Robotics & Automation News

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Smart travel for future cities: Integrating and connecting new tram lines

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Smart travel for future cities

The main feature that makes a public transport system smart is enhanced control and monitoring features.

In the case of the Nottingham trams Express Transit project, in the UK, these functionalities became a reality through the collaboration of big industry names such as Taylor Woodrow, Alstom, and Boulting Technology.

Nottingham Express Travel Phase Two

In a bid to become one of the UK’s first smart cities, Nottingham has recently expanded its existing tram network to include two new lines to serve the South and South West of the city.

The first new line crosses the river Trent to Clifton and the second connects the Queens Medical Centre, Beeston and Toton.

The new routes join the existing line at Nottingham Station, with the entire network accommodating over 20 million passengers every year.  [Read more…] about Smart travel for future cities: Integrating and connecting new tram lines

Amazon to open logistics centre filled with robot workers

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Amazon is growing its UK fulfilment centre network as it expands to meet customer demand, increases its product selection and supports more third party Marketplace sellers with Fulfilment by Amazon. 

The fulfilment centre will be Amazon’s 13th in the UK and will be equipped with advanced Amazon Robotics technology.

Amazon says its new fulfilment centre in Tilbury, Essex, will open in 2017, and create more than 1,500 new permanent jobs for humans next year. This is in addition to the 3,500 other humans the company already employs in the UK. The new centre will also be filled with autonomous logistics robots.  [Read more…] about Amazon to open logistics centre filled with robot workers

Robotic lettuce harvester prototype wins farming award

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softharvest

The UK’s first national agricultural technology business plan competition has been won by a lettuce-picking robot 

It is estimated that over 60 per cent of the production cost of a lettuce is in the manual harvesting. Automating this process would allow producers to be more competitive and respond faster to demand. 

SoftHarvest, working closely with G’s Growers, one of the UK’s largest vegetable producers, has developed a robotic handler with vision recognition that is set to revolutionise this £300 million market across the UK, France and Spain.

SoftHarvest was selected as the student winner of Grow, the UK’s first national agri-tech business plan competition.  [Read more…] about Robotic lettuce harvester prototype wins farming award

Engineers’ institute welcomes laws requiring driverless vehicles to have certificates

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driverless car test
Driverless car software will require certificates from the Ministry of Transport before being allowed on the road. Picture courtesy: E&T IET

The UK is to introduce laws and regulations that will require driverless vehicle software makers to obtain Ministry of Transport certificates 

New laws announced in the Queen’s Speech recently will allow fully autonomous vehicles to be insured under normal policies in the UK.

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) says the announcement is an “important step forward” which will ultimately improve road safety and reduce congestion. 

But the IET adds that the Government also needs to introduce legislation to improve cyber security in autonomous vehicles.  [Read more…] about Engineers’ institute welcomes laws requiring driverless vehicles to have certificates

Nasa’s outer space additive manufacturing facility targets alien market

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3d printing in space
Nasa wants to 3D print spacecraft using additive manufacturing techniques

Just when you thought things could not get any crazier, Nasa has set up an additive manufacturing plant in space that could take 3D printing orders from aliens 

Nasa’s advanced manufacturing system has been installed on the International Space Station and is said to be attracting considerable interest from unknown beings across the cosmos. 

Originally intended as an emergency tool shop for the ISS crew, the zero-gravity 3D printing facility is now being made available to extraterrestrial customers across the universe.

While Nasa is still waiting for its first alien customers, Earthlings are taking a strong interest in the system created by a company called Made In Space.  [Read more…] about Nasa’s outer space additive manufacturing facility targets alien market

Robot submarines to be given live data link to satellites to help them navigate

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satellite

The UK is developing technology to connect robotic submarines to satellites to help them find their way around the world’s oceans.

The UK’s National Oceanography Centre (NOC) is to form part of the new Centres of Excellence in Satellite applications, which is expected to aid economic growth in the Solent region, the waters off the southern coast of the country, near Portsmouth.

As part of this new centre the NOC will develop the technologies to help robot-subs use live satellite data to inform their route through the ocean, not unlike drivers using live traffic updates. [Read more…] about Robot submarines to be given live data link to satellites to help them navigate