Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

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Oil-producing nations struggling with economic woes as society shifts towards electric movement

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Oil-producing nations located in the Middle East and North Africa are struggling with their economies, most of which are not diversified enough to offset the losses caused by falls in the price of crude.

A quick check shows that the current price of a barrel of crude oil – which is about 160 litres – is just above $40, which is significantly lower than certainly Arab countries need it to be.

According to the Economist, Algeria needs the price to be about $157 a barrel, while Oman wants to get to at least $87. [Read more…] about Oil-producing nations struggling with economic woes as society shifts towards electric movement

igus unveils virtual trade show booth

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igus, a supplier of components, has unveiled a “virtual trade show booth” to provide some assistance to industry people who are “still bummed out about trade shows being cancelled”. 

The virtual stand is interactive, as you might expect, and features a range of components for many industries, including robotics, material handling, agriculture and many more.

igus says the aim of the stand was to showcase its “new, innovative plastic products for low-cost automation”. [Read more…] about igus unveils virtual trade show booth

Siemens opens beta testing for forthcoming launch of NX

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Siemens has opened beta testing of its next update of NX, the engineering giant’s computer-aided design software.

The NX application is part of Siemens product lifecycle management (PLM) software unit, and can also be used for computer-aided manufacturing and computer-aided engineering.

NX – sort for Siemens Next Generation Design – includes design functions and simulation capabilities which feature real-world physics, and the company is strongly emphasising the new additions for additive manufacturing. [Read more…] about Siemens opens beta testing for forthcoming launch of NX

Autonomous cars and intelligent road systems improve road safety

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Last year, there was a 2 percent reduction in the number of road fatalities in the US. One of the reasons for this drop is the increasing use of automated driver assistance systems now fitted into most new vehicles.

By minimizing the effects of human error, these additions can help to reduce the number of crashes, and the development of fully self-driving cars could improve safety even more.

As the adoption of autonomous vehicles spreads, roads could be made even safer and more efficient with intelligent infrastructure and traffic management systems, such as smart traffic signals, and even robot traffic controllers. [Read more…] about Autonomous cars and intelligent road systems improve road safety

Mobile robots and autonomous vehicles: Coronavirus pushes logistics automation higher up the agenda

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Last month, Amazon announced that it planned on hiring 100,000 extra workers to meet the rise in demand for online shopping created by Coronavirus-caused shutdowns and social distancing.

In late March, unions said workers were demanding that Amazon takes their lives seriously. The night before a facility in Queens, NY, had been closed for deep cleaning after an employee tested positive for the virus.

There are reports that some Amazon warehouse workers in Italy and Spain have tested positive. [Read more…] about Mobile robots and autonomous vehicles: Coronavirus pushes logistics automation higher up the agenda

Automated driving developer TTTech Auto expands team

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TTTech Auto says it has grown its developer team for global customer projects.

After the acquisition of software company Silicon Gears in 2019, TTTech Auto expanded further on the Iberian Peninsula. The Madrid office opened in mid-February and will reinforce development capacities for global customer projects.

Spain is the country with the fourth-highest number of computer developers in the European Union, according to the State of European Tech 2019 report. Almost 40 per cent of the 323,000 developers are located in Madrid. [Read more…] about Automated driving developer TTTech Auto expands team

Why You Should Use Call Tracking for Your Conversion Optimization Strategy

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1. Use call tracking

Not all of your conversions are non-calls. In other words, you get online purchases if you’re an e-commerce store, but you also get phone-in orders, right?

A lot of the customers do in fact call. And so if you’re not tracking your calls, you don’t truly understand how you’re receiving those calls and therefore, you can’t increase your efforts in those areas to generate more calls.

For example, we generate thousands of leads a month here and about 40 per cent are calls, in many cases. On the low months, it’s 20 per cent. [Read more…] about Why You Should Use Call Tracking for Your Conversion Optimization Strategy

Robotics Plus named in top 50 agritech companies list

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Robotics Plus, an agricultural production automation company, has been named in the Thrive Top 50, an annual ranking of leading global AgTech companies exemplifying the best in agriculture innovation.

Robotics Plus, the only New Zealand company to make the 2020 Top 50 ranking, was just one of five companies featured in the Robotics & Automation category.

Robotics Plus CEO Dr Matt Glenn says it’s a “huge honour” to receive a coveted spot on Thrive’s Top 50 global list. [Read more…] about Robotics Plus named in top 50 agritech companies list

BICS powers first intelligent exoskeleton with global connectivity

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BICS, a global communications enabler, is providing global internet-of-things connectivity and asset management for a pioneering exoskeleton developed by German Bionic.

The Cray X is the first connected asset from the Robot-as-a-Service (RaaS) provider and marks the first instance of a European manufacturer developing, producing and deploying smart exoskeletons for use in industrial production.

Designed to support and enhance the wearer’s movements, German Bionic’s Cray X reduces the risk of accidents and excessive strain for employees in sectors that involve repetitive but unpredictable heavy lifting. [Read more…] about BICS powers first intelligent exoskeleton with global connectivity

Omron developing robotic suitcase with AI to assist visually impaired people

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Omron has joined a consortium which is developing a robotic suitcase with artificial intelligence to assist visually impaired people.

As well as Omron, the consortium includes companies such as IBM Japan, Mitsubishi Motors, and Shimizu Corporation.

The AI suitcase is described as an integrated solution that will help the visually impaired to get around town independently, by supplementing visual information by combining the latest AI with robotics. [Read more…] about Omron developing robotic suitcase with AI to assist visually impaired people