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Amazon boss Bezos’s Blue Origin to buy asteroid mining company Honeybee Robotics

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Amazon owner Jeff Bezos’s aerospace company Blue Origin is to acquire a robotic asteroid mining startup called Honeybee Robotics.

Honeybee Robotics has operations in Longmont, Colorado and Altadena, California, and will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Blue Origin, headquartered in Kent, Washington.

The deal between Honeybee’s parent organization, Ensign-Bickford Industries, and Blue Origin is expected to close in mid-February. [Read more…] about Amazon boss Bezos’s Blue Origin to buy asteroid mining company Honeybee Robotics

Fugro’s robotic space operations complex to be located in Perth, Australia

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Fugro has confirmed that its Australian Space Automation, Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Control Complex (SpAARC) will be located in the heart of downtown Perth’s central business district.

Housed in Western Australia’s largest telecommunications exchange, and thanks to an ongoing partnership with Telstra, Fugro’s world-class facility will manage robotics and remote operations in Australia, around the world and in space.

SpAARC will support the translation of terrestrial capabilities into space, while also providing innovative remote solutions here on earth. [Read more…] about Fugro’s robotic space operations complex to be located in Perth, Australia

PickNik Robotics releases beta version of MoveIt Studio

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PickNik Robotics, a robotics software and engineering services company which has won a contract with NASA, has released additional details about its MoveIt Studio software platform and the made the beta version of the product available.

PickNik says MoveIt Studio provides “state-of-the-art motion planning software” with an intuitive user interface that now makes it easy for robot operators to remotely manage complex robotic arms that require supervised autonomy.

In space missions, for example, robotic arms are used to repair satellites and augment astronauts inside space stations, and will also be used to build the future Moon base. [Read more…] about PickNik Robotics releases beta version of MoveIt Studio

New Honeywell warehouse automation technology allows sites to maximize storage and increase order fulfillment

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Honeywell has launched its latest solution in intelligent automated handling designed to help warehouses, distribution centers and manufacturing sites receive, process and fill orders faster and more accurately while potentially reducing storage footprint.

Honeywell’s next-generation Automated Storage and Retrieval System (AS/RS) leverages artificial intelligence and machine learning to allow warehouse and distribution center operators to better keep up with unprecedented ecommerce growth.

Ben Cardwell, president of Honeywell Intelligrated, says: “The rapidly evolving retail market is pushing distribution centers to find and use innovative, flexible and automated approaches to e-commerce order fulfillment. Growing inventories, the rising cost of land and other pressures are pushing operations to make the most efficient use of available space. [Read more…] about New Honeywell warehouse automation technology allows sites to maximize storage and increase order fulfillment

What Is the Smallest Earth Observation Camera System?

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Satellite cameras are becoming more sophisticated each passing day. Whether it’s a space mission or advanced research, mini cameras are vital.

Remote sensing technologies are terrific. Satellite images provide advanced information of the earth’s surface. Satellite subsystems, including Earth observation satellites, present countless opportunities.

Picturing and analyzing helps to plan, watch, or predict the outcome of your farm. A satellite camera allows you to get panchromatic, multispectral, and hyper spectral images. [Read more…] about What Is the Smallest Earth Observation Camera System?

Geek+ launches 8 metre tall robot for logistics – ‘tallest robot in the industry’

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Geek+, an autonomous mobile robot manufacturer, has launched RoboShuttle RS8-DA, an 8-meter high flexible arm robot. The company claims the new robot is the “highest in the industry” and will enable customers to maximize the use of their warehouses.

RoboShuttle is a safe, efficient, and flexible high-density solution that solves the complex logistics scenarios brought on by the rise in e-commerce and the need for systems that can optimize precious warehouse space intelligently.

Compatible with 8-meter-high racks, and totes, cartons, or boxes of varying width, the robot can improve space utilization by 5x. [Read more…] about Geek+ launches 8 metre tall robot for logistics – ‘tallest robot in the industry’

Fugro partners with Nexxis to operate robots via satellite from SpAARC

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Fugro, in partnership with remote visual inspection, non-destructive testing and robotics company Nexxis, has demonstrated how its remote operations capability can be applied to space through satellite-controlled robots.

The demonstration took place at SpAARC, the Space Automation Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Control Complex, in Western Australia.

The Australian Space Agency commissioned Fugro to design, build and operate the world-class SpAARC complex in 2020. [Read more…] about Fugro partners with Nexxis to operate robots via satellite from SpAARC

Nasa awards Geisel Software grant to develop multi-robot perception

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Geisel Software, a Massachusetts-based custom software development firm, has partnered with Fayetteville State University to perform research funded by NASA’s Minority University Research and Education Project Space Technology Artemis Research grant.

The grant will fund Active and On-demand Multi Robot Perception research designed to develop multi-robot perception, a technology that utilizes highly specialized image sensors, to support NASA’s use of autonomous multi-robot systems performing scouting missions on the surface of the Moon or other planets. [Read more…] about Nasa awards Geisel Software grant to develop multi-robot perception

Pandemic drives smart appliance and consumer robotics market revenues to $80 billion in 2021

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Consumer robotics and smart appliance vendors will continue to benefit from the boost in consumer spending on home technology in 2021, building on the uplift that started in the second half of 2020.

Global tech market advisory firm ABI Research calculates that the consumer robotics and smart appliance market will generate $80 billion in revenues in 2021, up 40 percent on 2020 revenues.

Growth comes as two dynamics combine, says the analyst. [Read more…] about Pandemic drives smart appliance and consumer robotics market revenues to $80 billion in 2021

Urban air taxi solutions will revolutionize mobility industry, says GlobalData

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The race to develop urban air mobility (UAM) solutions has gathered momentum over the past few years even though the concept has been around for decades.

UAM, in particular electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL), has potential benefits such as easing traffic congestion and enables efficient passenger and cargo transportation, says GlobalData, a data and analytics company.

In a global survey (over 500 respondents) conducted by GlobalData between 6 May and 10 May 2021, 35 percent of the respondents stated that they are aware of UAM/flying vehicles, and 34 percent felt that safety and reliability will be the primary drivers for using UAM solutions. [Read more…] about Urban air taxi solutions will revolutionize mobility industry, says GlobalData