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Activ Surgical completes first in-human procedures to demonstrate impact of its surgical intelligence and sensing platform

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Activ Surgical, a digital surgery company, has completed its first in-human surgery clinical trial utilizing the company’s technology-as-a-service bundle – the ActivInsights augmented reality-based software suite and the ActivSight imaging module.

Procedures for the study at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston) were led by Dr Erik Wilson, professor in the Department of Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth and a leading bariatric, endoluminal and robotic general surgeon; and Dr Shinil Shah, associate professor at UTHealth Houston and a preeminent general surgeon with expertise in advanced gastrointestinal surgery.

The safety and feasibility study was conducted across bariatric, colorectal and gallbladder procedures – surgeries in which intraoperative assessment of perfusion and anatomic structures are critical to prevent costly and life-threatening complications. [Read more…] about Activ Surgical completes first in-human procedures to demonstrate impact of its surgical intelligence and sensing platform

Beep and Local Motors gives 10,000 passengers shuttle rides at Yellowstone National Park

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Beep, a developer of multi-passenger, electric, autonomous mobility solutions, has released ridership results following the “highly successful” completion of Yellowstone National Park’s first-ever autonomous shuttle program.

The Electric Driverless Demonstration in Yellowstone (TEDDY), named as an ode to Teddy Roosevelt, gave a total of 10,000 passengers a lift in and around the national park, racking up 4,000 vehicle trips and 2,100 miles.

The shuttle pilot enabled the National Park Service to test the feasibility and sustainability of autonomous mobility in a national park. [Read more…] about Beep and Local Motors gives 10,000 passengers shuttle rides at Yellowstone National Park

Flexiv gains ‘world’s first’ CE and ETL certification for ‘force-controlled robot’

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Flexiv, a maker of “general-purpose” robotics, has received CE and ETL approval for their Rizon 4 robot, making it the “first-ever” seven-axis force-controlled adaptive robot to achieve both certifications at the same time, according to the company.

Demonstrating the “intrinsic safety” of the Rizon 4 robot, the CE and ETL approval was awarded by the world’s foremost testing, inspection, certification and assurance provider, Intertek. Accepted in the EU and Northern America, the approval enables Flexiv to distribute the Rizon 4 in the European Union, Canada, and the USA.

Meeting or exceeding the strict CE and ETL requirements, the Rizon 4 was subjected to hundreds of individual testing, evaluations, and assessments focused on machinery safety, electrical safety, functional safety, environmental reliability, electromagnetic compatibility, and collision detection. [Read more…] about Flexiv gains ‘world’s first’ CE and ETL certification for ‘force-controlled robot’

Webinar: Vision Systems with Collaborative Robots

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Register now for this webinar: Vision Systems with Collaborative Robots

TM Robot vision embedded robot system is easier to program than you think.

In this webinar, attendees will learn about how a built-in camera could benefit manufacturers deploying cobots in multiple production workstations, together with the highly integrated TM Software platform and Safety features to realize true collaborative applications. [Read more…] about Webinar: Vision Systems with Collaborative Robots

Goodyear invests in autonomous trucking company Gatik

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Goodyear and Gatik have agreed a multi-year collaboration with a goal to advance the development of mobility solutions for the autonomous business-to-business short-haul logistics industry.

The collaboration will contribute to safer, more sustainable goods movement while reducing costs for Gatik’s customers in the B2B short-haul market nationwide.

Gatik has established the first autonomous middle mile logistics network in North America and is rapidly expanding its fleet of Class 3-6 autonomous box trucks for customers in multiple markets, including Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Ontario. [Read more…] about Goodyear invests in autonomous trucking company Gatik

TTTech Auto and Infineon design new chip architecture for highly automated driving

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TTTech Auto and Infineon Technologies have developed key components for a fail-operational electronic architecture for highly automated driving of SAE Level 3 and 4.

This enables the safe and reliable processing of, for example, radar or LiDAR camera sensor data and is targeting car and technology manufacturers. The fail-operational architectural concept and its key components ensure the safe operation of highway pilot functions, valet parking and autonomous truck driving in case individual functions fail.

The joint research contributed to the successful completion of the European PRYSTINE (Programmable Systems for Intelligence in Automobiles) project. With a budget of about €50 million, PRYSTINE aimed to realize safe automated driving by fail-operational urban surround perception. [Read more…] about TTTech Auto and Infineon design new chip architecture for highly automated driving

Fugro launches its new generation of uncrewed surface vessels in the Netherlands

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Fugro’s Blue Essence, an offshore certified uncrewed surface vessel (USV) with an electric remotely operated vehicle (eROV), will begin its first project in the Netherlands. 

During operations the vessel is controlled from an onshore remote operations centre (ROC) via a satellite connection and will be used for the inspection of offshore assets, construction support services, and hydrographic and geophysical surveys.

USVs play an important role in the future of the maritime sector by improving safety, reducing carbon emissions, and delivering data more efficiently. [Read more…] about Fugro launches its new generation of uncrewed surface vessels in the Netherlands

Webinar: Vision Systems with Collaborative Robots

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Register now for this webinar: Vision Systems with Collaborative Robots

TM Robot vision embedded robot system is easier to program than you think.

In this webinar, attendees will learn about how a built-in camera could benefit manufacturers deploying cobots in multiple production workstations, together with the highly integrated TM Software platform and Safety features to realize true collaborative applications. [Read more…] about Webinar: Vision Systems with Collaborative Robots

Brain Corp’s robotic fleet covers 100 billion square feet

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Brain Corp, a developer of software for robotics, especially industrial robotic floor cleaners, says its BrainOS-powered fleet of autonomous mobile robots has reached 100 billion square feet of coverage.

In doing so, claims Brain Corp, “6.8 million hours have been given back to employees and operations managers, allowing them to focus on customer experience and other high-value tasks”.

Eugene Izhikevich, CEO and founder of Brain Corp, says: “We are thrilled to celebrate reaching 100 billion square feet of coverage with our fleet which represents the square footage of the entire commercial space in the United States. [Read more…] about Brain Corp’s robotic fleet covers 100 billion square feet

ABB Robotics offers South Africa’s food and beverage industry ‘a taste of the future’

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By Linda Eales, robotics division manager at ABB South Africa

The future has never looked more unpredictable for South Africa’s food and beverage (F&B) sector, as it battles a perfect storm of pressure brought on by Covid-19, changing consumer and retail consumption patterns, disrupted supply chains and ongoing scrutiny around food safety.

The food and beverage sector has been battered by a couple of high-profile food safety scares in recent years, and is scrambling to keep up with mega-trends like digitalisation and shifting consumption patterns. The good news is that this could be the perfect opportunity for the local F&B industry to reposition itself for the present and future.

F&B manufacturers increasingly need more flexibility on their production lines to enable them to adapt to changing consumer tastes and demands. At the same time, they require higher levels of productivity and efficiency, while maintaining the highest levels of product quality. In many cases, the answer to these challenges is to install a robotics solution, which makes F&B operations safer and more productive. [Read more…] about ABB Robotics offers South Africa’s food and beverage industry ‘a taste of the future’