrial floor cleaning robots. 

The company says the small vehicle saves labour costs and increases productivity by up to 200 per cent, and cleans the floor better than humans, or the “highest quality of cleaning”.

The robot’s battery lasts up to four hours on one charge and it has a smartphone interface through which it can be monitored and controlled.  [Read more…] about Bharati Robotics shows off autonomous industrial cleaning robot

ThyssenKrupp claims ‘breakthrough’ in digital transformation and connecting machinery ​

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ThyssenKrupp says it has achieved a breakthrough in the area of digital transformation and connecting machinery ​in industry.

ThyssenKrupp says it has reached a “milestone” for the digital transformation of industry and connecting the machinery of its materials services division through a new digital platform.

The company’s new internet of things platform is call Toii, or toii, as the company prefers to write it.  [Read more…] about ThyssenKrupp claims ‘breakthrough’ in digital transformation and connecting machinery ​

World Economic Forum selects robotics and automation companies in its ‘Technology Pioneers 2017’ list

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The World Economic Forum, the global nonprofit foundation whose annual meeting in Davos is attended by global leaders from business and politics, has published a list of companies which it considers to be the most pioneering in the field of technology.

In publishing its Technology Pioneers 2017 list, WEF has chosen 30 different companies to highlight from a variety of industries including biotechnology, agriculture, energy, transport, as well as a number of companies from the robotics and automation sector.

One of them is Horizon Robotics, a Chinese company which develops computer infrastructure to enable artificial intelligence computing and real-time decision-making, mainly aimed at enhancing self-driving vehicle safety.  [Read more…] about World Economic Forum selects robotics and automation companies in its ‘Technology Pioneers 2017’ list