Robotics & Automation News

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New consortium to develop a common computing platform for autonomous vehicles

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A group of leading companies from the automotive and computing industries have formed collaborative effort toward making fully self-driving vehicles a reality.

The new Autonomous Vehicle Computing Consortium (AVCC), officially launched recently at Arm TechCon in San Jose, brings together industry leaders from automotive, automotive supply, semiconductor and computing to serve as the leading organization for autonomous computing expertise.

Together with the consortium’s growing membership, the initial AVCC members Arm, Bosch, Continental, Denso, General Motors, Nvidia, NXP Semiconductors and Toyota will collaborate to help solve some of the most significant challenges to deploy self-driving vehicles at scale. [Read more…] about New consortium to develop a common computing platform for autonomous vehicles

Arsenal launches three new robotic dispensing systems on the Universal Robot platform

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New cartridge based robotic dispensing systems for low and medium volume manufacturing processes

Arsenal, an Austin, Texas based developer of robotic dispensing systems and turnkey integration solutions, has recently released three new cartridge-based dispensing systems.

Arsenal’s dispensing systems leverage the flexible and easy to use Universal Robot platform which makes them ideal for low and medium volume manufacturing processes.

Cartridge-based robotic dispensing solutions bridge the gap between time consuming, unpredictable manual dispensing and high volume pumping systems. [Read more…] about Arsenal launches three new robotic dispensing systems on the Universal Robot platform

Formant launches cloud platform to manage robot fleets

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Formant, a San Francisco-based startup, has launched its new cloud robotics platform, which enables businesses to automatically collect and analyze robotics data.

By centralizing all application data in a single web user interface, Formant allows business teams, operators, and engineers to improve the efficacy of their robotic workforce.

Jeff Linnell, CEO of Formant.io, says: “Robots are leaving the factory and adventuring into our world. They could use some guidance. This release facilitates this journey by enabling robot fleets to thrive through human observability and assistance.” [Read more…] about Formant launches cloud platform to manage robot fleets

RightHand Robotics and Element Logic launch integrated robotic piece-picking solution

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RightHand Robotics, a provider of warehouse automation technology, and Element Logic, an AutoStore partner, have launched an integrated robotic piece-picking solution that combines the technologies of both companies. 

The announcement was made in conjunction with IMHX in Birmingham, UK, September 24-27.

The robotic piece-picking solution combines award-winning technology from RightHand Robotics with Element Logic software and AutoStore’s automated storage and retrieval system. [Read more…] about RightHand Robotics and Element Logic launch integrated robotic piece-picking solution

Senseye partners with Fanuc on its ‘Field’ IIoT platform

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Senseye, an industrial software company that specialises in vision systems, says its Senseye PdM technology suite will be made available through Fanuc’s “Field” industrial internet of things platform when it launches in Europe later this year.

FIELD stands for “Fanuc Intelligent Edge Link and Drive” system, and is basically a system for monitoring and managing Fanuc robots and devices through a computer network, enabling artificial intelligence to be applied across an entire operation to find efficiencies and productivity gains.

Senseye provides a range of technologies and methodologies that are used globally by Fortune 500 industrial organisations as part of digital transformation initiatives to improve the safety, efficiency and effectiveness of manufacturing and maintenance operations. [Read more…] about Senseye partners with Fanuc on its ‘Field’ IIoT platform

Record sales of collaborative robots reveal increasing demand for end-of-arm tooling

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With a growth of 23 percent in annual installations of collaborative robots from 2017 to 2018, the new World Robotics Report, published by International Federation of Robotics, shows a huge demand for end-of-arm-tooling, (EoAT).

In 2018 almost 14,000 new cobot arms were installed, and if this trend continues, that number will double in approximately three years, prompting an unprecedented EoAT market opportunity that OnRobot is ready to address.

For the first time ever, the annual World Robotics Report includes a specific analysis on the market for cobots, documenting a robust 23 percent growth worldwide. [Read more…] about Record sales of collaborative robots reveal increasing demand for end-of-arm tooling

Autonomous vehicles simulator Applied Intuition raises $40 million in funding

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Applied Intuition, a provider of a simulation platform for autonomous vehicle development, has raised $40 million in Series B financing.

The funding round was led by General Catalyst with participation from Kleiner Perkins, M12 (Microsoft), Sozo Ventures, and La Famiglia.

Previous investors, Andreessen Horowitz, Lux Capital, and Floodgate, also participated in this round. [Read more…] about Autonomous vehicles simulator Applied Intuition raises $40 million in funding

Corindus instrument used in ‘world’s first’ remote-control robotic heart surgery

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A surgical instrument developed by Corindus has been used in what is claimed to be the first remote-controlled heart operation using a robot.

Corindus published its “Telerobotic Intervention Study” in The Lancet, saying it is “the world’s first percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures conducted from a remote location outside the catheterization lab using Corindus’ CorPath technology platform”.

The paper Corindus published, titled Long Distance Telerobotic-Assisted Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: First-in-Human Experience, discusses five successful patient cases performed by internationally acclaimed physician Dr Tejas Patel, chairman and chief interventional cardiologist of the Apex Heart Institute in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. [Read more…] about Corindus instrument used in ‘world’s first’ remote-control robotic heart surgery

Brodmann17 launches ‘world’s first’ automated deep learning training platform for autonomous driving

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Brodmann17, a Tier 2 automotive software supplier, has launched what it says is the world’s first automated deep learning training platform, specifically designed for automotive-grade ADAS/AD solutions. 

ADAS stands for advanced driver assistance systems, and AD is being used to mean autonomous driving.

Brodmann17 says its new platform seamlessly trains and deploys deep learning neural network models for ADAS/AD solutions, automating a process that cannot be done at scale manually. [Read more…] about Brodmann17 launches ‘world’s first’ automated deep learning training platform for autonomous driving

Scurrying cockroaches help researchers steady staggering robots

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Ew, a cockroach! But it zips off before the swatter appears. Now, researchers have leveraged the bug’s superb scurrying skills to create a cleverly simple method to assess and improve locomotion in robots.

Normally, tedious modeling of mechanics, electronics, and information science is required to understand how insects’ or robots’ moving parts coordinate smoothly to take them places.

But in a new study, biomechanics researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology boiled down the sprints of cockroaches to handy principles and equations they then used to make a test robot amble about better. [Read more…] about Scurrying cockroaches help researchers steady staggering robots