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How robotics and AI are changing the fashion industry and warehousing sector

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The fashion industry is investing huge amounts of money in artificial intelligence systems that can provide what is called “sentiment analysis”, which is similar to customer feedback, except that it’s indirectly acquired.

Typically, sentiment analytics systems can gather information from social media pages as well as through natural language processing, perhaps through listening to customer phone calls.

A massive number of data points can be collated and analysed – a quantity of information that only an AI system can process. And after processing it all, conclusions can be drawn. [Read more…] about How robotics and AI are changing the fashion industry and warehousing sector

Researchers create new metallic material for flexible soft robots

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Researchers at the National University of Singapore have created a new metallic material which they say is suitable for flexible soft robots. (See video below.)

NUS Assistant Professor Chen Po-Yen (main picture, right) and doctoral student Yang Haitao and their team say the new material is also suitable for “origami robots”.

Origami robots are described as “state-of-the-art soft and flexible robots” that are being tested for use in various applications including drug delivery in human bodies, search and rescue missions in disaster environments and humanoid robotic arms. [Read more…] about Researchers create new metallic material for flexible soft robots

Toyota launches new version of walking rehabilitation robot

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Toyota has launch the new version of its Welwalk WW-2000, a robot designed to provide rehabilitation support to individuals with lower limb paralysis as a result of stroke and other causes.

Orders for the new model commenced in November 2019 and planned to be delivered in February 2020.

The Welwalk WW-2000 upgrades the various features of the prior model (the Welwalk WW-1000), namely the rehabilitation support functions based on motor learning theory and the ease of use in clinical settings. [Read more…] about Toyota launches new version of walking rehabilitation robot

OnRobot’s One System solution wins Gold in LEAP Awards

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OnRobot, manufacturer of end-of arm tools (EoAT) for collaborative robots, has been awarded the gold medal in the Industrial Automation category of the LEAP Awards for its One System Solution.

The software was recognised for making robotic applications faster and easier to implement by seamlessly integrating any OnRobot product with a wide range of leading collaborative and light industrial robot brands.

CEO of OnRobot, Enrico Krog Iversen, sees OnRobot winning the prestigious Gold award as recognition from an industry ready to embrace solutions that break down barriers to automation. [Read more…] about OnRobot’s One System solution wins Gold in LEAP Awards

Kassow Robots adds three ports to its collaborative robots for end of arm tools

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Kassow Robots, a startup which launched a new collaborative robot last year, has adding ports into its machines to provide integration with end-of-arm tools.

The Danish robot manufacturer, which develops and produces its 7-axis collaborative robots in Copenhagen, says the ports provide “easy connection of end-of-arm tool directly to a Kassow Robot without cable on the outside of the robot”.

Dieter Pletscher, head of sales at Kassow Robots, says: “All our cobots have three ports with various I/Os and power supply signals. Two of the ports are for digital or analogue input/output. [Read more…] about Kassow Robots adds three ports to its collaborative robots for end of arm tools

Geek+ smart warehouses break Single’s Day record with 8 million orders delivered in 72 hours

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Geek+ says it implemented and completed large-scale scheduling of more than 4,000 robots in its smart warehouses during this year’s 11.11 Singles’ Day shopping festival.

China’s largest smart warehouse network processed a record 8 million orders in 72 hours.

Geek+ says “the successful deployment is a fantastic validation of the strength of the robotics-as-a-service business model” and the flexibility and efficiency of smart warehouses during periods of peak orders, including the ultimate challenge of the world’s largest shopping festival. [Read more…] about Geek+ smart warehouses break Single’s Day record with 8 million orders delivered in 72 hours

Invertek Drives boosts product testing with collaborative robots

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Invertek Drives, a designer and manufacturer of variable frequency drives (VFDs), has incorporated two Universal Robots UR5 collaborative robots into the testing phase of its production line.

Earlier this year, Invertek Drives opened the doors to its new 5,500 square metre global manufacturing and distribution facility in Welshpool, UK, enabling production of up to 400,000 VFDs a year.

Its VFDs are used to control electric motors in a variety of industrial, commercial and energy-saving applications, exporting to more than 80 countries. [Read more…] about Invertek Drives boosts product testing with collaborative robots

Fanuc unveils new range of collaborative robots for arc welding

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Fanuc has unveiled its new collaborative arc welding robot range, showcasing it at the recent FabTech event, in the US. The CR-15iA and CR-7iA for Arc will be made available to the market next month. 

Fanuc is the world’s largest supplier of industrial robots and a leading supplier CNCs, RoboMachines and industrial internet of things solutions.

Fanuc says its new collaborative arc welding robots offer “the same high level of performance that Fanuc Arc Mate robots are known for, including world-renowned technology and proven reliability”. [Read more…] about Fanuc unveils new range of collaborative robots for arc welding

Mitsubishi Electric introduces range of ‘high-performance’ delta robots

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Mitsubishi Electric has extended its MELFA articulated arm and SCARA robot offering to include a range of delta robots.

Mitsubishi says the new robots combine its “award-winning servo technology” with the latest mechanicals from e-F@ctory Alliance partner Codian Robotics.

With Mitsubishi Electric already one of the world’s largest suppliers of light payload industrial robots and Codian a market leader in delta mechanics it’s a combination that enables the user to achieve reliable performance in higher speed pick and place operations, with the advantage of simple set-up and programming from one the markets main automation brands. [Read more…] about Mitsubishi Electric introduces range of ‘high-performance’ delta robots

inVia Robotics expands picking system capabilities

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inVia Robotics, the provider of the next generation of warehouse automation solutions for e-commerce, today announced the expansion of its core system.

The update includes inVia Connect, which streamlines integration, and the ability to automate replenishment, cycle counting and returns.

inVia’s automation system is powered by inVia Logic, which calculates and synchronizes inventory movements for a variety of business cases, and inVia Command, which maps a warehouse and designs optimized workflows based on those calculations. [Read more…] about inVia Robotics expands picking system capabilities