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SICK launches versatile new software development platform

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Sensors giant SICK has launched a new software development platform that it says is versatile enough to enable programmers to create solutions for the entire industrial process.

SICK says its AppSpace (see video below) offers system integrators and original equipment manufacturers the “freedom and flexibility” to independently develop application solutions that are tailored to the specific needs and requirements of any task.

Whether it’s designing the ideal online user interface, selecting the most suitable programming technology, or distributing the sensor app on various SICK sensors, SICK says AppSpace gives developers the power to develop their own customized solutions. [Read more…] about SICK launches versatile new software development platform

SICK’s Industry 4.0 training gets you started with IO-Link on the PLC

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SICK is holding a series of hands-on training days to help machine builders and end-users progress on their Industry 4.0 journey by unlocking valuable data from IO-Link sensors via a PLC.

During the one-day course, delegates will learn, step-by-step, how to set up an IO-Link Master to enable sensors to communicate data with a PLC.

By the end of the course, “Getting Started with IO-Link on Your PLC”, delegates will be able to control and monitor sensors from the PLC and collect data which can be used to increase plant efficiency and productivity. [Read more…] about SICK’s Industry 4.0 training gets you started with IO-Link on the PLC

Continental builds new US plant to make advanced driver assistance systems

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Continental is to build a new plant to make advanced driver assistance systems.

The new plant will be located in New Braunfels in the US state of Texas.

The purpose of the new building is to expand its capacity for the production of radar sensors, says Continental. [Read more…] about Continental builds new US plant to make advanced driver assistance systems

NXP launches new ‘multi-gigabit’ automotive Ethernet switch for time-sensitive networking

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NXP, one of the world’s largest suppliers of automotive semiconductors, has launched a “multi-gigabit Ethernet switch” designed to help automakers deliver the high-speed networks required for evolving connected vehicles.

NXP says its SJA1110 is “the first automotive Ethernet switch with safety capabilities built in”, offering integrated 100BASE-T1 PHYs, hardware-assisted security as well as multi-gigabit interfaces.

Optimized for integration with NXP’s S32G vehicle network processor, the SJA1110 switch is also part of an overall networking solution which includes the VR5510 power management integrated circuit. [Read more…] about NXP launches new ‘multi-gigabit’ automotive Ethernet switch for time-sensitive networking

When it comes to wireless transmission, power must catch up with data in Industry 4.0

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By Paul Wiener, VP strategic marketing, GaN Systems

With the proliferation of robotics, artificial intelligence, and sensors – the increasingly intelligent industrial environments of today are barely recognizable when compared to the assembly lines introduced 100 years ago.

This is true – with one important exception. In some of the most advanced factory and warehouse spaces, power-reliant hardware devices are still plugged into a fixed electrical outlet to operate or charge.

So while data transmission has successfully evolved from wired to wireless, this is only beginning to be true for power. [Read more…] about When it comes to wireless transmission, power must catch up with data in Industry 4.0

Silicon Sensing to provide navigation technology for Mayflower autonomous ship

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Two Silicon Sensing Systems ultra-precise AMU30 inertial measurement units (IMUs) will provide critical navigation data to the autopilot capability for the Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS) throughout her milestone trans-Atlantic voyage this autumn.

Setting sail this September, the 15 meter-long, 5-ton MAS400 will repeat the Mayflower’s original epic voyage 400 years ago. Led by marine research organization ProMare and powered by IBM, she will sail from Plymouth, England to Plymouth Massachusetts, USA.

Instead of a captain and crew, she will use computer vision, machine learning, edge technologies and sensors to navigate and detect hazards.  [Read more…] about Silicon Sensing to provide navigation technology for Mayflower autonomous ship

Sony showcases new concept car with tech for autonomous driving

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Sony has showcased a number of new technologies at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, and one of them was a concept car packed with the company’s sensors and other components that provide a package that supports autonomous driving.

Kenichiro Yoshida, Sony president and CEO, says: “It’s not an exaggeration to say that mobile (communication) has been the mega-trend of the last decade. I believe the next mega-trend will be mobility.”

Yoshida formally unveiled the prototype vehicle, which incorporates imaging and sensing technologies that Sony says “contribute to safer and more reliable autonomous driving”. [Read more…] about Sony showcases new concept car with tech for autonomous driving

Industry 4.0 to ‘revolutionize’ use of safety sensors and switches, says report

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The so-called “Industry 4.0” trend – an umbrella term for a range of connectivity and automation technologies – will “revolutionize” the use of safety sensors and switches, according to a new report.

The Global Market Study on Safety Sensors and Switches, by Persistent Market Research, says the global market is projected to expand at “a meteoric rate” to register annual growth of 10.7 per cent throughout the period of assessment, 2017-2025.

In 2017, the global market for safety sensors and switches was valued at around $13.8 billion and is estimated to touch a valuation higher than $30 billion by the end of the period of forecast. [Read more…] about Industry 4.0 to ‘revolutionize’ use of safety sensors and switches, says report

Market for transportation and warehousing sensors forecast to grow to $16 billion

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The global market for sensors for the transportation and warehousing industries are set to grow by 30 per cent, according to a report by Persistence Market Research.

Surpassing the market value of $16 billion in 2018, the global sales of internet of things sensors is poised for a whopping 24 per cent annual growth during the course of next decade.

Industry’s shift from legacy systems to advanced IoT enabled systems for utmost reliability and accuracy of data is creating potential growth opportunities for the IoT sensors market. [Read more…] about Market for transportation and warehousing sensors forecast to grow to $16 billion

Mitsubishi Electric unveils new autonomous car for testing new technologies

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Mitsubishi Electric has unveiled the latest version of the xAUTO, (main picture) a vehicle capable of autonomous driving on surface roads without high-definition maps and autonomous parking both indoors and outdoors.

The xAUTO is a demonstration car that incorporates Mitsubishi Electric’s cutting-edge technologies for autonomous driving.

Mitsubishi Electric’s autonomous driving system is realized with sensor-fusion technologies implemented with peripheral sensors, millimeter-wave radar and cameras, and so on, as well as infrastructure-assisted technologies incorporating Centimeter Level Augmentation Service signals from the Quasi Zenith Satellite System and high-definition three-dimensional maps. [Read more…] about Mitsubishi Electric unveils new autonomous car for testing new technologies