Robotics & Automation News

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Finally, Ford Plans to Release a Test Self-Driving Car by the End of 2022

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Ford plans to release a test self-driving car by 2022! This news comes as a surprise as the company has been lagging behind its competitors when it comes to autonomous technology.

The Ford Motor Company has announced that it intends to release a fully autonomous vehicle within the next five years. The car, which will be available for both public and commercial use, will be part of the company’s larger push to invest in and develop self-driving technology.

While Ford is not the first automaker to pledge to release a self-driving car – Volvo, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW have all made similar announcements – it is the first to set a specific timeline for doing so. [Read more…] about Finally, Ford Plans to Release a Test Self-Driving Car by the End of 2022

Levita Magnetics secures $26 million to advance disruptive surgical robotic system

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Levita Magnetics, on a mission to provide patients with more access to better surgery, has closed its $26 million Series C financing, which will be used to support regulatory and near-term commercial efforts in the United States for its Magnetic-Assisted Robotic Surgery (MARS) platform.

The financing was led by a healthtech investment group managed by seasoned investor Evan Norton, with participation from MedTex Ventures, as well as Invermaster and Carao Ventures, amongst other returning investors. The company also announced the appointment of Maria Sainz as chairwoman to its board of directors.

The MARS platform is designed to deliver the clinical benefits of the company’s first commercial product, the Levita Magnetic Surgical System®, including less pain, faster recovery and fewer scars for patients. [Read more…] about Levita Magnetics secures $26 million to advance disruptive surgical robotic system

DMG MORI building Africa’s first machine tool factory

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DMG MORI, a manufacturing technology company with 12,000 employees in 87 countries and $2 billion in annual sales revenues, is building what it says is “Africa’s first machine tool factory” in Cairo, Egypt.

The decision was formally made at a meeting with Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. In the presence of Prime Minister Dr Mostafa Madbouly, the company’s chairman, Christian Thönes, and AOI President Lt Gen Abdel Moneam Al Tarras signed the “pioneering cooperation agreement”.

Christian Thönes, chairman of DMG MORI Aktiengesellschaft, says:“Egypt is the door to Africa – a continent full of potential and high demand for future technologies. [Read more…] about DMG MORI building Africa’s first machine tool factory

How Automation Makes Your Plumbing Business More Effective?

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It might feel weird to hear the automation word within the plumbing industry, but it is not as uncommon and inefficient as one would imagine about mixing automation with your plumbing business.

Using automation with your plumbing business might have amazing benefits for you, like giving out quicker replies and quotes to potential customers and tracking your jobs easier and more efficiently.

It could also teach you how to get more plumbing leads as your website will work faster than before, and search engines will rank it higher. This article will discuss how your plumbing business will be more effective with automation. [Read more…] about How Automation Makes Your Plumbing Business More Effective?

EDF employs ‘unique’ underwater drone to carry out ‘first ever’ autonomous robotic inspection of wind farm foundations

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EDF has installed a uniquely customised remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to carry out what is believed to be the first autonomous wind farm foundation inspection at its Blyth Offshore Wind Farm.

The ROV, equipped and operated by researchers from the ORCA Hub, a strategic project within the National Robotarium, was modified to include cutting-edge robotic technologies for autonomous inspection capabilities and carried out visual inspections of the gravity-based foundations of three offshore turbines over the course of four days.

The inspections were undertaken as part of a partnership between EDF and the ORCA Hub to investigate a wide range of potential applications for drone technology to assess offshore wind turbines. [Read more…] about EDF employs ‘unique’ underwater drone to carry out ‘first ever’ autonomous robotic inspection of wind farm foundations

Keeping it Real: Are robot real estate agents the next big thing for the property industry?

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In the UK alone, there are 21,641 estate agents – all of whom are paid salaries ranging from £14,000 to £60,000 per year.

As the world begins to once again open up, estate agents across the globe are once again out in force but, maybe not for long.

As businesses look for new ways to cut costs, many people feel that there may be a new real estate kid on the block – the robot.  [Read more…] about Keeping it Real: Are robot real estate agents the next big thing for the property industry?

Opinion: How to double up grocery logistics productivity with autonomous mobile robots

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With growing labour availability issues, how can grocery logistics operations significantly boost performance? Vincent Jacquemart, CEO at French autonomous mobile robot designer and manufacturer iFollow, offers a solution.

Faced with the likelihood of long term staff shortages and resulting rises in pay rates, warehouse and distribution centre operators in grocery and many other sectors are turning sometimes belatedly to automation. This is certainly an option but not all solutions deliver really significant productivity improvements.

Labour shortages in logistics have been building for some years, by no means just because of Brexit, and the inability to fulfil orders reliably is becoming an existential threat for many firms.

Logistics UK in October claimed that “13 percent of traders are reporting severe warehouse staff shortages”; in November the Cold Chain Federation noted “10 percent to 20 percent shortage rates” among its members. [Read more…] about Opinion: How to double up grocery logistics productivity with autonomous mobile robots

Fugro autonomous submarine completes geohazard site investigation activity off the coast of Suriname

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Fugro has finalised fieldwork on a site investigation programme for TotalEnergies off the north-west coast of Paramaribo in Block 58 of the Guyana-Suriname Basin, just off the coast of Suriname.

The company used its autonomous submarine for the task.

The project sits approximately 150 km offshore in water depths ranging from 60 m to 2100 m and involves acquisition and analysis of geophysical data and geotechnical soil samples. [Read more…] about Fugro autonomous submarine completes geohazard site investigation activity off the coast of Suriname

Improved Safety of Self-Driving Car

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The improved safety of the self-driving car, both for the passengers and other road users are well known.

However, what many people do not understand are the separate systems and technologies that are being built into autonomous vehicles to ensure this advance in safety.

After all, it is not only that the vehicle contains an AI capable of making high-speed decisions, but also that it will be equipped with the following systems and features that will ensure both efficiency and protection. [Read more…] about Improved Safety of Self-Driving Car

RB-KAIROS +: the best solution for Universal Robots e-Series users

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Collaborative Mobile Robots are one of the most important hits of Industry 4.0, where robots and humans operate together, each one providing its own particular strengths and complementing each other to achieve greater efficiency.

These robots are in charge of repetitive tasks and, on the other hand, the professionals of the industry have the creativeness and the solution-problems capabilities to obtain the maximum benefit of robotics, and achieve this objective.

RB-KAIROS + has been designed as a mobile solution to expand the possibilities of the e-Series Universal Robots arms and improve the efficiency of the production chain. [Read more…] about RB-KAIROS +: the best solution for Universal Robots e-Series users