Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

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Interview: Formic aims to change the way you integrate robotics and automation into your facility

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Formic Technologies is a new type of company which, itself, is the result of the huge changes that are occurring in the robotics and automation market, what with all sorts of new robots and technologies emerging, none of which is cheap to buy, and creating an increasing amount of complexity when it comes to implementing them in an integrated system at, say, a factory. 

In simple terms, you can hire robots – for example, Universal Robots collaborative robots – and other automation technologies from Formic. But it’s more than that. You can also have Formic design the implementation, and handle the integration, for which the startup company has many established partners.

And possibly Formic’s unique selling point is its promise to link its income from its customers to those customers’ success with the automation systems Formic installs. In other words, it’s a kind of like a robotics-as-a-service company which you can pay as you go according to a sliding scale – or “Easy to start, easy to scale”, as Formic likes to put it. [Read more…] about Interview: Formic aims to change the way you integrate robotics and automation into your facility

Motion capture is guiding the next generation of extraterrestrial robots

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“How do we build robots that can optimally explore space?” is the core question behind Dr Frances Zhu’s research at the University of Hawai’i. One part of the answer is, “with motion capture”.

“It is my hope that my research contributes to the way extraterrestrial robots move and make decisions on other planets,” explains Zhu (main image), an assistant researcher and deputy director at the University’s Hawai‘i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology.

That research is in its early stages, but NASA has seen the value in it and awarded Zhu an EPSCoR grant by the name “Autonomous Rover Operations for Planetary Surface Exploration using Machine Learning Algorithms”. [Read more…] about Motion capture is guiding the next generation of extraterrestrial robots

Jeep Wrangler: An American Icon

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Ah, the Jeep Wrangler. One of the most recognizable brands on the planet. Somewhere, as we speak, is someone vying with one off road, rhapsodizing anew at the wonders of it all.

The Jeep Wrangler. And don’t forget its mystique. Whole sonnets have likely been written, or should be, that toss hosannas at this legend, a vehicle that served during WWII, no less.

Here is the Jeep Wrangler: An American icon. [Read more…] about Jeep Wrangler: An American Icon

5 manufacturing trends to look forward to in 2021

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The past year has highlighted the need for sweeping and immediate changes across the manufacturing industry. It has been facing several evolving challenges accelerated by the pandemic.

To improve efficiency and productivity, here are five manufacturing trends you should look forward to in 2021:

Continued Focus On the Development of IoT
IoT (the internet of things) remains a buzzword in manufacturing owing to its adaptability and disruptive nature. As companies and their equipment continue to be digitized, IoT can help companies in multiple ways. [Read more…] about 5 manufacturing trends to look forward to in 2021

Bosch machine learning trials go live on Fetch.ai

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Fetch.ai, a Cambridge-based artificial intelligence lab building an open-access decentralized machine learning network for smart infrastructure, says the team of the “Economy of Things” (EoT) strategic advance engineering project at Bosch Research will be initiating machine learning trials on the Fetch.ai Collective Learning network.

The system will attempt to predict potential failures in Bosch’s machinery while maintaining data privacy.

The main focus of Bosch Research is the research and implementation of innovative new technologies. Bosch Research originally entered into a collaboration with Fetch.ai in 2019 and deployed a node on a Fetch test network in early 2021. [Read more…] about Bosch machine learning trials go live on Fetch.ai

Getting dressed with help from robots

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MIT has demonstrated a “human-aware motion planning algorithm” that addresses the safety gap in collaboration between robots and humans – and could be used to make robots help people get dressed. (See video below.)

Basic safety needs in the paleolithic era have largely evolved with the onset of the industrial and cognitive revolutions. We interact a little less with raw materials, and interface a little more with machines.

Robots don’t have the same hardwired behavioral awareness and control, so secure collaboration with humans requires methodical planning and coordination. You can likely assume your friend can fill up your morning coffee cup without spilling on you, but for a robot, this seemingly simple task requires careful observation and comprehension of human behavior.

Scientists from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have recently created a new algorithm to help a robot find efficient motion plans to ensure physical safety of its human counterpart. In this case, the bot helped put a jacket on a human, which could potentially prove to be a powerful tool in expanding assistance for those with disabilities or limited mobility. [Read more…] about Getting dressed with help from robots

Kiwibot and Sodexo launch robotic food delivery services to three university campuses

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Kiwibot, a robotic last-mile delivery company, is partnering with Sodexo, a food services and facilities management company, to expand its robotic fleet to “drive the future of smart university campuses”.

This August, the two companies will make robot deliveries available at three campuses in the US:

  • New Mexico State University;
  • Loyola Marymount University, California; and
  • Gonzaga University, Washington.

Kiwibot says it offers full remote and in-field customer support to businesses and integrates with any business’s point-of-sale to distribute their food products via “powerful, cute-looking robots”. [Read more…] about Kiwibot and Sodexo launch robotic food delivery services to three university campuses

Seegrid introduces subscription model for acquiring its robots

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Seegrid, a provider of autonomous mobile robots for material handling, has introduced a “Robots as a Service” (RaaS) subscription model.

The additional purchasing model provides customers with more alternatives to facilitate access to the latest Seegrid Palion AMR fleet and enterprise software solutions.

In addition to the new subscription model, the company will continue to offer its customers options to purchase equipment outright, as well as various leasing models. [Read more…] about Seegrid introduces subscription model for acquiring its robots

Predictive Modeling in Healthcare

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The healthcare industry continues to find itself in an entanglement with continuous risks.

Handling these risks implies the applicability of highly accurate predictive technologies that promise improved medical care.

Why does predictive modelling tools matter? [Read more…] about Predictive Modeling in Healthcare

4 Ways to Implement Industrial Automation

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The advent of technology is changing all industries these days – optimizing processes, productions, and systems. In other words, its development is inviting the way for a more competitive and convenient way of doing business.

Industrial automation is the future of work and it has paved the way for various industrial processes to be automated effectively, economically, and safely. This has resulted in the introduction of new jobs, such as industrial technician, industrial engineer, and industrial program manager.

These new job titles, coupled with the increased efficiency brought about by industrial automation, have contributed to reducing unemployment in many industries. [Read more…] about 4 Ways to Implement Industrial Automation