vacuum

Brain Corp partners with Kärcher to develop new autonomous floor cleaner

Brain Corp is partnering with Kärcher, one of the world’s largest providers of cleaning technologies, to develop a new type of “autonomous stand-on vacuum cleaner”.

Kärcher and Brain Corp, a San Diego-based artificial intelligence and robotics company, made the partnership announcement at the ISSA Show North America.

The companies aim to develop and bring autonomous floor care solutions to market in a joint effort. [Read more…] about Brain Corp partners with Kärcher to develop new autonomous floor cleaner

Schmalz launches ‘clever automation solutions’ for electronics production

Vacuum specialist Schmalz has unveiled numerous “clever” solutions for the automated handling of delicate electronic components.

For example, gripping systems that reliably protect delicate components against electrostatic discharge.

Electrostatic charges and the resulting uncontrolled electrostatic discharge (ESD) produce irreversible damage to electronic components such as chips or printed-circuit boards. [Read more…] about Schmalz launches ‘clever automation solutions’ for electronics production

Goudsmit Magnetics improves its gripper for picking up sheet metal

Goudsmit Magnetics has unveiled its new and improved magnetic gripper for the automated pick-up, placement or positioning of steel or other ferromagnetic objects.

The company says the end effector is ideal for removing sheet metal from presses, de-stacking products from boxes (bin picking), assembling steel parts or handling of punched steel parts, blanks and perforated steel sheets in robotic applications.

The ultralight magnetic gripper is fitted with strong permanent neodymium magnets and is therefore extra safe. It can be used in grippers on robot arms. [Read more…] about Goudsmit Magnetics improves its gripper for picking up sheet metal

Omron to debut new autonomous mobile manipulator and Robotiq vacuum grippers at Pack Expo

Omron is planning to debut a new autonomous mobile manipulator and Robotiq vacuum grippers at Pack Expo in Las Vegas.

Omron says its booth at the event will be “a unique opportunity to explore near-future manufacturing equipment as part of a wide-ranging, interactive demo”.

In particular, Omron’s new autonomous mobile manipulator and the integration between Omron’s TM Series collaborative robot and Robotiq’s vacuum grippers (main picture) are innovations to see. [Read more…] about Omron to debut new autonomous mobile manipulator and Robotiq vacuum grippers at Pack Expo

iRobot launches its most advanced robot vacuum and mop

iRobot Corp. is launching two new robots that work together to provide what it claims is the deepest clean possible in the home.

The Roomba s9+ robot vacuum with Clean Base Automatic Dirt Disposal is the most intelligent, powerful, and deepest cleaning Roomba robot to date.

The Braava jet m6 robot mop tackles multiple rooms and large spaces with advanced navigation and mapping capabilities.

Robotiq launches its first UR+ certified vacuum grippers and sanding kit

The UR+ program debuted in 2016 and has since grown rapidly to include more than 140 certified UR+ products with more than 400 companies joining the UR+ developer program.

A charter partner with the UR+ program is Robotiq, the company is now adding a new chapter to its long relationship with Universal Robots by launching three new UR+ certified products at Automate 2019; AirPick and EPick, Robotiq’s new vacuum grippers, and the Sanding Kit.

Both vacuum grippers operate without the need for external air supply. The AirPick features a built-in venturi vacuum generator, while the EPick includes a built-in electrical vacuum pump. Robotiq vacuum grippers can handle a wide range of applications and are ideal for picking up even and uneven workpieces made of different materials, such as cardboard, glass, sheet metal (dry) and plastic.

[Read more…]

iRobot denies it will sell map data about customers’ rooms and houses

iRobot says it will “never” sell the data its little robotic vacuum cleaners collect while mapping and navigating people’s rooms and homes.

In a statement provided to ZDNet, Colin Angle, CEO of iRobot, reassured customers by saying: “iRobot will never sell your data.”

The statement follows comments Angle gave to Reuters suggesting that the company might consider selling maps iRobot’s Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner generates of users’ homes. [Read more…] about iRobot denies it will sell map data about customers’ rooms and houses

South Korea’s largest airport has hired robots made by LG to assist travellers

lg electronics robot for airports small — The LG Airport Guide Robot

South Korea’s largest airport – Incheon International Airport, in Seoul – has given jobs to a number of robots made by LG Electronics.

The mobile machines are designed to enable travellers to scan their tickets to get flight information and they can escort them to the flight gates.

Alternatively it can just provide directions to locations within the airport, complete with walking distances and times, or information about the traveller’s eventual destination, such as weather and other details. [Read more…] about South Korea’s largest airport has hired robots made by LG to assist travellers

Carnegie Mellon names one of its rooms after Leybold

University marks inauguration of a Leybold Conference and Reception Room at Carnegie Mellon University Nanofabrication Facility

Being at the forefront of university research is very important for innovating next generation vacuum technology products.

As a local partner with Pittsburgh based Carnegie Mellon University, Leybold has been not only a supplier, but also a generous and benevolent sponsor for years.

As an acknowledgement for this close cooperation, the CMU community named one of the new conference center and reception rooms “Leybold” and celebrated this inauguration with a presentation and reception held at the CMU Nanofabrication Facility recently. [Read more…] about Carnegie Mellon names one of its rooms after Leybold

Physicists say they’ve manipulated ‘pure nothingness’ and observed the fallout

An important step towards a completely new experimental access to quantum physics has been made at University of Konstanz. The team of scientists headed by Professor Alfred Leitenstorfer has now shown how to manipulate the electric vacuum field and thus generate deviations from the ground state of empty space which can only be understood in the context of the quantum theory of light.

With these results, the researchers from the field of ultrafast phenomena and photonics build on their earlier findings, published in October 2015 in the scientific journal Science, where they have demonstrated direct detection of signals from pure nothingness.

This essential scientific progress might make it possible to solve problems that physicists have grappled with for a long time, ranging from a deeper understanding of the quantum nature of radiation to research on attractive material properties such as high-temperature superconductivity. [Read more…] about Physicists say they’ve manipulated ‘pure nothingness’ and observed the fallout