Robotics & Automation News

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Amazon introduces industrial robotic arm that ‘handles millions of diverse products’

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Amazon has unveiled a new industrial robotic arm that the company says is capable of handling “millions of diverse products”.

The internet retail giant describes the Sparrow robot as a new intelligent robotic system that streamlines the fulfillment process by moving individual products before they get packaged – a major technological advancement to support our employees.

Over the past decade, Amazon has been at the forefront of innovation, making significant investments in robotics and advanced technology within its operations. [Read more…] about Amazon introduces industrial robotic arm that ‘handles millions of diverse products’

Unbox Robotics launches ‘first-of-its-kind’ vertical robotics sortation solution

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Unbox Robotics, a robotics technology company specializing in logistics, has launched what it says is “the first-of-its-kind vertical robotics sortation solution”.

Called “UnboxSort”, the solution was unveiled on the sidelines of the India Warehousing Show 2022 in New Delhi. Unbox describes UnboxSort as a “swarm intelligence-powered Industry 4.0 plug-and-play robotics solution”.

With the help of UnboxSort, Unbox Robotics aims to help e-commerce retailers scale up their logistics to handle the high parcel volume brought in by the change in online buying behaviour since the pandemic. [Read more…] about Unbox Robotics launches ‘first-of-its-kind’ vertical robotics sortation solution

Ranpak launches new automated packaging machine

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Ranpak, a provider of paper-based packaging solutions for e-commerce and industrial supply chains, has launched “Flap’it!”, a highly efficient machine that automates the packing of a variety of small products.

The Flap’it! solution automatically adapts to the height of the item and secures the product in place with inner-flaps and integrated cushioning bumpers at the corners. This ensures that products are protected during shipment, significantly reducing costs, damage and product returns.

The system is run by a single operator and can easily be moved around the facility; additionally, it includes a number of safety features and has a small physical footprint. Flap’it! can pack up to 540 packages per hour, nine packages per minute – “five times faster than manual packing”. [Read more…] about Ranpak launches new automated packaging machine

FedEx implements Berkshire Grey’s robotic system for small package processing

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FedEx Ground, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp, has recently implemented Berkshire Grey’s Robotic Product Sortation and Identification (RPSi) systems at its station in Queens, New York.

Berkshire Grey, a developer of Intelligent Enterprise Robotics solutions, executed the RPSi systems to robotically sort the thousands of small packages that arrive daily in bulk into containers bound for other specific hubs and stations across the FedEx Ground network.

FedEx Ground plans to install additional Berkshire Grey RPSi systems at sortation facilities in Las Vegas, Nev., and Columbus, Ohio, in the coming months. [Read more…] about FedEx implements Berkshire Grey’s robotic system for small package processing

MIT startup unveils robot that unloads trailer ‘blazingly fast’

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MIT startup Pickle has unveiled a new robot that works with people to get online orders delivered sooner by unloading trailers “blazingly fast”. (See video below.)

The secret, says the company, is to “keep people in the picture”.

How has a team of 15 solved one of the biggest challenges in logistics automation in only 18 months and with limited funding? [Read more…] about MIT startup unveils robot that unloads trailer ‘blazingly fast’

Kuka wins ‘major contract’ from Mercedes

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Kuka says it has won what it describes as a “major contract” for body-in-white production from Mercedes-Benz. Body-in-white is the stage in automobile manufacturing in which a car body’s frame has been joined together – before the engine and anything else has been installed, or the body painted.

Kuka says it was able to convince the German premium car manufacturer of the deal towards the end of last year.

The order from Mercedes-Benz is for the engineering and construction, as well as the assembly and commissioning, of several body-in-white production lines. In the future, various vehicle models will be produced in this way. [Read more…] about Kuka wins ‘major contract’ from Mercedes

How Automation has Transformed the Delivery Process

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The world of logistics has, in recent years, been radically altered by automation.

More than ever before, the process of getting a package from one location to another has been put into the hands of machines, and the change is behind many of the recent improvements in packaging and distribution that even small businesses can enjoy.

But exactly how does automation impact the delivery process, and what changes might we continue to see in the future? Let’s take a look. [Read more…] about How Automation has Transformed the Delivery Process

Samsung moves into the vertical farming market

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Agricultural innovations are essential for feeding our ever-growing global population.

Especially these days, as industrialisation and global warming continue to negatively affect soil fertility and reduce the amount of arable land.

According to the United Nations, the world’s population is set to reach 9.8 billion by 2050.

[Read more…] about Samsung moves into the vertical farming market

Honeywell unveils automated robotic unloader for distribution centres

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Honeywell has announced a new automated robotic solution for unloading packages from truck trailers and shipping containers at distribution centres.

The robotic unloader uses artificial intelligence to operate fully autonomously inside of a trailer, which significantly reduces the manual effort required to operate receiving docks for retail merchandise and parcel distribution centres.

It drives into a trailer or container and uses machine vision to identify various package shapes and sizes as well as the optimal approach to unloading.

[Read more…] about Honeywell unveils automated robotic unloader for distribution centres