Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

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Collaborative robot market to grow to $2 billion in the pharma industry

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The use of collaborative robots or “cobots” is on the rise in the pharmaceutical industry. Pharmaceutical application takes up around 0.05 percent of the total medical robot market size.

Valued at $553 million, the pharmaceutical robotic market is forecast to grow at 15.7 percent compound annual growth rate to reach $2 billion by 2030.

In hospital settings, pharmacy robots are often included under the category of hospital logistic robots. [Read more…] about Collaborative robot market to grow to $2 billion in the pharma industry

Plus One Robotics’ parcel handling solutions surpass 500 million picks

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Plus One Robotics, a provider of a parcel handling robotics platform claiming to performing over 1 million parcel picks each day in production, says its platform has reached over half a billion parcel picks globally. 

The company says the 500 million figure is “currently an industry leading metric”.

Erik Nieves, Plus One Robotics’ CEO and founder, says: “Our north star will always be to increase our customers’ total picks per day. [Read more…] about Plus One Robotics’ parcel handling solutions surpass 500 million picks

AutoX expands robotaxi operation zone to 1,000 km

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Alibaba-backed AutoX, a developer of Level 4 fully autonomous cars, or “robotaxis”, now claims to operate “China’s largest autonomous driving area”.

The total area covers 1,000 square kilometers, including a 168-square-kilometer fully driverless zone. AutoX robotaxis are able to navigate all the public roads inside the 1,000 square kilometer area.

Expanding the total autonomous driving area to over 1,000 square kilometers is an important step towards making the robotic taxi service a reality in the daily lives of people in China. [Read more…] about AutoX expands robotaxi operation zone to 1,000 km

Sole Source Capital raises $555 million for second fund

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Sole Source Capital, an industrial-focused private equity firm, has closed its second fund, SSC Partners II or “Fund II”, with aggregate total commitments of $555 million.

Fund II was significantly oversubscribed with an initial target of $400 million and reached its hard cap. With the closing of Fund II, Sole Source Capital now manages in excess of $1 billion just three years after the launch of Fund I.

Since 2016, Sole Source has completed 24 transactions focusing on driving rapid value creation in lower middle market companies. [Read more…] about Sole Source Capital raises $555 million for second fund

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

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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

Woman returns to ‘active, pain-free living’ after robotic surgery

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One patient’s journey to knee replacement: New Jersey woman returns to active, pain-free living after knee surgery with active robot technology by Think Surgical Available at Hackensack University Medical Center

Think Surgical, an innovator in the field of orthopedic active robot surgery, commemorates National Arthritis Awareness Month, which is recognized throughout the month of May.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), arthritis is one of the most widespread health conditions in the United States, affecting about one in four adults or more than 54 million men and women.

People like Eugenia Dziopa, who has always been an avid walker, enjoying daily strolls around her neighborhood in northern New Jersey. Two years ago, she began experiencing pain in her left knee from degenerative arthritis. [Read more…] about Woman returns to ‘active, pain-free living’ after robotic surgery

Taurob and Equinor to introduce autonomous robots on Norway’s offshore platforms

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Norwegian petroleum refining company Equinor is introducing autonomous ATEX-certified robots on their oil and gas installations.

ATEX is the European certification given to equipment tested and approved to be “intrinsically safe”.

Partner in the project is inspection robotics specialist Taurob of Austria. Its robot will be used to conduct routine inspection and maintenance tasks on offshore installations.

Taurob started developing robotics applied for human safety, particularly in emergency response situations, 11 years ago. Safety is also the main driver for the energy domain to step into robotics. [Read more…] about Taurob and Equinor to introduce autonomous robots on Norway’s offshore platforms

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

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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

Chinese robotics sector files ‘44 percent of total global patents’

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The Chinese robotics sector generated almost half of total global patents in the most recent year available, according to a new report. 

The figure was published in the Annual Report on the Development of the Robot Industry in China, jointly written by HRG International Institute of Research and Innovation as well as the China Institute of Science and Technology Evaluation.

The two organizations produced what they call the 2021 Blue Book of the Robot Industry, based on their research. [Read more…] about Chinese robotics sector files ‘44 percent of total global patents’

Industrial camera manufacturer IDS expands headquarters

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IDS Imaging Development Systems has expanded its headquarters in Obersulm-Willsbach – after a construction period of about one and a half years, the technology centre b39 could be moved into.

Jan Hartmann, managing director says: “Despite Covid 19, the work went almost without a hitch.

“We are very pleased that with the new building we can provide our employees with an ultra-modern and at the same time very attractive place to work.” [Read more…] about Industrial camera manufacturer IDS expands headquarters