Robotics & Automation News

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ABB wins Red Dot award for FlexPacker industrial Delta robot

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ABB’s IRB 390 FlexPacker industrial Delta robot designed for ultra-fast packing has been chosen for the Red Dot Product Design Award – the second ABB robot to receive the prestigious award in two consecutive years.

The global Red Dot Design Awards recognize achievements in product design, with the jury – comprised of over 50 international design experts – testing and evaluating thousands of entries every year.

In 2022, the Red Dot Award panel looked for products that showed design quality and a high degree of innovation – attributes that informed the FlexPacker’s development from the beginning. [Read more…] about ABB wins Red Dot award for FlexPacker industrial Delta robot

Comau introduces new robot for ‘sensitive’ environments

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Comau has introduced its new Racer-5 Sensitive Environments (Racer-5 SE), a high-speed industrial robot designed for the special and sensitive settings that characterize the pharmaceutical, health and beauty, food and beverage and electronics industries.

Featuring a protective water, heat and grease-resistant coating, the ruggedized 6-axis articulated robot fully responds to the demand for IP67 certification, high-grade ISO 5 Cleanroom classification (ISO 14644-1), protection from chemical agents and the need to reduce the risk of contamination. It also has NSF H1 food grade lubrication.

Further benefits of the dedicated robot include reduced operator risk when working with potentially harmful chemicals and substances, as well as increased productivity, traceability, and quality. [Read more…] about Comau introduces new robot for ‘sensitive’ environments

Simbe Robotics partners with Fast Radius to build new Tally robot

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Fast Radius, a cloud manufacturing and digital supply chain company, is partnering with Simbe Robotics to manufacture components critical to the function and aesthetics of Simbe’s inventory robot, Tally 3.

Simbe says it has “reimagined the possibilities of automation” to create new efficiencies in retail stores and selected Fast Radius’ Cloud Manufacturing Platform because of its ability to bypass current supply chain disruptions through flexible production.

This results in faster time to market versus traditional manufacturing processes and helps the business scale. [Read more…] about Simbe Robotics partners with Fast Radius to build new Tally robot

Columbia University engineers build robot that ‘learns to imagine itself’

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Columbia Engineers build a robot that learns to understand itself, rather than the world around it

As every athletic or fashion-conscious person knows, our body image is not always accurate or realistic, but it’s an important piece of information that determines how we function in the world. 

When you get dressed or play ball, your brain is constantly planning ahead so that you can move your body without bumping, tripping, or falling over.

We humans acquire our body-model as infants, and robots are following suit. A Columbia Engineering team has created a robot that – for the first time – is able to learn a model of its entire body from scratch, without any human assistance. (See video below.) [Read more…] about Columbia University engineers build robot that ‘learns to imagine itself’

North America ‘catching up’ in global robotics race, says report

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A research study released by Strategic Exits Partners, a boutique investment bank specializing in the sale of technology companies, found that although America has lagged behind Asia in design and production of manufacturing robots, it is now positioned to catch up and lead in a new global robotics race.

The study analyzed the last five years of transactions including 300 exits, and 5,000 investments into 3,000 global companies.

Len Zapalowski, partner, Strategic Exits Partners, says: “Our research found that despite America’s minor role in manufacturing robots, it is now making robot acquisitions at a rapid rate that exceeds its geopolitical rivals. [Read more…] about North America ‘catching up’ in global robotics race, says report

Vicor delivers power conversion breakthroughs to fuel a robot revolution

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OLogic incorporates advanced, integrated power modules from Vicor Power to ignite a new generation of mobile robots

Innovations in power conversion technology are enabling a transformation in robotics design.

Today’s integrated power modules are addressing the demanding size, weight, power budgets and cost efficiencies required to move robots from factory, residential and commercial applications into a vast new landscape bounded only by the imagination.

We are hitting a tipping point where robots are bringing tremendous benefits to our lives. And OLogic is a big reason for why we see their proliferation. [Read more…] about Vicor delivers power conversion breakthroughs to fuel a robot revolution

Eyewear retailer brings in robot from Osaro to keep up with e-commerce orders

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Osaro, a developer of advanced robotics for e-commerce, has partnered with Zenni, an online eyewear retailer, to automate the “last meter” of Zenni’s fulfillment center in Novato, California.

Three Osaro Robotic Bagging Systems will take on the responsibility of readying eyewear orders for shipment to US customers.

The implementation is also an industry first. This is the first time a robot will be assigned the responsibility of working with an automated mechanical bagging system to ensure a customer’s unique order is placed into the correct bag for shipment. [Read more…] about Eyewear retailer brings in robot from Osaro to keep up with e-commerce orders

3 Fundamental Math Prerequisites for Robotics

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Over the past few decades, robotics research has increased exponentially, creating a new industry. Today, there are tons of robots operating globally across different sectors, and it’s safe to say that we’re in the middle of a robotic revolution.

Of course, this is nothing like the sci-fi movies where robots rip off human heads and try to take over the world. Rather, it simply means that innovative scientists and engineers are constantly finding ways to make lives easier with robotics.

So, how do you hop on this train? For starters, you need math. Math is an integral part of robotics, and while this might be a bummer, it’s not going to change anytime soon. [Read more…] about 3 Fundamental Math Prerequisites for Robotics

RoboDK releases new software for ‘fully automated tool calibration’ for industrial robots

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Canadian robotics software provider RoboDK has released TwinTool, an application that offers “fully automated robot tool calibration for industrial robots”.

RoboDK says TwinTool is a “cost-effective, quick, and easy solution” to improve the tool’s accuracy in a wide variety of manufacturing applications. It adds that it is a “competitive alternative to costly and complex robot calibration services currently available on the market”.

Industrial robots are increasingly used for high-accuracy manufacturing tasks, such as assembly, soldering, and machining. However, new users are sometimes disappointed by the apparent low accuracy of their robots. They invest in expensive robot calibration systems to try to improve the accuracy. [Read more…] about RoboDK releases new software for ‘fully automated tool calibration’ for industrial robots

BMG unveils robotic trim press handler from Nalle Automation Systems

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BMG has unveiled the Mantis Robotic Trim Press Handler from NAS Nalle Automation Systems, the industry’s first robotic automated system that reliably handles the flow of parts ejected from any trim press.

This compact, intuitive, and configurable system enables full automation of the entire thermoforming process – from resin to palletized product – for medium to high volume production lines using either non-servo continuous flow or servo-driven long eject trim presses.

Previously, parts ejected from non-servo trim presses needed to be manually separated and counted, a labor-intensive, error-prone, and inconsistent process that limits the automation of downstream packaging functions. [Read more…] about BMG unveils robotic trim press handler from Nalle Automation Systems