Robotics & Automation News

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Automation and Integration: How to Optimize Your Business

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When it comes to optimizing a business, you might get the idea of company owners pushing their business endeavors to the absolute limits and focusing entirely on industry success.

However, while optimization offers standout success, it serves to streamline tasks and helps you work smarter, rather than having to work hard for every little thing.

The secret to an excellent company is how you tackle the concepts of automation and integration. How well you’re able to take advantage of modern tech can result in breakout success for your business, though it can be a bit confusing when trying to figure out the ropes. [Read more…] about Automation and Integration: How to Optimize Your Business

ForwardX Robotics raises $31 million in Series C funding round

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ForwardX Robotics, a Beijing-based developer of autonomous mobile robots for warehousing and manufacturing environments, has completed its initial Series C1 funding round, raising $31 million.

The initial round was led by Taikang Life Insurance, with Qualcomm Ventures and Starlight Capital also contributing to the round.

Only seven months after the close of its $63 million Series B round, the latest round of funding brings ForwardX to approximately $100 million in total investment since its founding in 2016. [Read more…] about ForwardX Robotics raises $31 million in Series C funding round

MIT unveils dexterous robotic hands that can ‘manipulate thousands of objects with ease’

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MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory has revealed a dexterous robotic hand that scientists say can “manipulate thousands of objects with ease”. (See video below.)

At just one year old, a baby is more dexterous than a robot. Sure, machines can do more than just pick up and put down objects, but we’re not quite there as far as replicating a natural pull towards exploratory or sophisticated dexterous manipulation goes.

OpenAI gave it a try with “Dactyl” (meaning “finger” from the Greek word daktylos), using their humanoid robot hand to solve a Rubik’s cube with software that’s a step towards more general AI, and a step away from the common single-task mentality. DeepMind created “RGB-Stacking,” a vision-based system that challenges a robot to learn how to grab items and stack them.

Scientists from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL), in the ever-present quest to get machines to replicate human abilities, created a framework that’s more scaled up: a system that can reorient over two thousand different objects, with the robotic hand facing both upwards and downwards. [Read more…] about MIT unveils dexterous robotic hands that can ‘manipulate thousands of objects with ease’

5 French Robotics Startup Success Stories

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More companies than ever are looking to the robotics and automation sector to solve their productivity issues and drive expansion plans. Some of the most exciting leaps forward in the field of robotics are happening in France.

Since the early years of the 21st century, this country has been leading the way in robotics development, with significant innovations in automation that have redefined viticulture, e-commerce and the medical sectors alike.

With so much happening in this part of the world, anyone keen to pursue a career in robotics development may want to consider learning French as a second language. Below, we spotlight five of the biggest French robotics startup success stories. [Read more…] about 5 French Robotics Startup Success Stories

GreyOrange expands robotics reach to new European markets

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GreyOrange, a warehouse robotics and automation company, has expanded its GreyMatter operating system and Ranger MoveSmart robots in Active Ants’ e-fulfilment centre in Willebroek, Belgium.

GreyOrange says its solution to modern fulfilment has already been providing higher value and higher levels of efficiency to the Active Ants fulfilment centre in The Netherlands and has since scaled its offering to the Belgian market in preparation for surges in eCommerce demand over the end of year holiday period.

The expansion is the start of a programme to improve efficiencies across several warehouses in Europe. [Read more…] about GreyOrange expands robotics reach to new European markets

Advanced Farm Technologies completes $25 million Series B funding round

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Advanced Farm Technologies, developers of robotic technology for farmers, has completed a series B investment round raising $25 million to support the company’s growth in strawberry harvesting and the adaptation of its technology to apple harvesting.

The Series B funding round was led by Catapult Ventures and included all the Series A investors Kubota Corporation, Yamaha Motor Corporation, and Impact Ventures.

Kyle Cobb, president, and co-founder of Advanced Farm Technologies, says: “It is gratifying to have the ongoing support and commitment from our early investors in this funding round. It reflects all of our team’s hard work to develop and bring our TX Strawberry Harvester to the market. [Read more…] about Advanced Farm Technologies completes $25 million Series B funding round

Watch Now: How Robots Won the Digital Transformation Dance at Boston Dynamics

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You’d love to dance your way through a digital transformation, swinging to the sounds of product innovation, business acceleration, and unfettered visibility.

But, maybe you’re a bit hesitant to get on your feet and waltz your way to more effective customer engagement and efficient operations.

Boston Dynamics – the groundbreaking manufacturer behind those viral dancing robots (video below) – led their digital transformation to success by choreographing the right mix of great technology, a single digital platform, and proven best practices. [Read more…] about Watch Now: How Robots Won the Digital Transformation Dance at Boston Dynamics

Webinar: How Robots Won the Digital Transformation Dance at Boston Dynamics

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Click here to register now for this webinar

You’d love to dance your way through a digital transformation, swinging to the sounds of product innovation, business acceleration, and unfettered visibility.

But, maybe you’re a bit hesitant to get on your feet and waltz your way to more effective customer engagement and efficient operations.

Boston Dynamics – the groundbreaking manufacturer behind those viral dancing robots – led their digital transformation to success by choreographing the right mix of great technology, a single digital platform, and proven best practices.

And, they’re sharing their tips and insights to help you realize the same transformational success.

[Read more…] about Webinar: How Robots Won the Digital Transformation Dance at Boston Dynamics

Rootstock Software appoints two executives to foster and accelerate customer success with its Cloud ERP

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Rootstock Software, a leading provider of cloud Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solutions built on the Salesforce platform, has appointed two executives to continue bolstering customer success.

The appointments include Zach Feige to Vice President of Professional Services and Scott Johnson to Senior Vice President of Customer Operations. Both Feige and Johnson will report to CRO David Stephans.

Stephans says: “We’ve always had a strong customer-centric culture. [Read more…] about Rootstock Software appoints two executives to foster and accelerate customer success with its Cloud ERP

Seegrid launches Fleet Geek analytics software for mobile robots

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Seegrid, a provider of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for material handling, has launched Fleet Geek, a cloud-based analytics solution that provides “a holistic, data-driven view of material flow”.

The company says it provides Seegrid’s customer base – prominent global brands in manufacturing, warehousing, and logistics – with “comprehensive, actionable insights into Seegrid Palion AMR performance across their entire network of facilities”.

Fleet Geek tracks and illustrates material flow trends, empowering users with critical insights to optimize workflows, increase utilization, quantify the value of automation, and scale automation initiatives across the enterprise. [Read more…] about Seegrid launches Fleet Geek analytics software for mobile robots