Robotics & Automation News

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Acieta unveils new collaborative robotic system for welding

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Acieta has unveiled a new collaborative robotic system for welding. The company says the new “FastARC” cobot can pay back customers’ investment “in as little as six months”.

Acieta says that “everyone is struggling to hire and retain good laborers, especially those with welding skills”. But when the position is unfilled, a welding system sits idle and doesn’t make a profit.

Companies simply cannot afford to wait for the next skilled welder to walk through the door. The labor pool is dwindling and there’s fierce competition to attract those individuals. [Read more…] about Acieta unveils new collaborative robotic system for welding

General Motors and Red Hat partner to develop software-defined vehicles

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Automotive giant General Motors and open source software provider Red Hat have formed a partnership to “help advance software-defined vehicles at the edge”.

The companies expect to expand an ecosystem of innovation around the Red Hat In-Vehicle Operating System, which provides a functional-safety certified Linux operating system foundation intended for the ongoing evolution of GM’s Ultifi software platform.

The collaboration between Red Hat and GM is a significant moment in the convergence of the transportation and technology industries, with Red Hat’s cloud-native, enterprise-grade open source operating system accelerating the development of GM’s software-defined vehicle programs following Ultifi’s initial launch. [Read more…] about General Motors and Red Hat partner to develop software-defined vehicles

Baidu granted China’s ‘first-ever’ permits for commercial driverless ride-hailing services

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Baidu, China’s equivalent of Google, has secured the first permits in China to offer commercial fully driverless robotaxi services to the public on open roads.

Apollo Go, Baidu’s autonomous ride-hailing service, is now authorized to collect fares for robotaxi rides – completely without human drivers in the car – in Chongqing and Wuhan, two of China’s largest megacities.

Amid increasing regulatory approval of the expansion of autonomous vehicles (AVs), the permits reflect regulatory authorities’ strong recognition and trust in the strength of Baidu’s autonomous driving technology. [Read more…] about Baidu granted China’s ‘first-ever’ permits for commercial driverless ride-hailing services

From battery cell production to the installation of electric motors

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Reliable processes for electromobility with automation solutions from Festo

The number of vehicles with electric powertrains is growing globally by more than 40 percent each year. At the same time, the manufacturing processes for the electrified powertrain are changing.

While the classic manufacturing process for cars with internal combustion engines was predominantly based on semi-automatic production methods, both battery cells and electric motors are increasingly produced fully automatically.

As a leading manufacturer of automation technology, Festo has the right solutions for this process along the entire value chain, from battery cell production to the assembly of electric motors. [Read more…] about From battery cell production to the installation of electric motors

Methods Machine Tools releases its first end-to-end standard automation system for Nakamura turning centers

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Methods Machine Tools, the foremost supplier of high-quality, high-precision CNC machine tools and automation in North America, has released the Turn-Assist 200i and 270i from RoboJob as its first, end-to-end standard automation system for Nakamura-Tome turning centers.

A semi-collaborative system engineered for lathe automation, Turn-Assist is designed to be implemented and run by operators of any skill level. With a simple tablet-style HMI and standard Ethernet IP interface, shops can successfully change over from one part to another within minutes.

Zach Spencer, Methods’ automation manager, says: “By pairing the Turn-Assist from RoboJob with Nakamura-Tome, we have created a unique automation solution for high-mix/low-volume and/or mid-volume with frequent changeovers on round workpieces often associated with Nakamura lathes. [Read more…] about Methods Machine Tools releases its first end-to-end standard automation system for Nakamura turning centers

Addverb Technologies launches new ‘automated and dynamic shuttle system’ for warehouses

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Addverb Technologies, the leading automation solutions provider for warehouses and distribution centers, announced the launch of Medius, its new multi-level shuttle system.

Medius is an automated and highly dynamic shuttle system that performs the function of storage and retrieval on multiple levels and is designed for businesses that want to increase storage density or establish an automation operation capable of rapid delivery that is scalable and modular.

Based on goods-to-person principles, automated storage retrieval systems (ASRS), and carton shuttles, Medius will enable agile ergonomic order fulfillment processes. [Read more…] about Addverb Technologies launches new ‘automated and dynamic shuttle system’ for warehouses

Startup uWare Robotics develops ‘first’ complete system to map and monitor coastal ecosystems

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A Belgian-Spanish startup called uWare Robotics says it has developed the “first end-to-end technology to map and monitor coastal ecosystems”.

uWare says its system consists of a number of proprietary hardware and software technologies, including an autonomous underwater vehicle, called the uOne.

Designed for maximum mobility, stability, cost-effectiveness, and autonomy, the uOne allows for data collection at “five times the speed of a diver” and with the precision of a robot, claims uWare. [Read more…] about Startup uWare Robotics develops ‘first’ complete system to map and monitor coastal ecosystems

South Korea AutoStore integrator Asetec joins the RightHand Robotics partner integrator network

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RightHand Robotics, a provider of autonomous robotic picking solutions for order fulfillment, and Asetec, a logistics automation ICT company, have partnered for future robotic logistics center integration projects in South Korea.

As an AutoStore integrator, Asetec will combine the world’s leading robotic storage system and other matched technologies with RightHand Robotics’ award-winning RightPick item-handling solution to expand its offerings with a diversified range of automation.

Founded in 1996, Asetec is a turnkey integrator for logistics centers, providing customers with consulting and engineering, automation design and construction, and AI software solutions (WMS/TMS/OMS/WCS). [Read more…] about South Korea AutoStore integrator Asetec joins the RightHand Robotics partner integrator network

Autonomous trucking developer Inceptio partners with chipmaker Ambarella

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Inceptio Technology, an autonomous driving truck technology developer, has selected two each of Ambarella’s CV2FS and CV2AQ edge AI systems on chip (SoCs) – a total of four CVflow SoCs – for its automotive-grade central computing platform.

This platform is at the core of Inceptio’s full-stack XuanYuan autonomous driving system for trucks, where Ambarella’s SoCs provide high-performance and low-power processing simultaneously for seven 8MP cameras, including AI compute, for surround camera perception and front ADAS safety features like collision avoidance.

Susan Beardslee, ABI Research’s principal analyst for supply chain management and logistics, says: “Globally, there were over 223 million registered commercial vehicles (light-duty to heavy-duty) by the end of 2021. [Read more…] about Autonomous trucking developer Inceptio partners with chipmaker Ambarella