Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

test

Jacksonville awards Balfour Beatty, Beep and V2R Team ‘largest-ever’ public sector autonomous shuttle project

by

The Jacksonville Transportation Authority has selected the Balfour Beatty Vision 2 Reality Team and Beep, a developer of multi-passenger, electric, autonomous mobility solutions, to deliver Phase I of the Ultimate Urban Circulator project, the Bay Street Innovation Corridor in Downtown Jacksonville.

Nathaniel Ford Sr, JTA CEO, says: “As the first phase of the U2C program, The Bay Street Innovation Corridor lays the foundation for the U2C vision by introducing autonomous vehicles and enhanced technology to Downtown Jacksonville’s premier mobility corridor.

“We are proud to collaborate with the Balfour Beatty V2R Team and its consortium of world-class and leading firms like BJaceep. [Read more…] about Jacksonville awards Balfour Beatty, Beep and V2R Team ‘largest-ever’ public sector autonomous shuttle project

Seegrid partners with Applied Intuition for warehouse robot simulations

by

Seegrid, a maker of autonomous mobile robots for material handling, and Applied Intuition, a simulation and software tools provider for autonomous vehicle development, have reached an agreement to collaborate on creating 3D virtual warehouses, factories, and distribution centers in support of accelerating advancements in autonomous technology for the material handling industry.

The partnership involves a significant investment by Seegrid and will enable Seegrid to quickly validate product innovations in more environments and use cases across the supply chain than feasible with manual testing.

Seegrid launched several new robot models in 2021 including the company’s newest AMR, Palion Lift, which the company says is “the only autonomous lift truck in the market with industry-leading 3D perception”. [Read more…] about Seegrid partners with Applied Intuition for warehouse robot simulations

Automated COVID Testing Thanks to a Tireless Robot developed by item America

by

The sheer scale of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to numerous innovative developments in industry to provide efficient solutions to meet the multitude of new challenges.

item America has played a part in several automation projects in the age of COVID – the manufacture of face masks and a workstation for analyzing coronavirus tests.

Now, item has played a role in the world’s first automated coronavirus testing station. Developed by Munich-based Franka Emika GmbH, a test station housing the “SR-NOCS” (“Swab Robot for Naso- and Oropharyngeal COVID-19 Screening”) swab robot. [Read more…] about Automated COVID Testing Thanks to a Tireless Robot developed by item America

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

by

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

Outrider opens ‘industry’s first’ test site dedicated to distribution yard automation

by

Outrider, the startup company pioneering autonomous yard operations for logistics hubs, has opened the Outrider Advanced Testing Facility, which it says is “the first-ever test site dedicated to distribution yard automation technologies”.

Located in Brighton, Colorado, this 200,000-square-foot distribution yard with 49 dock doors operates 16 hours per day, five days per week and will expand to 24-hour operation in 2022.

This test facility is being used to validate Outrider’s autonomous capabilities, supporting the scaling of deployments at customer sites. [Read more…] about Outrider opens ‘industry’s first’ test site dedicated to distribution yard automation

Norway prime minister officially opens AutoStore Innovation Hub

by

AutoStore, the leading robotic technology company, has created a pioneering test facility that can allow for faster fitting of automated systems for its clients to keep up with order demand.

Prime Minister of Norway, Erna Solberg (pictured below cutting ribbon), was said to be “deeply impressed” by AutoStore’s success when she officially opened the new test center and had it demonstrated.

As she officially opened the Innovation Hub, Solberg said: “AutoStore is a guiding star showing the way towards growth for the Norwegian private sector.” [Read more…] about Norway prime minister officially opens AutoStore Innovation Hub

Perrone Robotics confirms commitment to develop autonomous vehicle test facility at ACM

by

Perrone Robotics, a provider of fully automated vehicle technology and solutions, has “solidified its commitment” to develop an advanced automated vehicle test facility at the American Center for Mobility (ACM) in Ypsilanti, Michigan by signing a new lease.

ACM’s smart mobility test center will enable Perrone’s team to work on high-speed, long-term, and continuous testing of a wide range of transit vans, shuttles, cargo vehicles, and trucks integrated with Perrone’s patented autonomous vehicle TONY Retrofit solution.

Perrone’s signed commitment with ACM comes just a few short months after the company received a $10 million investment from CapStone Holdings. The funding will support Perrone as it continues to advance its leadership role in the mobility industry. [Read more…] about Perrone Robotics confirms commitment to develop autonomous vehicle test facility at ACM

Siemens makes first industrial 5G router available

by

Siemens has released its first industrial 5G router – the Scalance MUM856-1. The device connects local industrial applications to public 5G, 4G (LTE), and 3G (UMTS) mobile wireless networks.

The router can be used to remotely monitor and service plants, machines, control elements, and other industrial devices via a public 5G network – flexibly and with high data rates.

Demand for this type of solution is growing in industry. In addition, the device can be integrated into private 5G networks. The Scalance MUM856-1 therefore supports future-oriented applications such as mobile robots in manufacturing, autonomous vehicles in logistics or augmented reality applications for service technicians. [Read more…] about Siemens makes first industrial 5G router available

Baidu Apollo awarded China’s first licenses to test autonomous vehicles at night and in special weather conditions

by

Baidu Apollo has received China’s first batch of qualifications to test autonomous vehicles at night and in special weather conditions on public roads in Beijing.

A total of 53 such test qualification notices along with five general public road test licenses were granted to Baidu Apollo at the Beijing Intelligent Connected Vehicle Policy Pilot Zone launch event on April 13, 2021. The Pilot Zone encompasses 225 square kilometers, six highways, and urban expressways that cover a total length of 143 kilometers.

The ability to transport users during peak rush hours, nighttime, and bad weather scenarios – such as rainstorm conditions – poses an immense challenge in regards to the perception, prediction, planning and control capabilities of autonomous vehicles. [Read more…] about Baidu Apollo awarded China’s first licenses to test autonomous vehicles at night and in special weather conditions

AutoStore unveils Innovation Hub to test and replicate variety of supply chain environments

by

AutoStore unveils Innovation Hub to test and replicate supply chain environments including earthquakes and multi-climate simulations.

AutoStore, a robotic technology company, has unveiled its new Innovation Hub located in Karmøy, Norway, a pioneering new center for testing and replicating diverse in-store and warehouse environments.

As the suppliers of robotic storage and fulfilment technology for Puma, Gucci and Asda among many global brands, AutoStore is experiencing a continued growth in revenue and clients. [Read more…] about AutoStore unveils Innovation Hub to test and replicate variety of supply chain environments