Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

space

Sick demonstrates ‘smart logistics’ system for warehouse automation

by

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

NextShift Robotics receives patent for vertical lift capability in robotic picking

by

NextShift Robotics, a provider of autonomous mobile robot solutions for automated order fulfilment and warehouse materials management, has been granted a second patent, US10214354B2, “Method and System for Automated Transport of Items”.

The patent pertains to operating a robotic picking system in which the containers to be picked are positioned on the shelves and within picking stations.

The patent covers the ability of the robot to raise itself vertically to access shelving of different heights in order to pick the appropriate container from a range of shelf heights and storage system configurations.

[Read more…] about NextShift Robotics receives patent for vertical lift capability in robotic picking

Honeybee Robotics acquired by Ensign-Bickford Industries

by

Specialist robotic spacecraft developer will maintain its course through the galaxy, say new owners

Honeybee Robotics has been acquired by Ensign-Bickford Industries, a 181-year-old privately held corporation with headquarters in Simsbury, Connecticut. 

Honeybee builds robotic spacecraft for Nasa and has delivered systems for the past three Mars landers, and is developing a mining robot which could extract precious resources from asteroids.

Following the acquisition, Honeybee Robotics will be a stand-alone, wholly-owned subsidiary of EBI and will complement EBI’s current aerospace and defense subsidiary, Eba-d.

Honeybee will continue to operate from its current facilities in Brooklyn, New York, Longmont, Colorado, and Pasadena, California.  [Read more…] about Honeybee Robotics acquired by Ensign-Bickford Industries

Competition to mine outer space could change mining industry on Earth

by

For the past eight years, Nasa has been running a competition to find the team that can develop the best robotic systems to mine the moon. 

This year’s winners were announced recently, and Nasa gave out prizes and commendations for about 10 teams.

The discoveries made those 10 teams and all the others that entered the competition may end up in the mining industry here on Earth, long before they even take off for the moon.  [Read more…] about Competition to mine outer space could change mining industry on Earth

WTWH Media buys The Robot Report

by

therobotreport homepage

Business-to-business publisher WTWH Media has bought The Robot Report for an undisclosed sum.

TheRobotReport.com was founded in 2008 by Frank Tobe, and is one of the leading websites in this growing sector of publishing.

The website covers robotics in a variety of business segments, including transportation, agriculture, manufacturing and even outer space.  It has an international perspective, covering many countries around the globe.  [Read more…] about WTWH Media buys The Robot Report

Chinese robotic spacecraft completes second refuelling test, as Russia launches robotic cargo ship to International Space Station

by

China and Russia have both launched robotic spacecraft on cargo missions recently, according to reports in the media. 

Chinese state news agency Xinhua says the Tiangong-2 space lab and Tianzhou-1 completed a second refuelling test which “cemented technical results from the first refuelling”.

According to Space.com, the refuelling procedure requires 29 steps to complete and lasts for several days.  [Read more…] about Chinese robotic spacecraft completes second refuelling test, as Russia launches robotic cargo ship to International Space Station

Video: Fanuc open to building manufacturing plant in outer space

by

The world’s largest industrial robot manufacturer could build a facility in space.

In a wide-ranging interview with RoboticsAndAutomationNews.com, recorded at Hannover Messe, Neil Dueweke – who was competing to be heard over a loud musical band in the background – says the company has big ambitions. (See video below.)

“Anywhere there’s robotics involved, Fanuc will be there,” says Dueweke. “Space robotics? Why not?”

As far-fetched as it might sound, there are many projects involving robots in space – that’s in addition to the robotic rovers which are already widely known.

In one project, the European Space Agency is building a robot holiday resort on the Moon.

And Nasa has a large number of projects involving robots in space, and has even installed an outer space additive manufacturing facility which targets the alien market.  [Read more…] about Video: Fanuc open to building manufacturing plant in outer space

MDA recognized by Nasa for robotic servicing of International Space Station

by

nasa ssl robotic spacecraft to fix satellites
Artist’s illustration of the robotic spacecraft which will float around in space, fixing satellites. Picture courtesy of SSL

MDA US Systems, a division of MDA managed by SSL, has been recognized by Nasa’s Johnson Space Center for its “outstanding support” of a robotic upgrade to the International Space Station’s power system which took place in January.

The MDA team based in Houston played a critical role in planning and validating the robotic maneuvering both before and during the mission.

Nasa JSC ground controllers used the 15-degrees-of-freedom Special Purpose Dextrous Manipulator (Dextre) arm to install six new 430-pound lithium-ion batteries in two power channel integrated electronics assembly pallets.

Dextre first removed 12 older and depleted 740-pound nickel-hydrogen batteries from the pallets, nine of which were put on the Japanese H-II Transfer Vehicle’s external pallet to burn up on re-entry with it.  [Read more…] about MDA recognized by Nasa for robotic servicing of International Space Station

This time, it’s rocket science: Harmonic Drive gears used in space rover project

by

Space rover
Harmonic Drive’s strain wave gears are used on spacecraft

Graham Mackrell, managing director of precision gearing specialist Harmonic Drive UK, explains why its strain wave gears have been the top choice in space for over 40 years

Anything that goes into space is seen as the pinnacle of human creation. Astronauts are highly trained and are at the peak of physical fitness, space shuttles are crafted by large teams of expert engineers and all the technology used is so high-tech it’s as if it belongs to science fiction.

Many decades ago, the first Harmonic Drive gears were sent into space during the Apollo 15 mission. Even from the beginnings of the space race, the expectations for the technology used were high.

The equipment used in space had to be reliable, compact and lightweight and given the increasing demands on equipment in today’s space missions, it must also now be highly accurate with zero backlash and have high torque capacity.

When aerospace engineers were recently designing a new space rover, they looked to Harmonic Drive gears for reliability. Due to the obvious difficulties of performing repairs in space, a high mean time between equipment failures is a high priority. [Read more…] about This time, it’s rocket science: Harmonic Drive gears used in space rover project

Digital chemistry to be performed in space

by

chemistry
Picture credit: MaxPixel

Cronin Group, the AIM listed company with a business activity of the digitization of chemical space is pleased to note that an experiment designed by its scientific founder is to be carried out on a DIDO2 nano-satellite, successfully launched yesterday on an Indian Space Research Organisation rocket.

Prof Lee Cronin, the University of Glasgow Regius Chair of Chemistry and Founding Scientific Director of the Company, designed the experiment in partnership with SpacePharma, a company which specialises in providing scientists with access to microgravity environments.

The Company owns the commercial rights to intellectual property from the University of Glasgow to develop the Chemputer, which intends to open up chemistry to a wide user-base via digitization. [Read more…] about Digital chemistry to be performed in space