Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

system

How to Use Technology to Improve Your Inventory System

by

This blog article discusses how certain software can help reduce human error in inventory management by increasing communication and visibility. It also presents a number of examples of how this technology can be used for inventory tracking in different industries.

Introduction

Inventory is a crucial part of any business. By ensuring that an accurate and up-to-date inventory is maintained, businesses can avoid costly mistakes and ensure a steady supply of the products they need to operate. [Read more…] about How to Use Technology to Improve Your Inventory System

Most Common Software Bugs Found During Testing in 2022

by

Before you launch an app or a platform, you should test it. It ensures the product function as expected. However, even with testing, some software bugs can still make it through.

If you don’t have an in-house software team, you can outsource the task to a software tester company. Either way, it helps to know what you’re up against. Here are the most common errors found during testing in 2022: [Read more…] about Most Common Software Bugs Found During Testing in 2022

Changing of the Guard: MES or Not?

by

By Karan Talati, First Resonance

Innovation and operational changes are essential to maintaining your competitive edge in any industry. This is no different for manufacturing. Times are changing, and today’s manufacturers are re-evaluating their production processes.

Machine efficiency is necessary. It is important to the bottom line but doesn’t drive innovation. MES has been the go-to solution for manufacturers for decades, but it has lagged behind modern challenges facing today’s manufacturers.

Visionary entrepreneurs, startups, and incumbent companies with a new generation of engineers are looking to transform products of the physical world. To that, they need flexible and iterative workflows – not static efficiency measurements. Organizations across industries are rethinking legacy tools’ role in their operations. [Read more…] about Changing of the Guard: MES or Not?

Mercedes-Benz claims its ‘Drive Pilot’ is world’s first internationally certified Level 3 automated car technology

by

Mercedes-Benz says its Drive Pilot automated driver assistance system has become the world’s first internationally certified Level 3 automated car technology. The company adds that it backs redundancy for safe conditionally automated driving.

When it comes to conditionally automated driving (SAE Level 3), safety and reliability are the top priorities for Mercedes-Benz. Drive Pilot is therefore based on a system architecture that enables safe control of all situations that could potentially arise.

To this end, braking, steering, power supply and some parts of the sensor system are designed with physical and functional redundancy. By adopting this safety‑focused approach to system design, Mercedes-Benz is setting completely new benchmarks in automated driving. [Read more…] about Mercedes-Benz claims its ‘Drive Pilot’ is world’s first internationally certified Level 3 automated car technology

MIT device is converting carbon dioxide to oxygen – on Mars

by

On the red and dusty surface of Mars, nearly 100 million miles from Earth, an instrument the size of a lunchbox is proving it can reliably do the work of a small tree.

The MIT-led Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment, or MOXIE, has been successfully making oxygen from the Red Planet’s carbon-dioxide-rich atmosphere since April 2021, about two months after it touched down on the Martian surface as part of NASA’s Perseverance rover and Mars 2020 mission.

In a study published today in the journal Science Advances, researchers report that, by the end of 2021, MOXIE was able to produce oxygen on seven experimental runs, in a variety of atmospheric conditions, including during the day and night, and through different Martian seasons. In each run, the instrument reached its target of producing six grams of oxygen per hour – about the rate of a modest tree on Earth. [Read more…] about MIT device is converting carbon dioxide to oxygen – on Mars

Columbia/Okura celebrates shipping 1,000th palletizing system

by

Columbia/Okura marked the milestone of shipping its 1,000th robotic palletizer. We’ve designed and commissioned many successful palletizing systems, handling a massive range of products across dozens of industries worldwide.

From bag palletizing systems in abusive and harsh environments to high-speed, multi-robot, multi-picking case applications, Columbia/Okura has handled almost any type of product packaging in virtually any application.

To celebrate the occasion and thank employees for their hard work, Columbia/Okura supplied lunch from Smokin’ Oak, a local barbeque restaurant in Vancouver, Canada. [Read more…] about Columbia/Okura celebrates shipping 1,000th palletizing system

ZF to showcase autonomous commercial transportation system solutions

by

ZF’s Commercial Vehicle Solutions division will present its latest range of future-ready automation technologies and expertise at IAA Transportation 2022.

This includes ZF’s innovative next generation Autonomous Driving Open Platform Technology (ADOPT) automated chassis control solution.

The advanced platform bridges autonomous vehicles’ virtual driver software with its actuation systems using standardized interfaces developed to automotive standards. [Read more…] about ZF to showcase autonomous commercial transportation system solutions

Alstef unveils robot for baggage handling at airports

by

Alstef has unveiled a mobile robot for handling baggage at airports. The new machine – the BAGXone – was launched by Nicolas Breton, Alstef Group’s CEO, at a recent industry event.

BAGXone is described as a high-speed automated guided vehicle designed to handle individual bags. It can cover short distances, from check-in to screening machines or from the screening machines to an early bag store, reconciliation room, make-up carousel.

It can also cover long distances – for example, link between two terminals. It is also “easily adaptable” to suit scalability and redundancy requirements. If there are increased capacity requirements or expansion of the baggage sorting system, new AGVs can be added to extend the fleet. [Read more…] about Alstef unveils robot for baggage handling at airports

SRI unveils autonomous digger for construction sites

by

SRI, a technology development company founded in 1946 by Stanford University, has unveiled an autonomous digger for construction sites and other similar heavy-duty applications. (See video below.)

The “smart excavator” can be operated remotely and comes with an augmented reality system which makes the process secure, more convenient, and “as easy as playing a video game”.

SRI likens it to the Nintendo Wii, saying the control system only takes “a couple of minutes to master”, adding that, by giving excavators a “robotification upgrade”, the operator doesn’t need to be in the driver’s seat and can even “operate the machinery from anywhere around the world”. [Read more…] about SRI unveils autonomous digger for construction sites

Seoul Robotics demonstrates technology that enables cars to park themselves

by

Imagine driving a car – one without self-driving capabilities – to a mall, airport or parking garage, and using an app to have the car drive off to park itself. Software company Seoul Robotics is using Nvidia technology to make this possible – turning non-autonomous cars into self-driving vehicles.

Headquartered in Korea, the company’s initial focus is on improving first- and last-mile logistics such as parking. Its Level 5 Control Tower is a mesh network of sensors and computers placed on infrastructure around a facility, like buildings or light poles – rather than on individual cars – to capture an unobstructed view of the environment.

The system enables cars to move autonomously by directing their vehicle-to-everything, or so-called V2X, communication systems. These systems pass information from a vehicle to infrastructure, other vehicles, any surrounding entities – and vice versa. V2X technology, which comes standard in many modern cars, is used to improve road safety, traffic efficiency and energy savings. [Read more…] about Seoul Robotics demonstrates technology that enables cars to park themselves