Robotics & Automation News

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Nvidia selected to lead European autonomous vehicle safety group

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Nvidia, a chip maker and computing systems supplier, has been selected to lead an autonomous vehicle safety group, called the European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA), set up by European automotive suppliers. 

As well as CLEPA, Nvidia also works with key international organizations formulating standards and regulations for automated vehicles.

These include the International Standards Organization (ISO), the United Nations Economic Commission of Europe (UNECE), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the Association for Standardization of Automation and Measuring Systems (ASAM). [Read more…] about Nvidia selected to lead European autonomous vehicle safety group

The rise of the Robot Operating System

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Nearly 55 percent of total commercial robots shipped in 2024 will have at least one Robot Operating System package installed, according to ABI Research

The Robot Operating System, or ROS, is a flexible and collaborative open-source framework for building operating systems for robotics.

As its adoption continues to grow, ROS is aiming to become the industry standard for robotics middleware.

According to ABI Research, a market research company, nearly 55 percent of total commercial robots shipped in 2024 – over 915,000 units – will have at least one ROS package installed, creating a large installed base of ROS-enabled robots.

[Read more…] about The rise of the Robot Operating System

Komatsu develops electric mini excavator

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Komatsu Ltd has unveiled its electric mini excavator, based on its accumulated technological expertise of hybrid construction equipment and electric forklift trucks.

Equipped with an in-house developed new charger, high-voltage converter and other devices, it offers excavation performance on a par with the internal combustion model of the same power output, while achieving zero exhaust gas emissions and a dynamic reduction in noise levels.

Komatsu expects a wider range of applications for this machine, including construction work near hospitals or schools or in residential areas, where contractors pay special attention to exhaust gas and noise during work, as well as inside tunnels or buildings.

[Read more…] about Komatsu develops electric mini excavator

Groupe PSA carries out autonomous driving tests in L3Pilot project

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Since the start of April, Group PSA’s vehicles equipped with level 3 autonomous driving functions have been operating on open roads in France as part of the European L3Pilot project.

Six to eight vehicles will undergo intensive driving tests to validate autonomous functions on dual carriageways.

The project is strengthening Groupe PSA’s expertise in the development of autonomous vehicles, thanks to a global ecosystem of partners, including European carmakers, research centres and roads authorities.

[Read more…] about Groupe PSA carries out autonomous driving tests in L3Pilot project

Canonical releases new version of Ubuntu operating system

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Canonical has launched a new version of the Ubuntu computer operating system, which is increasingly popular in industrial devices and networks.

The company says the updated version, Ubuntu 19.04, provides the necessary tools for open infrastructure applications, includes a developer desktop, internet of things functionality, and cloud to edge software distribution.

Mark Shuttleworth, CEO of Canonical, says: “The open-source-first on Ubuntu movement in telco, finance, and media has spread to other sectors.

“From the public cloud to the private data center to the edge appliance or cluster, open source has become the reference for efficiency and innovation.

“Ubuntu 19.04 includes the leading projects to underpin that transition, and the developer tooling to accelerate the applications for those domains.”

Waypoint Robotics launches MAV3K omnidirectional autonomous mobile robot

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Waypoint Robotics has launched the MAV3K (pronounced May-vick) industrial grade autonomous mobile robot (AMR). It has a 3000lb carrying capacity and omnidirectional mobility.

MAV3K comes equipped with Waypoint’s Dispatcher software, allowing it to be set up and autonomously operating in under 15 minutes.

MAV3K’s batteries keep it moving through the longest workday and Waypoint’s EnZone wireless charging system enables MAV3K to charge itself.

Opinion: Augmented and virtual reality ‘open up whole new world of opportunities’

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augmented-reality-glasses atheer

By Douglas Bruey, electrical engineering program lead at Synapse

At first glance, a gamer playing Pokémon Go has little in common with a surgeon saving lives in an operating theatre. But dig a little deeper and you’ll discover that might not be the case for much longer.

Augmented reality and virtual reality technologies are poised to open up a whole new world of opportunities. We’re already seeing the effects of VR when it comes to gaming. But in future could AR add a new dimension to surgery?

AR and VR both have the ability to alter our perception of the world. AR takes our current reality and adds something to it – virtual objects or information. VR, on the other hand, immerses us in a different – virtual – world.  [Read more…] about Opinion: Augmented and virtual reality ‘open up whole new world of opportunities’

TheConstruct launches new training courses for Robot Operating System

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construct ros industrial

TheConstruct has launched several new courses for people who want to learn to use the Robot Operating System. 

The online simulation environment provider has two courses, in particular, which may interest readers of this website.

One of them is called ROS Autonomous Vehicles 101, and the other is ROS-Industrial 101. Both are available through the website, TheConstructSim.com.  [Read more…] about TheConstruct launches new training courses for Robot Operating System

Doctor, I shrunk the robot. Or… Out of their tiny little robotic minds

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By Chris Wagner, head of advanced surgical systems at Cambridge Consultants

Surgical robots today are large and unwieldy. This causes a number of challenges in the operating theatre. 

Setting up and managing the robots, for example, takes up valuable operating time. It’s also difficult to swap a robot in and out of a surgical procedure if traditional tools are more appropriate for some elements of an operation. And there are safety issues when clinical staff work in close proximity to a large piece of moving equipment.

So a surgeon has to weigh the benefits of surgical robotics against these limitations for each procedure where a robot is used.

There is an opportunity here – if we can simply make the robot smaller, many of these limitations disappear. It is much easier to move a small robot into an operating theatre, put it into position for an operation and move it out again afterwards. The safety concerns are also much reduced.  [Read more…] about Doctor, I shrunk the robot. Or… Out of their tiny little robotic minds

Kuka’s new lightweight collaborative robot for medical applications goes into series production

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Kuka’s new, lightweight collaborative robot has gone into series production, says the company. 

The Kuka LBR Med – short for medical – is designed to be operated in the “immediate vicinity” of the human operator.

The robot maker sees the new cobot as having applications in the health sector, as “an assistant for tasks rehabilitation or in the operating room”.  [Read more…] about Kuka’s new lightweight collaborative robot for medical applications goes into series production