Robotics & Automation News

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Autonomous logistics startup Venti Technologies raises $28.8 million in Series A funding

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Venti Technologies, a provider of autonomous logistics for global supply chain and industrial hubs, has secured $28.8 million in a Series A financing.

The financing round was led by LG Technology Ventures, the Silicon Valley-based venture capital arm of the LG Group, with participation from Safar Partners, UOB Venture Management, and existing investors Alpha JWC and LDV Partners.

The funding will be used to accelerate Venti’s growth and meet increasing demand from customers worldwide. [Read more…] about Autonomous logistics startup Venti Technologies raises $28.8 million in Series A funding

Neubility raises 3 billion won investment from Samsung

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Neubility, an autonomous robot services company, has received a 3 billion won ($2.3 million) investment from Samsung Venture Investment.

With this investment, it has achieved about 30 billion won in total cumulative investments, while establishing a bridgehead for its global business by entering major overseas markets, such as Japan, Europe, and the United States, and building a production base in Southeast Asia.

Neubility is rapidly increasing its service competitiveness by accumulating data on urban driving experience from the CES 2023 Innovation Award-winning self-driving robot, Neubie, and the Robot as a Service (RaaS) platform, Neubiego. [Read more…] about Neubility raises 3 billion won investment from Samsung

Zorabots partners with QSS to showcase humanoid robot and plans to establish robotics joint venture in Saudi Arabia

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Robotics and software company Zorabots have started talks to create joint venture with Saudi tech company QSS. The news comes after the two companies jointly presented what is believed to be Saudia Arabia’s first domestically created humanoid robot, called “Sara” (main picture and below).

Sara is being presented at the renowned tech event LEAP, being held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the sophisticated humanoid has been declared by relevant authorities as a “Saudi tech jewel”.

The robot was developed by tech company QSS with the support of Zorabots. Due to the “overwhelming success” of Sara, Zorabots and QSS signed an agreement for further cooperation. Extensive talks were started for the establishment of a Belgian-Saudi joint venture. [Read more…] about Zorabots partners with QSS to showcase humanoid robot and plans to establish robotics joint venture in Saudi Arabia

Abu Dhabi’s SkyGo invests in commercial drones provider Airobotics for goods transportation

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Airobotics and Sky Go Transport of Goods, a UAE-based company with commercial license to provide unmanned aerial transport of goods and services across the city of Abu Dhabi, have agreed a joint venture to provide aerial drone services to the city of Abu Dhabi.

Airobotics is a wholly-owned subsidiary Ondas Holdings, a provider of private industrial wireless networks and commercial drone and automated data solutions.

As a part of the partnership, Airobotics, subject to the finalization of required formalities, has received an initial multi-system purchase order for $3.5 million from SkyGo. The purchase order is conditioned by the completion of proof of concept. [Read more…] about Abu Dhabi’s SkyGo invests in commercial drones provider Airobotics for goods transportation

Volvo invests in Waabi to strengthen autonomous truck offering

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Volvo Group Venture Capital has invested in the Canadian-founded company Waabi Innovation, which developing “next generation” autonomous trucking technology.

The companies says the investment highlights their shared commitment to “redefine the way we move goods and to accelerate the deployment of future transport solutions”.

Martin Witt, president of Volvo Group Venture Capital, says: “The company Waabi is using advanced artificial intelligence technology to test, assess skills, and ultimately teach a virtual driver to maneuver safely and efficiently in a commercial-ready autonomous trucking solution. [Read more…] about Volvo invests in Waabi to strengthen autonomous truck offering

Bosch makes $250 million available for startups

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Despite the challenging business environment, the Bosch Group is raising its venture-capital funding for the current business year: its subsidiary Robert Bosch Venture Capital (RBVC) is setting up a new fund for startups; the fund has a volume of 250 million euros (approximately $250 million).

As a provider of venture capital, Bosch supports startups around the world whose technologies have the potential to improve quality of life and conserve natural resources.

“Our investments in startups promote technological progress in business and society,” says Dr Stefan Hartung, chairman of the board of management of Robert Bosch. “And we ourselves also benefit from this collaboration, since solutions to ever more complex tasks can frequently be found faster, more efficiently, and better in partnership with others.” [Read more…] about Bosch makes $250 million available for startups

Pony.ai and SANY to mass produce autonomous trucks

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Pony.ai, an autonomous driving technology company, has formed a strategic joint venture with SANY Heavy Truck, a subsidiary of SANY Heavy Industry, a Chinese heavy equipment manufacturer and the third largest heavy equipment manufacturer globally.

Pony.ai and SANY say they will collaborate to create a “world-leading autonomous truck brand”.

The two companies say they will “deeply integrate” Pony.ai’s “virtual driver” with SANY’s technical accumulation in the field of wire-controlled chassis and vehicle development to jointly develop high-end heavy trucks that are automotive-grade and have L4-class redundancies. These trucks will inaugurate the future of truck logistics transportation.

The joint venture plans to start small-scale deliveries of the robotrucks in 2022 and 2023. Mass production of the L4 truck will commence in 2024 and within a few years will reach an annual production of around 10,000 trucks. [Read more…] about Pony.ai and SANY to mass produce autonomous trucks

John Deere forms joint venture with GUSS Automation

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Farm machinery manufacturer John Deere has formed a joint venture with GUSS Automation, based in Kingsburg, California.

GUSS (Global Unmanned Spray System) is a pioneer in semi-autonomous orchard and vineyard sprayers.

High-value crops, such as orchards and vineyards, generate significantly higher value per acre than grains or oilseeds. [Read more…] about John Deere forms joint venture with GUSS Automation

Volvo, Daimler, and Traton partner to build high-performance charging network

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Europe’s three leading commercial vehicle manufacturers – Volvo Group, Daimler Truck, and Traton Group – have signed a binding agreement to create a joint venture to install and operate a high-performance public charging network for battery electric, heavy-duty long-haul trucks and coaches across Europe.

As previously publicised, the parties are committed to initiating and accelerating the necessary build-up of charging infrastructure for the increasing number of customers of electric vehicles in Europe and contribute to climate-neutral transportation in Europe by 2050.

The joint venture creation is subject to regulatory approvals. [Read more…] about Volvo, Daimler, and Traton partner to build high-performance charging network

A history of advanced driver assistance systems

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In its report, Autonomous Cars, Robotaxis & Sensors 2022–2042, IDTechEx predicts that SAE Level 3 autonomous features, such as traffic jam pilot, will emerge in 2022 and become common in vehicles by 2042.

How did IDTechEx predict this time scale? The answer lies in the historical adoption trends of advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) technologies.

Everyone is familiar with anti-lock brakes (ABS) and traction control; you would not have even thought to ask about them when purchasing your last car. [Read more…] about A history of advanced driver assistance systems