Robotics & Automation News

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China aims for global leadership in robotics with new five-year plan

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The new five-year plan for the robotics industry in China, released by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in Beijing, focuses on promoting innovation.

The government wants to make China a global leader for robot technology and industrial advancement.

The statistical department of the International Federation of Robotics reports about the domestic and foreign engagement on the world’s largest market.

Milton Guerry, president of the International Federation of Robotics, says: “China is by far the biggest robot market in the world regarding annual sales and the operational stock. [Read more…] about China aims for global leadership in robotics with new five-year plan

IFR predicts ‘Top 5 Robot Trends of 2022’ as total industrial robots sales reach a new record

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The International Federation of Robotics has published what it predicts will be the top five industry trends of 2022.

The main theme underlying the trends will be that robots with new features and functions will capture new areas and create new markets.

The operational stock of industrial robots hit a new record of about 3 million units worldwide – increasing by 13 percent on average each year (2015-2020). [Read more…] about IFR predicts ‘Top 5 Robot Trends of 2022’ as total industrial robots sales reach a new record

Global industrial robot density in manufacturing sector doubles over 2021

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The use of industrial robots in factories around the world is accelerating at a high rate: 126 robots per 10,000 employees is the new average of global robot density in the manufacturing industries.

That is nearly double the number five years ago. In 2015, the figure was 66 units.

This is according to the 2021 World Robot Report, published by the International Federation of Robotics.

By regions, the average robot density in Asia/Australia is 134 units, in Europe 123 units and in the Americas 111 units. The top 5 most automated countries in the world are: South Korea, Singapore, Japan, Germany, and Sweden. [Read more…] about Global industrial robot density in manufacturing sector doubles over 2021

New cart from Roeq ‘doubles payload’ of autonomous mobile robots

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A new cart solution developed by Roeq will double the payload of autonomous mobile robots from Mobile Industrial Robots.

Roeq says it followed the principle of “Doing more with less” because this is what users of the MiR250 mobile robot will realize with its new Roeq TMS-C500 Ext and S-Cart500 Ext.

As the product name indicates, the new top module/cart combo enables the robot to carry up to 500 kg payload (1102 lbs), effectively doubling the payload of MiR’s best-selling AMR. [Read more…] about New cart from Roeq ‘doubles payload’ of autonomous mobile robots

The big AMR fleet computing debate: Distributed vs centralized

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By Limor Schweitzer, CTO and founder, MOV.AI

A shift in mobile robot computing needs

Over the past year, we have seen the growing adoption of centralized computing in Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) fleets. In this article, we ask if this trend is the best approach, especially in advanced deployments with a large number of AMRs and dynamic, non-sterile environments.

Past generations of AMRs, or more accurately Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), operated in sterile environments, with physically marked fixed routes and simple, predefined tasks. The computing requirements were almost nonexistent. [Read more…] about The big AMR fleet computing debate: Distributed vs centralized

Fuzzy Logic makes robotics agile at MBDA

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MBDA is a leading European manufacturer in the aerospace and armaments sector, specializing in the design of missiles and missile systems for the operational needs of the three branches of the military (army, navy and air force).

MBDA France’s Bourges site specializes in the manufacture of tactical missile equipment utilising several key technologies: mechanical manufacturing (metal and composite materials) and electromechanical assembly.

The company wanted to robotise certain processes in small series or even single unit production, by allowing an operator with no programming skills to teach the robotic system, in just a few seconds, the process to be carried out, and then to execute the cycle with complete confidence without human supervision. [Read more…] about Fuzzy Logic makes robotics agile at MBDA

Tompkins Robotics launches tSort3D autonomous mobile robot for warehouses

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Tompkins Robotics has launched its new tSort3D mobile robot, designed to increase the number of sort destinations while reducing the footprint of a system.

tSort3D allows 6 to 8 times the sort destinations in the same space as other traditional automated sortation solutions, provides for thousands of sort destinations, volumes up to 20,000 an hour, and facilitates a single, very large batch pick.

The system is ideal for fulfillment of items for customer e-commerce orders and other fulfillment flows such as store replenishment and reverse logistics. [Read more…] about Tompkins Robotics launches tSort3D autonomous mobile robot for warehouses

SICK completes microScan3 portfolio with industry-leading functionality in Pro I/O variant

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SICK’s newest safety laser scanner, the microScan3 Pro I/O, features an everything-in-one design for seamless, versatile use.

Universal I/O integration works with any safety controls, and the intelligent host/guest functionality makes it possible to connect up to three guest scanners to the microScan3 Pro I/O.

Additionally, the microScan3 Pro I/O does the work of four standard safety laser scanners with an industry-leading four pairs of OSSD outputs. [Read more…] about SICK completes microScan3 portfolio with industry-leading functionality in Pro I/O variant

UAE scientists figure out way to get swarm robots to split up tasks efficiently

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Researchers at the Technology Innovation Institute in the UAE are developing a new paradigm for teaching robot swarms how to allocate themselves to tasks efficiently. 

The ideas – published in the paper, Group-Size Regulation in Self-organized Aggregation in Robot Swarms – could spark interest in better ways of controlling lots of simple robots to do more complicated tasks independently, with little or no outside communication.

Much prior work has been done to organizing swarms of drones to perform impressive tasks, such as a coordinated light show. But these approaches often relied on centralized coordination, expensive equipment in each drone, or both. [Read more…] about UAE scientists figure out way to get swarm robots to split up tasks efficiently

Flexiv unveils new operating system for its adaptive robots

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Flexiv, a developer of robotic and artificial intelligence solutions, has unveiled Flexiv Elements, its all-new operating system for “adaptive robots”.

Adaptive robots are a new category – very similar to collaborative robots – which Flexiv is concentrating on. It describes its “Rizon” model (main picture) as “the first adapative robot” – referring to its ability to maintain performance even amid significant changes in the environment, such as floating base, vibration, and human interference.

Created to provide integrators with “ground-breaking new features” which simplify complex robotic operations, Flexiv says Elements makes it “easier than ever” before to develop customized programs that enhance efficiency and productivity. [Read more…] about Flexiv unveils new operating system for its adaptive robots