Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Abdul Montaqim

Robotic concierge: Exclusive interview with Savioke boss

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Just ahead of appearing at the Consumer Electronics Show, Steve Cousins, CEO of Savioke gives Robotics and Automation News an exclusive interview

Some months ago, just after we started this website, we published a story about a new robotic concierge for hotels, launched by Savioke.

The company calls the robot “Relay”, although its buyers often give it nicknames – Dash, Botlr, and Wally are just some examples. 

Relay is not really a concierge – we just like that word… concierge… makes our website sound sophisticated. But anyway, the robot is smart enough to navigate its way within complex hotel interiors, with all their zig-zagging corridors and winding hallways, as well as their lifts with the slight gaps and uneven surfaces at the entrances.

These navigational challenges would of course not be a problem for most humans – we wouldn’t even think about them. Most of us are fortunate enough to be able to get around in hotels or in any other buildings quite easily – all the manoeuvring involved doesn’t present any difficulty, no matter how complex it may be.  [Read more…] about Robotic concierge: Exclusive interview with Savioke boss

Collaborations with technology providers offer European automakers new growth opportunities

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adas lane departure

Future business models must be based on individuality, as vehicles become the new living space, argues Frost & Sullivan’s mobility team

Improvements in advanced driver assistance system sensors are driving automation features in original equipment manufacturer vehicles, according to a new report by Frost & Sullivan.

By collaborating with leading technology providers in the autonomous driving space, OEMs have an opportunity to transform into mobility service providers and introduce levels 4 and 5 autonomous cars earlier than expected, says the business consultancy.

With several suppliers already at work on over-the-air upgrades, the adoption of this feature is expected before 2025, even for conventional cars.  [Read more…] about Collaborations with technology providers offer European automakers new growth opportunities

Robotics: The Bay Area and beyond

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san francisco golden gate bridge

By Thomas R. Cutler

While Silicon Valley is renowned for software and design prowess. The Bay Area’s four largest cities – San Francisco, San Jose, Fremont and Oakland – are teaming up to foster today’s manufacturing revival and create more entry-level and middle-class jobs.

Together, these Bay Area cities boast a robust manufacturing sector, sustaining nearly 108,500 jobs across 3,200 manufacturing companies – outpacing both the U.S. and California – and driving more than $55 billion into California’s economy.

In collaboration with nonprofit SFMade, these cities surveyed local manufacturing companies to find out what is most important for the industry; they created the first-ever Bay Area State of Urban Manufacturing Report.  [Read more…] about Robotics: The Bay Area and beyond

Manufacturing: Benefits of universal peripherals

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Benefits of using peripherals
Even drives with onboard brake choppers are not rated sufficiently for the braking demand of the application

John Mitchell, global business development manager of maintenance and repair specialist CP Automation, discusses the benefits of using a universal brake chopper that works with any inverter

There is a real danger in the specification of inverters for use in heavy-duty applications. Fresh from the manufacturer, most drives – even ones with onboard brake choppers – are not rated sufficiently for the braking demand of the application.

Non-specialist engineers face an extremely complex task when asked to choose the correct inverter, resistor and brake-chopper combination for a project.

To help counteract this problem, CP Automation recommends using an external brake chopper unit that simplifies the process of inverter selection. Where an inverter doesn’t feature a built-in brake chopper, the new CP Automation unit, manufactured to the highest standards, supplies that functionality. It’s a universal model that works with any inverter, from any manufacturer.  [Read more…] about Manufacturing: Benefits of universal peripherals

Robotics and Automation News chosen as Hannover Messe media partner

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US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the opening ceremony of Hannover Messe
US President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel at Hannover Messe

After the tremendous success of Hannover Messe 2016, for which the United States was the official partner country, the profile of German and European industry has reached new heights.

Both the leaders of the US – President Barack Obama – and Germany – Chancellor Angela Merkel – were special guests at last year’s event, which was the most well-attended ever.

This year, Hannover Messe will be even bigger. As well as growing in popularity, the event will now combine CeMAT, the trade show for the logistics industry.  [Read more…] about Robotics and Automation News chosen as Hannover Messe media partner

Industrial automation market forecast to grow to more than $350 billion by 2024

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The global market for industrial automation will grow to beyond $350 billion by 2024, according to a new report.

The European share of the global market will reach 30 per cent, says the study by  Transparency Market Research.

Transparency Market Research adds that the global industrial automation market is highly fragmented due to the presence of several players in the market. The top four players with a strong foothold in the global market held a share of 12.2 per cent in 2015.  [Read more…] about Industrial automation market forecast to grow to more than $350 billion by 2024

Robomotion and Sotec demonstrate cloud-connected Kuka industrial robot work cell

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kuka sotec robomotion
The first KR 3 Agilus is handed over to Dr Andreas Wolf, of Robomotion (second from left) and Florian Holz, of Sotec (third from left)

Industrial robotics and automation solutions provider Robomotion and software company Sotec have demonstrated a robotic work cell which they built around the Kuka KR Agilus robot.

The companies claim the cell is an example of “hands-on Industrie 4.0”.

The KR 3 Agilus is at the heart of the demo cell developed by Robomotion and Sotec, and the companies say the cell “demonstrates how the flow of data between robots and the cloud can work”.

Florian Holz, CEO of Sotec, says: “We want to give people an opportunity to experience the technology of Industrie 4.0 that we developed together at first hand.”  [Read more…] about Robomotion and Sotec demonstrate cloud-connected Kuka industrial robot work cell

There will be data: Exclusive interview with Honeywell UOP cloud boss

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The oil and gas industry is the lifeblood and oxygen of the modern world. It produces the stuff that powers the power stations, providing the energy on which we all depend if we live in a country with even a moderate infrastructure. 

Much as we’d all like to live on fresh air, and run our iMachines on the light that shines in through our windows, the harsh reality is that the dirty and dangerous business of fossil fuels is still the biggest generator of energy in the world today.

No developed or developing economy on Earth can do without oil and gas, and no oil and gas plant can do without systems to prevent downtime. Every second of unscheduled downtime can cost the oil and gas company millions of dollars. Not only that, the secondary effects on all the businesses connected to the oil and gas company’s supply lines – which basically permeate the whole of society – could be devastating to a nation’s economy and wellbeing if those seconds turn into minutes, hours or days.  [Read more…] about There will be data: Exclusive interview with Honeywell UOP cloud boss

Connecting revolutions: Exclusive interview with Stäubli Robotics automotive boss

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A range of Stäubli robots
A range of Stäubli robots

Stäubli is one of the first industrial automation companies, having been established all the way back in the late-1800s and quickly developing what was then advanced technology for the weaving industry before the century was out. The company even owns Jacquard machines, Jacquard being the pioneering manufacturer of looms that defined the original Industrial Revolution – and the inventor of punched cards to control machines, from which flowed computer programming principles. 

Then in the early 1980s, Stäubli bought the Unimation business from Westinghouse, Unimation being the company which developed the first industrial robot arm, the Unimate.

Today, Stäubli is still one of world’s largest industrial robotics and automation companies, and its product manager in the US is Paul Deady.  [Read more…] about Connecting revolutions: Exclusive interview with Stäubli Robotics automotive boss

‘Hong Kong’s angry youth can find hope in innovation and entrepreneurship’

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hong kong harbour

By Edward Tse, Gao Feng Advisory

It is no understatement to say that, over the past several years, Hong Kong’s youth have displayed increasing frustration.

What’s behind this? There is probably no single reason, but rather a variety of political, social and economic factors.

Hong Kong’s young people today live in a city that is very different from the one their parents grew up in. Hong Kong in the 1970s and 1980s was tough, but the city was growing and there were plenty of opportunities for young people. There was potential for upward mobility and young people working hard could build a better life for themselves.  [Read more…] about ‘Hong Kong’s angry youth can find hope in innovation and entrepreneurship’