Robotics & Automation News

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Plus One Robotics raises $50 million in new funding

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Plus One Robotics, a provider of advanced AI vision software and solutions for robotic parcel handling, has raised $50 million in Series C funding.

The round was led by Scale Venture Partners, with Partner Rory O’Driscoll joining the board of directors. Top Tier Capital Partners, Tyche Partners, ROBO Global Ventures, Translink, McRock, and Pritzker Group Venture Capital also participated in the round alongside existing investors, which brings the company’s total funding to date to nearly $100 million.

Plus One’s technology helps to alleviate the persistent shortage of manual labor through robotic solutions, dramatically streamlining the parcel picking and depalletizing processes. [Read more…] about Plus One Robotics raises $50 million in new funding

Volvo invests in Waabi to strengthen autonomous truck offering

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Volvo Group Venture Capital has invested in the Canadian-founded company Waabi Innovation, which developing “next generation” autonomous trucking technology.

The companies says the investment highlights their shared commitment to “redefine the way we move goods and to accelerate the deployment of future transport solutions”.

Martin Witt, president of Volvo Group Venture Capital, says: “The company Waabi is using advanced artificial intelligence technology to test, assess skills, and ultimately teach a virtual driver to maneuver safely and efficiently in a commercial-ready autonomous trucking solution. [Read more…] about Volvo invests in Waabi to strengthen autonomous truck offering

SafeAI raises $38 million funding to develop autonomous heavy equipment

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SafeAI, a developer of autonomous solutions for heavy equipment, has raised $38 million in its Series B round of funding with key investors including Builders VC, McKinley Management, George Kaiser Family Foundation, and Energy Innovation Capital.

Additionally, Moog Inc joined the round as a strategic investor. SafeAI retrofits construction and mining vehicles with aftermarket hardware and proprietary autonomy software that delivers significant gains in increased worksite productivity, safety and cost savings.

The company will use the funding to accelerate their autonomous vehicle technology roadmap, and to scale operations globally to service and deploy their growing customer base. [Read more…] about SafeAI raises $38 million funding to develop autonomous heavy equipment

New Scale Robotics achieves ISO certification

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New Scale Technologies, including its new Scale Robotics Division, has achieved ISO 9001:2015 certification for its quality management systems.

David Henderson, CEO of New Scale Technologies and New Scale Robotics, says: “ISO 9001:2015 certification underscores our ongoing commitment to quality in the design and assembly of micro motion modules and fabrication of parts used in all our products, including our automated gauging systems.”

New Scale Robotics helps quality control and quality assurance teams in high-mix, small-batch manufacturing to automate many of the contact gauging methods they currently use, both on the production floor and in the quality lab. [Read more…] about New Scale Robotics achieves ISO certification

Miso Robotics partners with Amazon to test robots at scale

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Miso Robotics, which builds robotic solutions for the restaurant industry, is working with Amazon Web Services to begin testing the software powering its Flippy 2 and Flippy Lite robots using AWS RoboMaker.

The move to AWS RoboMaker is projected to allow Miso to run up to fifty simulations at once and will help the company turn future prototypes into functional products at a much quicker rate.

Chris Kruger, CTO of Miso Robotics, says: “Integrating into AWS RoboMaker has been a gamechanger for us to scale our products and make sure the software and its updates are ready to deploy with units in the field. [Read more…] about Miso Robotics partners with Amazon to test robots at scale

New Scale Robotics releases Q-Span to automate measurement inspection

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New Scale Robotics’ new Q-Span Gauging System enables do-it-yourself automation using existing gauges and workflows.

Quality teams in high-mix, small-batch manufacturing operations can improve throughput and process control by eliminating the bottlenecks and variability inherent in manual gauging.

The mobile workstation combines robotic part handling, automated gauging using a variety of standard gauges, real-time reporting for in-process gauging, and automated data collection. Input from multiple gauges is combined into one convenient output for statistical process control. [Read more…] about New Scale Robotics releases Q-Span to automate measurement inspection

Addverb Technologies expands warehouse robotics solutions to Americas

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Addverb Technologies, an automation solutions provider for warehouses and factories, is expanding into North and South America.

The move comes on the heels of $132 million in funding from Reliance Industries.

This expansion establishes an experienced US leadership team with more than four decades of robotics, manufacturing, and business development experience. [Read more…] about Addverb Technologies expands warehouse robotics solutions to Americas

TuSimple to operate nation’s first autonomous trucking route between Tucson and Phoenix

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TuSimple, an autonomous driving technology company, says that the Union Pacific Railroad, the largest Class I railroad in the US, will become the first customer to move freight on TuSimple’s fully-automated trucking route between the Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona metro areas.

Union Pacific is leveraging Loup Logistics, a wholly-owned subsidiary, to coordinate the freight shipment and support seamless movement between rail and the critical first and last mile.

Starting this spring, TuSimple plans to carry Driver Out freight for Union Pacific, utilizing groundbreaking autonomous vehicle technology to deliver goods to their destination faster and more cost-effectively. [Read more…] about TuSimple to operate nation’s first autonomous trucking route between Tucson and Phoenix

Delivery robot startup Serve Robotics raises $13 million in seed funding round

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Serve Robotics, an autonomous sidewalk delivery robot company, has closed a $13 million expanded seed funding round.

The companies participating were strategic investors Uber Technologies; Delivery Hero backed DX Ventures; 7-Eleven’s corporate venture arm, 7-Ventures; and Wavemaker Partners’ food automation focused venture studio Wavemaker Labs.

The new round extends Serve’s previous seed funding and includes participation by existing seed investors Neo, Western Technology Investment, and Scott Banister among others. [Read more…] about Delivery robot startup Serve Robotics raises $13 million in seed funding round

634AI and InOrbit collaborate to bring ‘more efficient’ AMR fleet management to US

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634AI, the developers of Maestro, an AI-enabled control tower for streamlining the management of industrial indoor mobility, has agreed a collaboration with InOrbit, a cloud-based management platform for robot operations at scale.

The joint solution is designed to enable a deeper understanding of the flows on industrial and warehouse floors, to support the easy integration of AMRs on work floors and optimize their activity.

Maestro is an AI powered centralized Control Tower that enables effective and harmonized indoor operations, from tracking of raw material movements and real time safety alerts for man driven vehicles, to navigation and fleet management of AMRs. [Read more…] about 634AI and InOrbit collaborate to bring ‘more efficient’ AMR fleet management to US