Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

space

Researchers develop robot fingertips for grasping and releasing objects in dry and wet conditions

by

A team of researchers at Kanazawa University has developed a robot control system – or fingertips – for grasping and releasing objects in dry and wet conditions.

The researchers say that the study was able to verify that “object grasping by soft surface fluid fingertips with high friction was controllable by applying a suitable lubricant”.

However, they added that it was necessary to do more experiments under various conditions in order to apply the current controlling technology to manufacturing environments. [Read more…] about Researchers develop robot fingertips for grasping and releasing objects in dry and wet conditions

Attabotics raises $25 million to ‘transform supply chains’

by

Attabotics, a robotics company specialising in supply chain technology, has raised $25 million in Series B funding from financial and strategic investors.

Participants in the round included Coatue, Comcast Ventures, and Honeywell alongside returning early investors Forerunner Ventures and Werklund Growth Fund.

The new funding will go toward supporting Attabotics’ continued, explosive growth, including new hires, scaling manufacturing operations, the development of new technologies, and more. Attabotics has raised $32.7 million in funding to date. [Read more…] about Attabotics raises $25 million to ‘transform supply chains’

Drones expected to grow to $100 billion market as they take off in commercial and industrial sectors while delivery market beckons

by

Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS), more commonly referred to as drones, have been in the public eye for well over this decade and a hype cycle developed around its applications for the consumer and commercial space.

The high-profile failure of major drone manufacturers and software providers, such as US firm Airware in 2018, somewhat tempered initial enthusiasm, causing early projections from industry organizations such as the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) to look overly optimistic.

However, according to a new report from global tech market advisory, ABI Research, commercial drone usage, especially in the industrial space, will be a source of accelerating growth throughout the next decade with $101 billion in revenue being created annually by 2030 across the commercial, military, civil, and consumer sectors. [Read more…] about Drones expected to grow to $100 billion market as they take off in commercial and industrial sectors while delivery market beckons

Ultimation reaches out to vertical farming sector with its conveyor systems

by

Ultimation is targeting the new and growing market of vertical farming sector with its conveyor systems, technology it has been supplying for more than 30 years.

The company says that sustainable agricultural operations such as vertical and indoor farms are becoming more prevalent, and “conveyor technology systems can be part of the solution”.

Ultimation says vertical farms can potentially achieve higher yields for the surface area dedicated to production by controlling the light, temperature, humidity, water and nutrients the plants receive. [Read more…] about Ultimation reaches out to vertical farming sector with its conveyor systems

Collaborative robots being bought at ‘feverish rate’

by

Most commentators and onlookers of the robotics industry hear of and understand the advertised value proposition of collaborative robots.

Cobots are smaller, more dexterous industrial robotic arms that open the possibility between human and machine collaboration without the need for complex programming or external safety infrastructure.

In reality, the value of current collaborative robotics is somewhat more modest. [Read more…] about Collaborative robots being bought at ‘feverish rate’

Taiwanese store employs robot to make and serve tea

by

A Taiwanese food and beverage store called Babo Arms is now using a collaborative robot from Universal Robots to make and serve tea.

Universal Robots’ UR5 unit was chosen by Babo Arms to “add a twist of modernity” into their production process.

Babo Arms were searching for an automated device to enhance operations and address the ongoing recruitment issue faced by the food and beverage industry. [Read more…] about Taiwanese store employs robot to make and serve tea

Warehouse automation for the holidays starts with optimized flexible space utilization

by

By Frank Charles Cozza, founder and CEO of Gondola Skate

More square footage is not the only solution to maximizing space utilization; nor are second-level mezzanines. Even C-Suite executives, inclined to expand the DCs and warehouse footprint, quickly discover there is so little space availability.

According to Jennifer Smith, the logistics reporter for the Wall Street Journal, the hunt for warehouse space in the US and abroad will not get any easier in the coming years.

Smith reported that the availability of warehouse space fell to 7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2018, the lowest point since 2000, and real-estate brokerage CBRE Group said the tight capacity that has driven up the costs of warehousing in recent years will remain a challenge for companies for the remainder of 2019. [Read more…] about Warehouse automation for the holidays starts with optimized flexible space utilization

Nvidia unveils new reinforcement learning research at ICRA 2019

by

Nvidia researchers from the newly opened robotics research lab in Seattle, Washington have presented a new proof of concept reinforcement learning approach that aims to enhance how robots trained in simulation will perform in the real world. (See video below.)

The work was presented at the recent International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) in Montreal, Canada.

The research is part of a growing trend in the deep learning and robotics community that relies on simulation for training. [Read more…] about Nvidia unveils new reinforcement learning research at ICRA 2019

Endress+Hauser expands sensor technology plant

by

Innovative Sensor Technology IST AG, part of the Endress+Hauser Group, has expanded its plant in Ebnat-Kappel in eastern Switzerland.

The expansion of the site is in response to growing demand for its sensors. The facility, built at a cost of nearly 15 million euros, now offers double the floor space.

The 13,500-square-metre plant includes roughly 3,700 square metres of production space, 1,500 of which is set aside for clean rooms.

[Read more…] about Endress+Hauser expands sensor technology plant

Second SpaceDataHighway satellite to launch in July

by

The EDRS-C satellite, the second node of the SpaceDataHighway network (also known as EDRS), will be launched into geostationary orbit at 31° East on 24 July 2019 by an Ariane 5 launcher.

Once positioned above Europe, it will provide redundant back-up for the SpaceDataHighway system, double transmission capacity and be able to relay the data from two observation satellites simultaneously.

This second satellite will be joining EDRS-A which transmits the images of Earth acquired by the Copernicus programme’s four Sentinel observation satellites on a daily basis.

[Read more…] about Second SpaceDataHighway satellite to launch in July