Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

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Desolination: Unique energy and water project combines solar power and desalination

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A unique, €10 million “Desolination” project, involving 19 partners and 12 countries, aims to develop a “first-of-its-kind efficient coupling of concentrated solar power and desalination techniques”.

The Horizon 2020 Desolination project started in June, this year and will last 48 months until May 2025.

During this time, innovative technologies related to both concentrated solar power and desalination will be designed to improve the efficiency of existing concepts. [Read more…] about Desolination: Unique energy and water project combines solar power and desalination

Robots who goof: Can we trust them again?

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When robots make mistakes – and they do from time to time – re-establishing trust with human co-workers depends on how the machines own up to the errors and how human-like they appear, according to University of Michigan research.

In a study that examined multiple trust repair strategies – apologies, denials, explanations or promises – the researchers found that certain approaches directed at human co-workers are better than others and often are impacted by how the robots look.

Lionel Robert (main picture), associate professor at the U-M School of Information, says: “Robots are definitely a technology but their interactions with humans are social and we must account for these social interactions if we hope to have humans comfortably trust and rely on their robot co-workers. [Read more…] about Robots who goof: Can we trust them again?

5 Must-Have Gadgets for Winter

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Technology is a wonderful thing, especially when it comes to the latest and greatest of state-of-the-art tech gadgets. Every year brings with it new and exciting inventions and gizmos that are perfect for making life better and easier.

With winter looming just around the corner, now is the perfect time to invest in a few of these technological masterpieces. There are hundreds of options to choose from online and in stores, but not all of them are as great as they profess to be.

We’ve made your life easier by narrowing it down to these 5 must-have gadgets for winter 2021… [Read more…] about 5 Must-Have Gadgets for Winter

Miso Robotics partners with Lancer Worldwide to launch automated beverage dispenser

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Miso Robotics, a robotics and automation startup specializing in the foodservice industry, is partnering with Lancer Worldwide, a beverage dispenser manufacturer which works with the world’s top food and beverage brands, to build “an intelligence-backed, automated beverage dispenser that will bring enhanced functionality for a future-focused commercial kitchen”, according to the companies.

At a time when the quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry is facing record labor shortages, operators are looking for ways to streamline operations, cut costs and implement solutions that drive a better and faster customer service experience. The pandemic drastically shifted the paradigm, creating new models for operator revenue streams that relied on drive-thru, takeout and delivery more so than ever before.

While 60 to 70 percent of certain QSR sales came from the drive-thru lane pre-pandemic, as Covid spread, major QSRs experienced a jump as high as 90 percent.1 Yet, the new delivery and drive-thru model have made the always-critical need of speed and efficiency an even bigger challenge as volume increases and staff decreases have added minutes to the clock for order completion. Because of this, total average drive-thru times slowed down by 29.8 seconds last year. [Read more…] about Miso Robotics partners with Lancer Worldwide to launch automated beverage dispenser

Berkshire Grey unveils new mobile robots

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Berkshire Grey, a developer of AI-enabled robotic solutions that automate supply chain processes, launched the next generation of Intelligent Enterprise Robotic (IER) picking and mobility solutions which incorporate a new generation of mobile robots.

This new generation of mobile robots offers increased fulfillment throughput at a lower cost point to enable shorter delivery times and support a larger number of SKUs.

Unlike fixed conveyor belts and early generation mobile robots, Berkshire Grey’s intelligent fleets harness the power of AI to orchestrate tens to thousands of mobile robots to pick, organize, and deliver items for a wide variety of customer and store orders. [Read more…] about Berkshire Grey unveils new mobile robots

Multi-purpose security inspection robots call for embedded systems with highly flexible configuration

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The miniaturized, light, modular, and general-purpose security inspection robots in China have improved the intelligence level of inspections by DFI high-performance and fanless embedded system.

Not limited to being deployed in dangerous fields such as substations, multi-purpose security inspection robots must be suitable for inspection needs in parks, communities, schools, factories, stations, and other places where visibility is needed.

[Read more…] about Multi-purpose security inspection robots call for embedded systems with highly flexible configuration

Kuka releases new version of its robot simulation software

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Automation specialist Kuka has released the new version of its smart simulation software, Kuka.Sim 4.0. (See video below.)

Kuka.Sim 4.0 enables details and sequences of robot applications to be “realistically simulated” even before start-up and then transferred 100 percent to the real controller.

The Kuka.Sim simulation software brings robot applications to life – even before the real system is put into operation. [Read more…] about Kuka releases new version of its robot simulation software

How Realistic is AI in Films?

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Hollywood loves Sci-Fi and artificial intelligence is one of the genre’s most popular themes. Robots, in particular, have played center stage in many Sci-Fi flicks. And they have not always been positioned in a positive light. On the contrary, many such films have depicted dystopias where robots take over the world.

Having virtually no knowledge of AI from any other sources, many have taken these inaccurate depictions of robotics as reality. In fact, according to research by a leading AI authority, Fountech, a quarter of adults in the UK believe that AI might lead to the end of humanity.

So what are the most and least plausible robots in fiction? Here are four depictions of robotics in films that sit at both ends of the scale. [Read more…] about How Realistic is AI in Films?

Why Use Automated Warehousing for Your Small Business

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Whether it’s about a new mechanical invention or new methods and means of finishing a task, innovations have indeed propelled the industrial sector. Technology has improved functionality on various aspects, particularly in the management of warehouses.

When it comes to stock management, warehouse owners have several alternatives to choose from. Some people select fulfillment services such as Printful, in which third-party warehouses assist in making shipment preparation and delivery easier and more straightforward.

However, as distribution channels couldn’t satisfy their needs entirely with human workforces and as mechanical advancements dominated the industrial sector, warehouse automation has come to life. [Read more…] about Why Use Automated Warehousing for Your Small Business

Trinamic’s open-source reference design ‘speeds development of end-of-arm tooling’

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Trinamic Motion Control, now part of Maxim Integrated Products, has introduced an open-source, fully integrated reference design that it says simplifies the development of industrial robotic end-of-arm tooling (EoAT).

The TMCM-1617-GRIP-REF reference design integrates hardware-based field-oriented control (FOC) and three communication ports to “shrink the design size of electronic robotic grippers by three times, while reducing development time by half”, according to the company.

The reference design features Maxim Integrated’s industrial-grade MAX22000 high-precision configurable analog input/output and MAX14906 quad-channel digital input/output to adjust the multiple modes of the Trinamic TMCM-1617 single axis servo driver. [Read more…] about Trinamic’s open-source reference design ‘speeds development of end-of-arm tooling’