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Otto Motors launches new self-driving vehicle for material handling

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Otto Motors, a division of Clearpath Robotics, has launched “Otto 750”, which it claims to be “the first self-driving vehicle for material handling with a payload of 750 kg”.

Otto 750 is a mid-range self-driving vehicle designed to move pallet-scale loads which would otherwise be manually moved by a pump truck or tugger.

Otto says the 750-kg payload is important because of how factories typically transport materials.  [Read more…] about Otto Motors launches new self-driving vehicle for material handling

InVia Robotics raises $20 million in funding for warehouse automation robots

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InVia Robotics, a provider of warehouse robots and automation solutions for e-commerce fulfillment centers, has raised $20 million in new funding.

The Series B round was led by Point72 Ventures and included investments from Upfront Ventures and Embark Ventures.

The funds will be used to boost the commercial deployment of inVia’s Picker robots and cloud-based robotics-as-a-service management system in warehouses as necessitated by the scaling e-commerce market.  [Read more…] about InVia Robotics raises $20 million in funding for warehouse automation robots

Geek Plus launches ‘world’s first’ interweaving sorting robot for warehouses

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Geek Plus Robotics has launched the latest version of what it claims is “the world’s first interweaving sorting robot” for warehouses, which could be an alternative to conveyor systems.

The robot – called S20 – looks similar to the typical autonomous mobile platforms which have become familiar in roboticised warehouses, but it has a small conveyor belt on top.

In a typical operation, a human warehouse worker could place an item on top of the robot, on the conveyor belt, and then the robot would navigate to the appropriate bin which may be on the other side of the facility, and then place the item in the appropriate bin. (See video below.) [Read more…] about Geek Plus launches ‘world’s first’ interweaving sorting robot for warehouses

Kindred AI launches warehouse robots already in use by ‘major retailers’

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A company called Kindred AI has launched a new range of warehouse robotics systems powered by artificial intelligence. 

In one system, Kindred appears to be using a Fanuc robot, and in another, an arm that looks like it’s from Universal Robots.

The company, which says it is building “human-like intelligence in machines”, says “major global retailers” have started pilot programs integrating Kindred Sort, the company’s first commercial offering, in their existing fulfillment centers.

Kindred also says it has raised $28 million in Series B funding led by Tencent, bringing the total amount raised to $44 million. Previous investors Eclipse Ventures and First Round Capital participated in the new round.  [Read more…] about Kindred AI launches warehouse robots already in use by ‘major retailers’