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Septentrio launches first-of-a-kind GPS/GNSS receiver for mobile robots

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Septentrio has launched whaat is says is a “first-of-a-kind” GPS/GNSS receiver offering always-on sub-decimeter accuracy without the need for additional correction service subscriptions.

The high-precision GNSS positioning solutions specialist says its AsteRx-m2 Sx OEM board represents a novel approach to high-accuracy positioning.

The Global Navigation Satellite System – GNSS – includes the American GPS, European Galileo, Russian GLONASS, Chinese BeiDou, Japan’s QZSS and India’s NavIC. These satellite constellations broadcast positioning information to receivers which use it to calculate their absolute position. [Read more…] about Septentrio launches first-of-a-kind GPS/GNSS receiver for mobile robots

Cobots v Covid: How Universal Robots and others are helping in the fight against coronavirus

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Collaborative robots, or cobots, are emerging as a “tremendous force for good” in the global battle against Covid-19, according to Universal Robots.

In this article, we highlight some of the ways in which collaborative robots from Universal Robots have contributed to the global response to the pandemic.

We take a look at disinfection and test kit solutions along with some less easily categorized solutions made possible by Universal Robots, the world’s leading manufacturer of cobots. [Read more…] about Cobots v Covid: How Universal Robots and others are helping in the fight against coronavirus

Blue Ocean Robotics and its disinfecting robots recognised by Robotics Business Review Top 50

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Blue Ocean Robotics and its ultra-violet disinfecting robots have been recognised as Top 50 Most Influential Robotics Company by Robotics Business Review.

The company says it is experiencing “continued global growth” as disinfecting robots are used as effective weapons against coronavirus and hospital acquired infections.

Christiano Huscher, chief surgeon at Gruppo Poloclinico Abano, which operates a number of private hospitals in Italy, says: “Before we received the UVD robot, six of the hospital’s doctors had been infected with Covid-19. [Read more…] about Blue Ocean Robotics and its disinfecting robots recognised by Robotics Business Review Top 50

Fetch Robotics partners with Build With Robots and Albuquerque airport to launch autonomous disinfecting robot

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Fetch Robotics, a warehouse robotics and automation company, has partnered with Build With Robots and the City Of Albuquerque to launch the “Breezy One” disinfecting autonomous mobile robot. (See video below.)

Designed to protect Albuquerque Sunport airport employees and passengers from both harmful pathogens and cleaning agents, Breezy One can quickly, safely and effectively decontaminate spaces over 100,000 square feet in 1.5 hours with a patented, environmentally safe disinfectant.

Breezy One was co-developed with the City of Albuquerque’s Aviation Department, where it autonomously sanitizes the Sunport’s facilities every night in the ongoing fight against Covid-19. [Read more…] about Fetch Robotics partners with Build With Robots and Albuquerque airport to launch autonomous disinfecting robot

OnRobot launches ‘intelligent screwdriver’ for collaborative robots

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OnRobot, the maker of tools for collaborative robots, has released a screwdriver end-effector for collaborative robots. (See video below.)

OnRobot says its “smart, complete-out-of-the-box” Screwdriver allows manufacturers to automate a wide range of assembly processes quickly, easily, and flexibly.

The company says this provides welcome relief for manufacturers who are eager to automate repetitive, unergonomic, and often inconsistent manual screwdriving processes, but who struggle to integrate and program typical piecemeal screwdriving systems. [Read more…] about OnRobot launches ‘intelligent screwdriver’ for collaborative robots

Geek+ raises more than $200 million in latest funding round

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Geek+, a global provider of advanced robotics for logistics, has closed its Series C funding round at over $200 million in early 2020.

Geek+ continues to lead the industry with the largest fundraising to date, following a $150 million B series in November 2018, already the largest in the industry.

C1 was led by GGV Capital, D1 Capital Partners along with Warburg Pincus in Summer 2019, while C2, finalized earlier this year, was led by V Fund, along with Redview Capital and Vertex Ventures. [Read more…] about Geek+ raises more than $200 million in latest funding round

Top 5 Industries That Will Be Transformed By Robotics and Automation

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The conversation on robotics and automation has come a long way since it started, and every day it takes a new turn.

It cannot be denied the tremendous contribution that automation has made to making life easier for humans, even with things considered to be simple.

From your thermostat, facial phone recognition to even your email, there’s a lot that automation does for humankind.

It is predicted that even more advancement should be expected in the years to come and there are some industries that’ll see early or much more transformation than others due to their importance to human existence.

However, no matter the field, robotics can help to improve the operations, and at some point, companies will have to adapt. With that said, let’s take a look at some industries expected to thrive with robotics.

Image by Darko Stojanovic from Pixabay

Health and medicine

Health is one of the major concerns of the human species, and there are always ongoing studies on how procedures can be easier and faster. Accuracy is also another factor that influences the need for advancement in this industry.

The fact is that the healthcare industry is rapidly evolving when it comes to innovation and technology, and it’s not slowing down. One area that has seen some of the significant advancement is surgery, where automation is used to perform procedures with much more precision.

There’s also the advantage of minimal incisions and risks in general. Even with simple tasks like transporting medication and supplies, automation and robotics come in handy. Many companies have come out to produce these life-changing equipment, and there are more on the way.

The medical robotics market is, therefore, expected to experience some more growth in the years to come.

Law enforcement

Apart from health, security is another need that drives human beings to take certain actions. And so far it seems the movies are not exaggerating how robots can be used to enforce the law. They are not so popular in real life, but minor preparations are underway to see how best to employ this technology.

So far, robots are used for functions like mine clearance, explosive ordnance disposal, search and rescue, combat support, intelligence, reconnaissance, and surveillance. They are also used by other emergency services like fire fighting and neighborhood watch duties.

These are some of the less deadly functions they have, and there’s more to explore regarding how far they can go. About 201 of them were transferred to the local law enforcement agencies from the military in the first part of 2016. This shows that it won’t be far fetched to expect them to become a part of our everyday lives.

Again many companies create robots of all sizes and shapes to either be controlled remotely or autonomous. Also, due to the war against terrorism, the market is expected to increase in value.

Agriculture & food service

With the constant increase in population and a quest to end world hunger, it is no surprise that there’s a lot of effort going into how to achieve that. There already are innovative devices that make farming more comfortable, but there is also more room for improvement in the sector.

The ones to come are expected to draw more on artificial intelligence, low-cost sensors, and big data to offer better and more accurate outcomes. The robots will perform functions such as weeding, planting, watering, fertilizing, milking, and transporting products. With improvement will also come near-to-full autonomy and less cost.

This advancement will hopefully reduce how much labor goes into the farming process while increasing the return or profit. Also, it will allow for production to expand, to meet the demands. Apart from the regular operation of getting raw materials, robotics is also used in the processing aspect of food.

Restaurants, for example, are looking to change the scene with a state of the art technology that performs functions like spreading dough and adding toppings. So far the technology is mainly used in processing orders with minimal error.

Transportation

With the onset of the “flying cars”, and self-driving automobile, it would seem like the transportation industry is way ahead when it comes to the use of automation and robotics. Artificial intelligence in this sector keeps evolving and indeed improving at a very fast rate.

Even with design and testing, technology is used to detect faults and fix them. So far, the robots work alongside human resources and are used in some cases to combat the shortage of labor. Cars, planes, and even motorcycles also benefit greatly from this advancement, and there’s more to look forward to.

More and more companies are gradually catching up, and the market will experience a rise in value as well.

Image by LEEROY Agency from Pixabay

Manufacturing

Image Credit

The manufacturing industry is indeed one that is not slowing down soon. The demand for all types of products increases as the years go by, and this need creates room for a parallel increase in productivity.

That is where robotics and automation come in. The industry saw the first robots as far back as 1961, but these were repetitive machines that performed tasks that were considered boring or dangerous.

As time passed, they have evolved into more nuanced devices offering efficiency than unskilled labor. The manufacturing of electronics, for example, has seen the use of different robots to handle jobs like transporting devices for glue-spraying in the case of Beyerdynamic.

Further plans are being made for the technology to handle more responsibilities like inserting screws and final assembly of parts.

The ultimate goal of automation and robotics is to cut costs and increase productivity in as many sectors as possible. It is a great idea to include the technology in your operations, and all you’ll need is a corporate rebranding process to keep your stakeholders in the loop.

That will also make life more comfortable for everyone involved. There’s the fear that robots are going to take away jobs, but it’ll also create opportunities in many other areas, making it a win-win situation.

The possibilities are exciting for how far humanity can go with robotics and what other industries will get on board. Whatever the case, the progress is welcome.

Georgia university presents ‘hyper-efficient conservation robot’ based on the sloth

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The Georgia Institute of Technology has unveiled what it describes as a “hyper-efficient conservation robot” based on the sloth, that painfully slow-moving hairy creature that looks really weird. (See video below.)

For the next several months, visitors to the Atlanta Botanical Garden will be able to observe the testing of a new high-tech tool in the battle to save some of the world’s most endangered species.

“SlothBot”, as its creators have called it, is a slow-moving and energy-efficient robot that can linger in the trees to monitor animals, plants, and the environment below, and will be tested near the Garden’s popular Canopy Walk. [Read more…] about Georgia university presents ‘hyper-efficient conservation robot’ based on the sloth

AnyBotics ships first Anymal robot units to customers

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After a long time in stealth and development, startup company AnyBotics has shipped the first production batch of its Anymal C robots, which are four-legged, canine-type walking robots.

Although it doesn’t name its customers specifically, the company says the units have been delivered to “engineering partners and research customers worldwide”.

The company says the deliveries mark a “significant milestone” for AnyBotics as a mobile robot manufacturer as well as an “important step in revolutionizing the industrial inspection and maintenance workflow”. [Read more…] about AnyBotics ships first Anymal robot units to customers

ABB’s YuMi collaborative robot celebrates five years

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ABB is celebrating the big story of its small robot, with its dual-arm YuMi collaborative robot reaching its fifth birthday this year. (See video below.)

Originally launched in 2015 to assist workers in lightweight assembly tasks, ABB says its collaborative YuMi robot has gone on to blaze a trail in a raft of diverse applications and industries, changing many people’s perceptions about what can be achieved with robotic automation.

With its ergonomic design and a range of safety features, including lightweight magnesium alloy arms with soft-padding to avoid pinch points, and advanced motion control with collision detection, YuMi is designed to be installed in workstations alongside people and increase flexibility by allowing humans and robots to work on tasks together that previously would have required safety barriers or cages. [Read more…] about ABB’s YuMi collaborative robot celebrates five years