Robotics & Automation News

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Airbus to expand robotic usage at Rochefort logistics site

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Airbus, the world’s largest airplane manufacturer, is expanding its usage of robotic solutions at its Rochefort, France logistics facility.

Airbus expects to be manufacturing a staggering 1,000 aircraft a year by 2025, which would significantly increase its requirements for parts picking in its warehouses.

Airbus’ partners at the Rochefort warehouse are Blondel Group and Scallog. Specifically, logistics company Blondel manages the warehouse and has installed Scallog robotic systems to accelerate operations. [Read more…] about Airbus to expand robotic usage at Rochefort logistics site

Things to Consider When Having an EV Charging Station Installed

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We are sure by now you’ve become familiar with the phrase “the future is electric”.

Well, there is truth behind those words. We’re living in an age where electric cars are not only on the market but are on the rise as well.

Given the rise of gas prices and the unsustainability of gas-powered vehicles, customers are now looking towards electric vehicles. These vehicles are both efficient and convenient. [Read more…] about Things to Consider When Having an EV Charging Station Installed

Freebirds and Now Cuisine partner to develop robotic kiosks to serve hot meals

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Restaurant technology developer Now Cuisine and the Freebirds burrito company are partnering to build robotic kiosks that serve hot meals.

Now Cuisine and Freebirds World Burrito say the pilot program will be available at new locations throughout the Dallas area using Now Cuisine’s robotic Takeout Stations.

Now Cuisine’s Takeout Stations are compact, fully-automated, AI-enabled kiosks that can be placed nearly anywhere to serve freshly made-to-order hot meals in minutes, 24/7. Freebirds has issued a purchase order to Now Cuisine which will allow its food to be served in multiple Takeout Stations in Texas as part of the pilot. [Read more…] about Freebirds and Now Cuisine partner to develop robotic kiosks to serve hot meals

Robot-assisted assembly of high-voltage connectors for electric vehicles

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Assembling high-voltage connectors for electric and hybrid vehicles at a rate of 5 million per year calls for sophisticated automation solutions. Especially when regular retooling for new models and variants is the norm. Against this background, a pioneering system with six Stäubli robots, 13 image processing systems and inline quality control at every stage is now ensuring highly flexible production.

Electro-mobility is the buzzword of our times, and the market for vehicles with electric drives is steadily gaining momentum worldwide. For some time now, this trend has also been spurring demand for the type of assembly solutions for electric components offered by specialized machine builders such as Eberhard. The company, based in Schlierbach near Stuttgart, Germany, was recently asked by a multinational automotive supplier to implement a complex project.

Specifically, it involved the planning and realization of an assembly line for high-voltage connectors. The system would have to not only perform the actual assembly work, but also the visual inspection at each stage, the testing of every single connector for leak-proofing, and finally the packing of the finished high-voltage connectors in trays. [Read more…] about Robot-assisted assembly of high-voltage connectors for electric vehicles

Baidu launches robotaxi test service in Shanghai with Apollo Go ride-hailing platform

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Baidu has launched testing of its Apollo Go in Shanghai, marking the fifth city where passengers have the ability to trial the robotaxi mobile platform. Baidu is the only company to offer this service in the three first-tier cities of Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai.

The Shanghai operation will include 150 stations opened in phases throughout the city to provide users convenient access to residential areas, commercial areas, offices and public transportation. Passengers can use the service from 9.30 am to 11.00 pm every day of the week.

This launch comes on the heels of another milestone for Baidu Apollo – the expansion of Apollo Go to Tongzhou District in Beijing, where the service will enable residents and visitors of the suburb to experience travel in an autonomous vehicle. [Read more…] about Baidu launches robotaxi test service in Shanghai with Apollo Go ride-hailing platform

Car sharing promotes mobility turnaround in Luxembourg

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MOQO app assures easy operation and good service

Luxembourg is also working intensively on the transport revolution. The Duchy received a lot of attention when it became the first country in the world to introduce free local transport at the end of February 2020.

Even before that, a nationwide car sharing system was established with FLEX Carsharing, which is to be further expanded. FLEX provider CFL Mobility wants to use MOQO’s Shared Mobility Platform in the future. The know-how of the Shared Mobility experts from Aachen is increasingly in demand in more and more countries.

Luxembourg is the country in the EU with the highest level of individual ownership. Reasons for this are the high level of prosperity, favourable company car practices and a very good road infrastructure. However, the infrastructure could not prevent the high number of vehicles from leading to traffic chaos. [Read more…] about Car sharing promotes mobility turnaround in Luxembourg

What Barriers Still Impede Electric Vehicles?

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Electric vehicles have been with us for a long time.

It’s only recently that they’re being touted as a serious replacement for the internal combustion engine and a (partial) answer to our climate crisis.

The UK government says that it’ll ban the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030 – and you can reasonably expect any Labour government to be at least as ambitious, given their slightly greener voter-base.

By then, electric cars will need to be fairly ubiquitous. So what’s stopping this from happening right now? [Read more…] about What Barriers Still Impede Electric Vehicles?

Vecna Robotics headquarters switches to 100 percent renewable energy

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Vecna Robotics has switched to 100 percent renewable energy at its headquarters.

The company says it has a culture of “giving back and going green”.

The company’s Mass Save energy assessment audit found that the office building was fully up to code with the most efficient lighting and utilities. [Read more…] about Vecna Robotics headquarters switches to 100 percent renewable energy

Kuka showcases new fully automated sealing and damping system at Audi

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Kuka is showcasing a new “fully automated sealing and damping system” that the company has implemented at Audi.

In the automotive industry, it is becoming increasingly important to produce sustainably and efficiently.

As an alternative joining method, adhesive and sealing technology in body-in-white production makes it possible to reliably join a wide variety of materials. [Read more…] about Kuka showcases new fully automated sealing and damping system at Audi

Geodis implements Grenzebach AGV solutions for large warehouse operation

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Over the past year, Grenzebach and Geodis, a global supply chain operator, have been engaged in a joint project setting up a Grenzebach Goods-to-Person solution for a large consumer electronics customer.

The Goods-to-Person solution has been installed at Geodis’ Nashville, Tennessee campus. It features Grenzebach L600 automated guided vehicles, mobile storage units and picking stations as well as software.

The project has been run as a pilot program, designed to make the jobs of Geodis teammates easier, safer and more productive. Following the success of the pilot program, Geodis is now introducing Grenzebach AGV solutions to additional clients. [Read more…] about Geodis implements Grenzebach AGV solutions for large warehouse operation