Robotics & Automation News

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Husky UGV used for 3D mapping in Mars simulation

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The Austrian Space Forum (OeWF), in partnership with international research organisations including Oman Astronomical Society, conducted a four-week Mars simulation mission in the Arabian desert in Oman.

The study was to simulate a typical day on Mars. Tasks performed in the study included 3D mapping, minerology, evaluation of biological habitats, and preparation of food.

The Husky UGV from Clearpath Robotics, was used for 3D mapping of the Oman terrain and transportation in the simulated mission, with the help of a 260 degree scanner laser. Once the Husky mapped environments, it was able to identify potential hazards, move around and collect data for the astronauts.

Watch the video here

Fujitsu and INESA establish smart manufacturing joint venture in China

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A new joint venture, INESA Intelligent Technology, to provide services and a platform for smart manufacturing solutions in China has been set up by Fujitsu Limited, Fujitsu (China) Holdings, and INESA Group, a major state-owned company in China that provides smart city solutions.

Fujitsu and INESA began their collaboration in the smart manufacturing field in 2015, and expanded the scope of that collaboration in 2017, to a broad-based collaboration, including smart cities.

By linking the experience INESA has developed on the front lines of manufacturing for over 80 years with Fujitsu’s ICT technologies such as IoT, big data, and AI, this new venture aims to provide total solutions for the manufacturing industry in China, optimizing customers’ manufacturing processes, improving the efficiency of factories, and reducing costs through detailed manufacturing management.

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Large-scale battery to counter power outages launched

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Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. has developed a container-type large-scale energy storage system for instantaneous voltage drop countermeasures, and has released the developed system to the market in cooperation with Japan Facility Solutions, Inc., a 100％ subsidiary of Tepco Energy Partner, Inc.

The energy storage block of this system uses the olivine-type iron phosphate lithium-ion battery “Fortelion”, manufactured by Murata subsidiary Tohoku Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd., and is used in combination with an AC-DC converter made by Meidensha Corporation or Yamabishi Corporation.

Instantaneous voltage drop (a momentary drop in power system voltage) such as due to lightning strikes to power transmission lines may have a large impact, such as stopping production in factories.

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Japan Coast Guard expands unmanned Wave Glider fleet

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The Japan Coast Guard (JCG) has expanded its unmanned ocean observation fleet of Wave Gliders to the 9th Regional District, headquartered in Niigata, Japan, the fifth regional district to use them.

This unmanned ocean observation network provides real-time situational awareness of ocean currents, wave activity, and weather along Japan’s coastlines, and JCG publishes the environmental data free and in real-time to Japan’s commercial fisheries and tourism industries.

Wave Gliders, from Liquid Robotics, are environmentally safe and a more effective way to expand national ocean observation systems when compared to traditional methods such as ships, claims the company.

By utilizing a network of unmanned systems, JCG is able to provide access to continuous, real-time meteorological and oceanographic information from seas where monitoring ships often cannot operate and without putting personnel at risk.

 

Custom earbuds made possible with 3D

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Formlabs and 3Shape are partnering to create a full lifecycle for creating on-demand custom earbuds, with the Form 2 3D printer and Phoenix in-ear scanner.

The human body is one of the most custom and unique shapes, and the ear canal is no exception, a truly custom-fit earbud can provide long-term wear, comfort, stability, noise reduction and noise cancellation from the environment compared to current comfort headphones.

“We’re seeing 2018 as the year custom earbuds will be available to most consumers,” said Dávid Lakatos, chief product officer at Formlabs.

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3D printing gives design flexibility for bathroom manufacturer

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Kitchen and bath product maker Kallista has made a the spout of a tap produced using 3D Systems’ 3D printing materials and technology.

“Designers usually need to consider a manufacturing process and they have to design around that process,” said Bill McKeone, design studio manager, Kallista.

“3D Systems’ breadth of materials and technologies allowed us the freedom to create a unique, functional faucet (tap) which would not have been possible with a traditional manufacturing process.”

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New Scara robot from IAI

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IAI has released a new Scara robot, the IXA Series Scara, which the company says has much faster cycle times than previous models.

The robot is claimed to be low price, giving low vibration accurate positioning. It is equipped with a battery-less absolute encoder as standard.

The robot is suitable for applications such as high-speed transport to touch panel inspection boxes, high-speed parts assembly, and pick up and place of radiators and chips.

Honda Walking Assist Device approved for sale in the EU

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The Honda Walking Assist Device, an assistive device for use in the training and rehabilitation of walking, has obtained the Medical Devices Directive (Council Directive 93/42/EEC) certification, which enables Honda to commercialize the device within the European Union (EU) countries.

Conformity with EU standards (EU Directives) and affixing the CE marking on the product, a certification mark that indicates conformity with EU standards, are mandatory in order to distribute and sell the product in EU countries.

While continuing its research and development efforts since 1999, Honda began lease sales of the Honda Walking Assist Device in November 2015 to organizations and businesses in Japan as an assistive device for use in the training of walking.

As of today, the Honda Walking Assist Device is being used at approximately 250 facilities throughout Japan to assist training of walking and measure walking capability.

Baumüller to present intelligent automation solutions at Hannover

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Baumüller, the automation and innovative electric drive company, will present its wide range of Industry 4.0 solutions at the Hannover Messe from April 23-27, 2018.

Visitors to the stand (hall 14, stand H12) can find out about the design of new drive systems and the optimization of existing drive systems as well as current service concepts from the field of Industry 4.0.

The automation specialist equips entire machine modules, from the motor to the software, which can then be linked to each other via suitable interfaces or that can be integrated into existing systems.

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Kuka showcases innovative medical project at the 2018 European Robotics Forum

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Kuka is showcasing an innovative research project from the medical sector at the European Robotics Forum (ERF) in Tampere, Finland, this week.

Together with the University of Bremen and Chemnitz University of Technology, FACT Software and CAT Production, Kuka is presenting an application for the simulation of one of the most challenging steps during an operation: implanting an artificial hip.

Performing the operation in the virtual world with haptic feedback via the Kuka LBR iiwa lightweight robot is an important component in the training of future surgeons as well as in the planning stages prior to an operation.

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