Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

robotics

Will Car Manufacturing Ever Be Fully Automated?

by

The other day, I got an email asking me to participate in a survey regarding robots in hotels. Basically, the people behind the study wanted to gauge how comfortable respondents were about letting robots and AI systems take care of different aspects of their stay.

Would they be happy to check in without ever speaking to a human? What about having a robot clean their rooms?

The reason this survey stuck with me is that it posited the possibility that hotels would be staffed by robots in the near future. I wondered if it would be people coming to stay in hotels who would delay this from happening due to technophobia. This is in spite of the fact that mechanisation itself is not fully automated in many industries. [Read more…] about Will Car Manufacturing Ever Be Fully Automated?

Verizon Robotics and LA Times to ‘enhance storytelling’ with network-connected robots and drones

by

Verizon Robotics Business Technology, a business unit of telecommunications giant Verizon and one of America’s leading newspapers, the Los Angeles Times, have entered into an agreement to accelerate the application of advanced robotics and other technology from Verizon to expand on the way news is gathered, shared and consumed.

Through the engagement, the companies will work to integrate technologies including 4G-connected drones, 5G-connected ground robots and 3D modeled data, among others, to redefine digital media and add dimension to news reporting and storytelling. [Read more…] about Verizon Robotics and LA Times to ‘enhance storytelling’ with network-connected robots and drones

Carbon Robotics unveils new farm tech that kills weeds by zapping them with a laser

by

Carbon Robotics, an agricultural robotics company, today unveiled its 2022 LaserWeeder implement, an autonomous, laserweeding pull-behind robot that seamlessly attaches to the back of tractors.

The new LaserWeeder is a precise, organic, and cost-effective weed control solution for large-scale specialty row crops.

In addition to an updated build, the 2022 LaserWeeder features 30 industrial CO2 lasers, more than 3X the lasers in Carbon Robotics’ self-driving Autonomous LaserWeeder, creating an average weeding capacity of two acres per hour. [Read more…] about Carbon Robotics unveils new farm tech that kills weeds by zapping them with a laser

Novanta partners with MassRobotics to ‘advance next generation of robotics’

by

Novanta has agreed a new partnership with MassRobotics to help create and scale the next generation of successful robotics startups.

Through the partnership, Novanta business units Celera Motion and ATI Industrial Automation will collaborate with MassRobotics to develop advanced innovations in medical or surgical robotics and improve robotic productivity.

MassRobotics is an independent, nonprofit organization serving as an innovation hub for robotics and connected devices. Its efforts include providing innovative entrepreneurs and startups with the workspace and resources they need to develop and commercialize their products and solutions. [Read more…] about Novanta partners with MassRobotics to ‘advance next generation of robotics’

RE2 Robotics partners with JLG Industries to build robotic elevation platforms

by

RE2 Robotics, a developer of intelligent mobile manipulation systems, has agreed a developmental partnership with JLG Industries, part of the Oshkosh group and a manufacturer of mobile elevating work platforms and telehandlers.

The collaboration of these two companies is intended to advance the integration of robotics with access equipment.

Jorgen Pedersen, RE2’s president and CEO, says: “The future of work is here. Humans and robots are working more closely together, and the construction industry is no exception. [Read more…] about RE2 Robotics partners with JLG Industries to build robotic elevation platforms

Open Ocean Robotics raises $4 million to develop autonomous boat

by

Open Ocean Robotics has completed a $4 million round of seed financing to advance its marine robotics and ocean data analytics platform.

This included a $2.8 million non-dilutive investment from Sustainable Development Technology Canada, an agency of the Canadian government, and $1.2 million from a syndicate of international investors including Rhiza Capital and Cindicates.

This funding enables the company to accelerate the development of its solar powered autonomous uncrewed surface vehicle technology and ocean data analytics platform for maritime monitoring. [Read more…] about Open Ocean Robotics raises $4 million to develop autonomous boat

Interview: Formic aims to change the way you integrate robotics and automation into your facility

by

Formic Technologies is a new type of company which, itself, is the result of the huge changes that are occurring in the robotics and automation market, what with all sorts of new robots and technologies emerging, none of which is cheap to buy, and creating an increasing amount of complexity when it comes to implementing them in an integrated system at, say, a factory. 

In simple terms, you can hire robots – for example, Universal Robots collaborative robots – and other automation technologies from Formic. But it’s more than that. You can also have Formic design the implementation, and handle the integration, for which the startup company has many established partners.

And possibly Formic’s unique selling point is its promise to link its income from its customers to those customers’ success with the automation systems Formic installs. In other words, it’s a kind of like a robotics-as-a-service company which you can pay as you go according to a sliding scale – or “Easy to start, easy to scale”, as Formic likes to put it. [Read more…] about Interview: Formic aims to change the way you integrate robotics and automation into your facility

Dental Robotics: A Disruptive Technology

by

Robotics is gradually taking over the diagnostics and treatment procedures in dental medicine.

Over the years, various techniques have been employed to solve dental problems effectively, and they have all contributed to advancing the practice at various levels.

Now, robotics is becoming the most sought-after solution in the world of dental medicine. This is many thanks to the various advantages and opportunities it offers experts in the industry. [Read more…] about Dental Robotics: A Disruptive Technology

Nidec to enter robotics market

by

Nidec is set to enter the robotics market, according to a report on Nikkei.

Nidec is probably the world’s largest supplier of motors and drives, used in computer hard drives and all sorts of other devices. But it has so far, avoided entering the industrial robotics market in a big way.

Now, however, Nidec has reportedly “added robots to its core products along with electric vehicle motors”. [Read more…] about Nidec to enter robotics market

Doosan showcases collaborative robot for camera work

by

Doosan Robotics, a manufacturer of collaborative robots, has showcased a new robot designed for camera work in television studios. (See video below.)

The company demonstrated the system – which it has called NINA, short for “New Inspiration, New Angle” – at the recent Consumer Electronics Show.

NINA is Doosan’s first entry into the entertainment industry marketplace and its first public appearance of the CES 2022 Innovation Award winning product prior to its global launch in 2022. [Read more…] about Doosan showcases collaborative robot for camera work