Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

sensors

Sick demonstrates ‘smart logistics’ system for warehouse automation

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Sensors supplier Sick showcased a new “smart logistics” system at the recent ProMAT Show, one of the world’s largest material handling exhibitions.

Sick says its system demonstrates how to obtain greater efficiency throughout supply chain operations.

Sick presented its new innovations under the banner of “Logistics Gets Smart”, and says they are designed to provide “highly efficient solutions for intralogistics applications”. [Read more…] about Sick demonstrates ‘smart logistics’ system for warehouse automation

Opinion: Robotic end-of-arm tools are shaping the manufacturing industry

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By Thomas Knudsen, general manager Northern Europe, OnRobot

Within a diverse and innovative sector like the manufacturing industry, flexibility is key.

Robotics, a key enabler of this, has already taken this industry by storm, allowing factories worldwide to automate more and more tasks, cutting costs and increasing productivity.

However, simple automation is no longer enough. Manufacturers now require unique automation solutions for each specific production environment, to tackle the talent shortage they are facing, but can’t redesign facilities for every different process and application.  [Read more…] about Opinion: Robotic end-of-arm tools are shaping the manufacturing industry

Veo Robotics could make all industrial robots collaborative

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Traditional industrial robots tend to be very large and potentially dangerous, which is why they tend to be caged off and kept separate from human workers.

But a new company called Veo Robotics says it has the technology to transform traditional industrial robotic arms into safe machines that humans can work alongside, within close proximity.

Veo’s solution could make every industrial robot a collaborative robot. The term “collaborative” is recognized by international standards organizations and usually applies to much smaller, newer types of robots which are specifically designed to safe for humans to work with.  [Read more…] about Veo Robotics could make all industrial robots collaborative

Boeing 737 crash could lead to planes being fitted with thousands of additional sensors

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On the 10th of March this year, a Boeing 737 plane crashed in Ethiopia, killing all 157 on board. 

Investigators have released their early findings into another accident involving a 737 operated by Indonesia’s Lion Air, in October last year, and they suggest the cause was “an erroneous angle-of-attack sensor”.

An angle-of-attack sensor is usually positioned to the side of the plane’s nose and detects oncoming air flow, to which it adjusts and sends back data to the plane’s computer system.  [Read more…] about Boeing 737 crash could lead to planes being fitted with thousands of additional sensors

Clearpath Robotics partners with Velodyne to integrate sensors into research vehicles

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Clearpath Robotics has become a value-add partner to offer Velodyne’s lidar sensors for the Clearpath research robot platform.

Clearpath Robotics, headquartered in Canada, offers Velodyne sensors to academic and corporate research organizations on its mobile robots for survey and inspection, oil and gas, agriculture, materials
handling and other applications.

Clearpath’s robotic solutions utilize Velodyne’s state-of-the-art lidar technology, which boasts industry-leading resolution, range, and field of view. Velodyne sensors create a 360° real-time map of the environment, allowing the robot to detect and avoid obstacles for safe autonomous navigation.  [Read more…] about Clearpath Robotics partners with Velodyne to integrate sensors into research vehicles

Kistler to demonstrate robotic measurement solutions at Automate event

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Kistler is planning to demonstrate its comprehensive measurement chain for press-fit and joining processes including force sensors, light barriers, maXYmos monitoring units and robotics application at the Automate Show 2019 in Chicago, Illinois, from April 8-11, 2019 at booth 9354.

The increasing network of machines and systems driven by Industry 4.0 calls for efficient and flexible industrial manufacturing solutions. Individual production processes have to be optimized consistently and continuously to remain competitive in the long run.

Kistler offers a range of monitoring and control solutions for press-fit and joining processes, including sensors, measuring chains, monitors, evaluation units and joining modules for automated assembly and robotic applications.  [Read more…] about Kistler to demonstrate robotic measurement solutions at Automate event

North America robot sensor market forecast to grow at over 11 percent up to 2024

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The North America robot sensor market is set to grow from its current market value of more than $680 million to over $1.4 billion by 2024, according to the latest study by Graphical Research.

Increasing penetration of technological innovations and the integration of automation across all industry verticals is contributing significantly to the adoption of robots.

Moreover, rising labor cost is a significant aspect fostering the North America robot sensor market.  [Read more…] about North America robot sensor market forecast to grow at over 11 percent up to 2024

TDK sensors enhance Qualcomm Robotics RB3 platform

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TDK Corporation is working with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. through its group company, InvenSense, to contribute a product portfolio of MEMS motion and audio sensor solutions to the new Qualcomm Robotics RB3 Platform.

Based on the Qualcomm SDA/SDM845 system-on-chip (SoC), the Qualcomm Robotics RB3 platform is a set of hardware, software and tools designed to help manufacturers and developers create advanced consumer, enterprise and industrial robotics products.

The platform will support InvenSense’s 6-axis IMUs (3-axis gyroscope and 3-axis accelerometer), capacitive barometric pressure sensor, and multi-mode digital microphones.

[Read more…] about TDK sensors enhance Qualcomm Robotics RB3 platform

Arrow Electronics helps Hong Kong engineers develop monitoring device for lift safety

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Arrow Electronics has enabled Nikko Group, a Hong Kong-based lift services company, to incorporate IoT and sensor technologies in a solution that provides real-time data monitoring for a lift safety protection mechanism.

Following a series of fatal lift accidents in Hong Kong in recent years, the Electrical and Mechanical Service Department reported that 80 percent of lifts in Hong Kong have not adopted the recommended enhancement solutions set out in the government’s “Guidelines for Modernising Existing Lifts”.

This includes the installation of an Unintended Car Movement Protection (UCMP) device, which is a safety device that triggers emergency braking systems to prevent unintended lift car movements which may cause fatal injuries.

[Read more…] about Arrow Electronics helps Hong Kong engineers develop monitoring device for lift safety

Aceinna launches new guidance system for robots and other machinery

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Aceinna has launched its new INS1000 dual band Real-Time Kinematic Inertial Navigation System with built-in inertial sensors for construction, agriculture and automotive applications.

The INS1000 embeds Aceinna’s 9 degree-of-freedom inertial sensor technology to achieve Automotive Dead Reckoning performance in GNSS challenged environments like urban canyons, heavily tree-lined roads, tunnels, underpasses, bridges, and so on.

The dual frequency RTK and tight coupling between GNSS and inertial sensors provide cm-level accuracy, enhanced reliability, and superior performance during GNSS outages.  [Read more…] about Aceinna launches new guidance system for robots and other machinery