Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

workers

Want to know how safe your warehouse job is? There’s an app for that

by

In 2017 there were nearly 350,000 incidents of workers taking sick leave due to injuries affecting muscles, nerves, ligaments or tendons – like carpal tunnel syndrome – according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Among the workers with the highest number of incidents: people who work in factories and warehouses.

Musculoskeletal disorders happen at work when people use awkward postures or perform repeated tasks. These behaviors generate strain on the body over time. So it’s important to point out and minimize risky behaviors to keep workers healthy on the job. [Read more…] about Want to know how safe your warehouse job is? There’s an app for that

Warehouse automation company Fetch Robotics raises $46 million in latest funding round

by

Fetch Robotics, a provider of warehouse automation technologies, has raised $46 million in its Series C round of funding.

The round was led by Fort Ross Ventures, with additional participation from CEAS Investments, Redwood Technologies, TransLink Capital and Zebra Ventures.

All existing investors – O’Reilly AlphaTech Ventures, Shasta Ventures, Softbank Capital and Sway Ventures – also participated in this round. [Read more…] about Warehouse automation company Fetch Robotics raises $46 million in latest funding round

Augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and smart glasses: ‘VIEW’ technology for the 2019 holiday season

by

By Seth Patin, founder and CEO, LogistiVIEW

Warehouse workers can be faster, safer, and more accurate this holiday season.

LogistiVIEW’s “Visual Input Enabled Wearable” (VIEW) technology improves workforce productivity and job satisfaction by making processes hands free and eyes focused.

Intuitive voice and visual instructions make work easy and training rapid. These benefits can all be accomplished in time for the 2019 holiday season thanks to LogistiVIEW’s Connected Worker Platform. [Read more…] about Augmented reality, artificial intelligence, and smart glasses: ‘VIEW’ technology for the 2019 holiday season

Taiwanese store employs robot to make and serve tea

by

A Taiwanese food and beverage store called Babo Arms is now using a collaborative robot from Universal Robots to make and serve tea.

Universal Robots’ UR5 unit was chosen by Babo Arms to “add a twist of modernity” into their production process.

Babo Arms were searching for an automated device to enhance operations and address the ongoing recruitment issue faced by the food and beverage industry. [Read more…] about Taiwanese store employs robot to make and serve tea

Exoskeleton market projected to grow to $6 billion

by

The current robotics limelight tends to focus on the ability of new innovations to automate tasks, but a less publicized development is taking place whereby passive exoskeletons have been slowly deployed and adopted to help augment the capability of human workers.

Exoskeleton popularization through passive suits will provide a base for increased resources for powered suits, which will eventually provide significant augmentative capability to the industrial workforce.

By 2028, global Exoskeleton revenues will reach $5 billion with hundreds of thousands of active exoskeletons being deployed, according to ABI Research. The research consultancy’s findings are on its report, Exoskeletons for Industrial Use Cases.

[Read more…] about Exoskeleton market projected to grow to $6 billion

Capturing Improved Productivity: Tugger Train Automation

by


By Andy Legut, FlexQube

Too often automation and robotics are characterized by sensors driving Industry 4.0 and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT).

There are ways to efficiently automate material flow and lean manufacturing principles today. It starts with automating into a fork truck free environment.

Ultimately the reason for automation is to capture improved productivity. Cesar Jimenez, a Toyota Material Handling, USA employee shared that a forklift can only carry up to two loads at a time.

[Read more…] about Capturing Improved Productivity: Tugger Train Automation

Honeywell unveils automated robotic unloader for distribution centres

by

Honeywell has announced a new automated robotic solution for unloading packages from truck trailers and shipping containers at distribution centres.

The robotic unloader uses artificial intelligence to operate fully autonomously inside of a trailer, which significantly reduces the manual effort required to operate receiving docks for retail merchandise and parcel distribution centres.

It drives into a trailer or container and uses machine vision to identify various package shapes and sizes as well as the optimal approach to unloading.

[Read more…] about Honeywell unveils automated robotic unloader for distribution centres

Veo Robotics could make all industrial robots collaborative

by

Traditional industrial robots tend to be very large and potentially dangerous, which is why they tend to be caged off and kept separate from human workers.

But a new company called Veo Robotics says it has the technology to transform traditional industrial robotic arms into safe machines that humans can work alongside, within close proximity.

Veo’s solution could make every industrial robot a collaborative robot. The term “collaborative” is recognized by international standards organizations and usually applies to much smaller, newer types of robots which are specifically designed to safe for humans to work with.  [Read more…] about Veo Robotics could make all industrial robots collaborative

NextShift Robotics receives patent for vertical lift capability in robotic picking

by

NextShift Robotics, a provider of autonomous mobile robot solutions for automated order fulfilment and warehouse materials management, has been granted a second patent, US10214354B2, “Method and System for Automated Transport of Items”.

The patent pertains to operating a robotic picking system in which the containers to be picked are positioned on the shelves and within picking stations.

The patent covers the ability of the robot to raise itself vertically to access shelving of different heights in order to pick the appropriate container from a range of shelf heights and storage system configurations.

[Read more…] about NextShift Robotics receives patent for vertical lift capability in robotic picking

American workers sleepwalking into automated obscurity, says new report

by

robot replaces human
Picture courtesy of Challenge Magazine

Despite an endless stream of stories in the media warning of humanity’s impending irrelevance in an automated future, it seems American workers remain rather blasé about the prospect of being automated out of existence in the workplace. 

New research by Randstad US contradicts many reports that American workers fear losing their job due to automation.

The 2017 Randstad Employer Brand Research found that only 14 percent of US employees worry that automation will take their job away, and nearly one-third (30 per cent) say they think automation will make their job better.  [Read more…] about American workers sleepwalking into automated obscurity, says new report