Market trends and business perspectives
A new synthetic material created by a scientist at Cornell University is said to give robots a “softer touch”.
Developed by PhD student Patricia Xu, at Cornell’s Organic Robotics Lab, the “sensory network” – also dubbed “optical lace” – is said to be similar to the human biological nervous system.
The lab’s paper, Optical Lace for Synthetic Afferent Neural Networks, was published in Science Robotics. [Read more…] about Cornell scientists develop new material to give robots more sensitive touch
by Mai Tao
An Indian company called GenRobotics has developed a range of robots to undertake work down manholes and in sewage environments, and has been receiving orders from a number of states in its home country as well as many places abroad.
GenRobotics was launched in relatively quiet circumstances in 2015, but then, last year, the prime minister of India, Narendra Modi, was in attendance at the launch of the company’s second-generation robots.
Malaysia and the UAE are among the outside nations from which orders have been received for GenRobotics machines, and they join Indian states such as Tamil Nadu, in the south, and Haryana, in the north of the massive country of more than 1 billion people. [Read more…] about Indian government to replace sewage workers with robots by 2020
by Liv
We live in a world of automation. Our worlds are in the palm of our hands, thanks to mobile technology. We have more access to everything, faster, and drones are already delivering parcels. Self-driving cars are fast approaching the next stage after experimentation.
But what does this mean for the future of the auto transportation industry?
Freight demand continues to grow, placing significant strain on freeways. In fact, the Department of Transport estimates that “… by 2040, nearly 30,000 miles of our busiest highways will be clogged on a daily basis. Truck congestion will waste $27 billion in time and fuel economy annually”. [Read more…] about The Future of Auto Transportation
In 2017 there were nearly 350,000 incidents of workers taking sick leave due to injuries affecting muscles, nerves, ligaments or tendons – like carpal tunnel syndrome – according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Among the workers with the highest number of incidents: people who work in factories and warehouses.
Musculoskeletal disorders happen at work when people use awkward postures or perform repeated tasks. These behaviors generate strain on the body over time. So it’s important to point out and minimize risky behaviors to keep workers healthy on the job. [Read more…] about Want to know how safe your warehouse job is? There’s an app for that
Columbia University has demonstrated a robotic cane which it claims can “improve stability in walking”.
The developers say the device acts as a cane-like mobile assistant to provide “light-touch” operation to help the elderly and others with impaired mobility.
By adding electronics and computation technology to a simple cane that has been around since ancient times, a team of researchers at Columbia Engineering have transformed it into a 21st-century robotic device that can provide light-touch assistance in walking to the aged and others with impaired mobility. [Read more…] about Columbia university demonstrates robotic cane to ‘improve stability in walking’
by Anna
Toyota Motor Corporation, as a worldwide partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, aims to provide mobility solutions that go beyond providing official vehicles for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.
One way Toyota is doing this is by participating in the Tokyo 2020 Robot Project, led by the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, that brings the government, Tokyo Metropolitan government, as well as Games’ partners together with experts in the field of robotics.
At Tokyo 2020, the robots to be introduced by Toyota will be used to support the mobility of people at various locations and venues.
[Read more…] about Toyota robots to help at Tokyo 2020 Olympics
by Sam Francis
A startup company called Makr Shakr has opened its latest robotic bars in the European cities of Milan and London.
Makr Shakr was founded in 2014 by MIT professor Carlo Ratti and claims to be the world’s leading producer of robotic bars.
The Milan installation is in the heart of the Italy’s fashion capital, and is said to be the city’s very first robotic bar. [Read more…] about Makr Shakr opens latest robotic bars in Milan and London
by Anna
Panasonic has launched an initiative to promote robot development via open co-creation. The “Robotics Hub” is the central axis of Panasonic’s quest to integrate robots into society in the near future.
Nine years ago, in 2010, the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), one of the largest public research and development management organisations in Japan, released some very curious data.
In their future market projections of domestic robot turnout, they forecast a sharp expansion of robots in the services field by 2035. By “services field,” it is meant medical care, logistics, nursing and welfare, cleaning, security and so forth.
[Read more…] about Panasonic launches initiative to encourage ‘social integration of robots’
FemtoPrint, a Swiss company specialising in microtechnology, has won the 2019 Exhibitors’ Grand Prix at the EPHJ event.
The young Ticino company impressed the judges with its “SPOT-RVC”, which has been described as a “real innovation in the medical technology market and a beacon of hope for the 16 million people worldwide with retinal vein occlusion”.
The Safe Puncture Optimized Tool (SPOT), designed by FemtoPrint, aims to safely inject a drug that dissolves clots in the retinal veins without harming tissue, thanks to a new high-precision miniaturised medical tool. [Read more…] about FemtoPrint wins the 2019 Exhibitors’ Grand Prix at EPHJ
by Anna
Any first responder will tell you that the first 72 hours following a natural disaster are the most crucial to saving lives.
However, often times due to the nature of the disaster (forest fire, earthquake, hurricane, or flood), it can be difficult for search-and-rescue and humanitarian aid missions to reach and get immediate help to those in need.
The need for efficient, rapid, resilient transportation for disaster assistance is what led Hyundai to develop the first-ever vehicle with moveable legs.
[Read more…] about Hyundai walking car concept for the ‘first responder’ industry
Robotics and Automation News was established in May, 2015, and is now one of the most widely-read websites in its category.
Please consider supporting us by becoming a paying subscriber, or through advertising and sponsorships, or by purchasing products and services through our shop – or a combination of all of the above.
Thank you.
This website and its associated magazine, and weekly newsletter, are all produced by a small team of experienced journalists and media professionals.
If you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to contact us at any of the email addresses on our contact page.
We’d be happy to hear from you, and will always reply as soon as possible.
We support the principles of net neutrality and equal opportunities.
