Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

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ExcelsiusGPS robotic system used for brain surgery

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Christus Health has become the first health provider to use a robotic system for brain surgery, describing the ExcelsiusGPS as “a world-class robotic guidance and navigation system”.

The ExcelsiusGPS system, built by Globus Medical, was used in the first Christus Ochsner Health case this week, setting a new standard for robotic neurosurgery procedures in Southwest Louisiana.

Bringing the ExcelsiusGPS to the region was made possible with the help of the Christus Ochsner Health Southwestern Louisiana Foundation and its generous donors who gifted more than $1.1 million to make the purchase possible. [Read more…] about ExcelsiusGPS robotic system used for brain surgery

Interview: Formic aims to change the way you integrate robotics and automation into your facility

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Formic Technologies is a new type of company which, itself, is the result of the huge changes that are occurring in the robotics and automation market, what with all sorts of new robots and technologies emerging, none of which is cheap to buy, and creating an increasing amount of complexity when it comes to implementing them in an integrated system at, say, a factory. 

In simple terms, you can hire robots – for example, Universal Robots collaborative robots – and other automation technologies from Formic. But it’s more than that. You can also have Formic design the implementation, and handle the integration, for which the startup company has many established partners.

And possibly Formic’s unique selling point is its promise to link its income from its customers to those customers’ success with the automation systems Formic installs. In other words, it’s a kind of like a robotics-as-a-service company which you can pay as you go according to a sliding scale – or “Easy to start, easy to scale”, as Formic likes to put it. [Read more…] about Interview: Formic aims to change the way you integrate robotics and automation into your facility

A Guide to Choosing Software for Your Fitness Center

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If you want your fitness center to be as successful as possible, then the right software is key.

If you don’t have much practice in choosing such elements for your business, then you are in the right place. [Read more…] about A Guide to Choosing Software for Your Fitness Center

Robot performs laparoscopic surgery without guiding hand of a human

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By Catherine Graham, Johns Hopkins University

In four experiments on pig tissues, the robot excelled at suturing two ends of intestine – one of the most intricate and delicate tasks in abdominal surgery

A robot has performed laparoscopic surgery – also known as keyhole surgery or minimally invasive surgery – on the soft tissue of a pig without the guiding hand of a human.

The people responsible say this is “a significant step toward fully automated surgery on humans”.

Designed by a team of Johns Hopkins University researchers, the Smart Tissue Autonomous Robot, or STAR, is described today in Science Robotics.

Senior author Axel Krieger, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Johns Hopkins’ Whiting School of Engineering, says: “Our findings show that we can automate one of the most intricate and delicate tasks in surgery: the reconnection of two ends of an intestine. [Read more…] about Robot performs laparoscopic surgery without guiding hand of a human

Construction robotics startup Canvas launches drywall finishing robot

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Construction robotics startup Canvas has unveiled a drywall finishing robot. 

The company also launched its Innovation Partner Program, a collaborative partnership with six industry-leading contractors that share the company’s vision to “build in bold new ways by putting better tools in the hands of skilled workers”.

Drywall finishing tools have remained unchanged for the better part of a century. With Canvas’s new worker-controlled robotic machine, contractors are able to make drywall finishing safer and more attractive to a shrinking pool of skilled labor, while realizing unmatched metrics for schedule, cost, quality and safety. [Read more…] about Construction robotics startup Canvas launches drywall finishing robot

Doosan showcases collaborative robot for camera work

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Doosan Robotics, a manufacturer of collaborative robots, has showcased a new robot designed for camera work in television studios. (See video below.)

The company demonstrated the system – which it has called NINA, short for “New Inspiration, New Angle” – at the recent Consumer Electronics Show.

NINA is Doosan’s first entry into the entertainment industry marketplace and its first public appearance of the CES 2022 Innovation Award winning product prior to its global launch in 2022. [Read more…] about Doosan showcases collaborative robot for camera work

Sunflower Labs provides its security drone system to range of new customers

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Sunflower Labs, a provider of autonomous security systems, has installed its Beehive System to its partners’ facilities.

The customers include ADT, 10 Federal Self Storage, Swiss Federal Railways, Security Robotics Development & Solutions, and Gerald R. Ford International Airport, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The Sunflower Labs’ Beehive System is a drone-in-a-box solution that can enhance and extend any security or video surveillance system. The Beehive system consists of a fully autonomous drone called the Bee and a compact base station called the Hive. [Read more…] about Sunflower Labs provides its security drone system to range of new customers

Motion capture is guiding the next generation of extraterrestrial robots

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“How do we build robots that can optimally explore space?” is the core question behind Dr Frances Zhu’s research at the University of Hawai’i. One part of the answer is, “with motion capture”.

“It is my hope that my research contributes to the way extraterrestrial robots move and make decisions on other planets,” explains Zhu (main image), an assistant researcher and deputy director at the University’s Hawai‘i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology.

That research is in its early stages, but NASA has seen the value in it and awarded Zhu an EPSCoR grant by the name “Autonomous Rover Operations for Planetary Surface Exploration using Machine Learning Algorithms”. [Read more…] about Motion capture is guiding the next generation of extraterrestrial robots

Versius surgical robot receives ‘indication’ extended into thoracic surgery

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CMR Surgical says its Versius Surgical Robotic System has been “indicated” for thoracics to support surgeons providing minimally invasive surgery to patients undergoing operations in the lungs, thymus and oesophagus.

In medicine, an “indication” is a valid reason to use a certain test, medication, procedure, or surgery.

Following a gradual introduction with specific case and procedure selection, Versius has now been used in both major and minor cases including oesophagomyotomies, lobectomies and thymectomies. [Read more…] about Versius surgical robot receives ‘indication’ extended into thoracic surgery

Powercast showcases wireless recharging and batteryless system at CES

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Powercast has showcased an array of new, batteryless products that are powered by the company’s signature radio-frequency-based long-range over-the-air wireless power technology at the recent CES.

The company also announced a record year in customer and revenue growth driven by the demand for wireless power – a market expected to reach $25.9 billion by 2027 – and demand for sustainable product designs that keep disposable batteries out of landfills.

Powercast helps its partners create environmentally-friendly electronic devices either with rechargeable batteries that can be recharged by RF, or with no batteries at all that can be directly powered by RF. [Read more…] about Powercast showcases wireless recharging and batteryless system at CES