Where Innovation Meets Imagination
SSI Schaefer says it is expanding its development activity in the area of automated guided vehicles through an investment in DS Automation.
The company says it is doing this “in order to meet the increasing demand for AGVs”.
Schaefer is expanding its product portfolio through co-operation with, and investment in, the Austrian AGV specialist DS Automation. [Read more…] about Schaefer invests in DS Automation and expands AGV development
BASF has completed the acquisition of numerous businesses and assets from Bayer in a deal worth almost $9 billion.
BASF says it has purchased “a range of businesses and assets from Bayer”, including crop protection systems, and some digital assets.
The deal also enables BASF to enter new markets such as seeds, non-selective herbicides, and nematicide seed treatments. [Read more…] about BASF completes $9 billion acquisition of businesses and assets from Bayer
“Imagine a world with no car crashes,” says General Motors in a statement outlining the company’s vision of the driverless automotive culture of the future.
“Our self-driving vehicles aim to eliminate human driver error – the primary cause of 94 percent of crashes — leading to fewer injuries and fatalities.
“Imagine widespread use of electric-only vehicles, reducing vehicle emissions. Our self-driving vehicles will all be electric, contributing to a better environment. [Read more…] about General Motors outlines vision of self-driving vehicles of the future
The dynamics of racing — a human driver guiding a powerful machine to reach the finish line as fast as possible — haven’t changed much since the Goodwood Festival of Speed was founded a quarter century ago. Until now.
The Roborace Robocar, a futuristic vehicle designed for the new era of driverless transportation, became the first car to complete the Goodwood hillclimb without a human at the wheel.
The innovative race car, powered by the Nvidia Drive autonomous vehicle computing platform, wowed 55,000 spectators by navigating with ease around trees, hay bales and tight curves.
[Read more…] about Driverless race car becomes first to complete uphill event
The industrial sector is going through a time of rapid digitalization, with everything in the real world being recreated in the digital realm.
Everything from a component to a complete, complex system – even an entire factory with all the machinery inside – can now be designed, prototyped and built through a computer.
What’s more, you don’t even need the design software to be installed on your machine as there are cloud-based applications available on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Vention is an example of a relatively new online design-to-build service where users can design industrial equipment and have the company ship the parts to them – all within a day or two.
Collaborative robots were a big feature of the Hannover Messe trade show again in 2018.
Small, intelligent, sensitive, and self-learning: The ways in which robots can be used are increasing all the time.
And the level of acceptance is also rising – not least thanks to attractive prices and short return-on-investment times. [Read more…] about Kollmorgen servo motors provide boost for robotics start-up
Neural nirvana. Or ignorance is bliss. An opinion piece.
Theoretically speaking, computers can be programmed to mimic everything that a human says or does – or thinks. That might not be the reality now, but most people would probably accept that it’s only a matter of time before we see a fully-functioning humanoid robot, cyborg or android that is indistinguishable from the average human.
But even when they are able to copy us in every way, walking like us, talking like us, and so on, can they, in theory, become conscious?
One problem with answering that question properly is that not everyone agrees on the definition of consciousness. [Read more…] about Artificial intelligence versus natural stupidity: What will save us when the robots take over?
Manufacturers are concerned that skilled labor shortage could stymie innovation, finds LEK Consulting survey
Most US manufacturers agree that increased growth and investment opportunities are on the horizon, despite some of the uncertainties related to global trade.
But they say a major issue looms: Where are the skilled workers for the digital factories of the future?
In a recent survey of 200 decision-makers across seven manufacturing industries, global management consulting firm LEK Consulting found that four out of five US manufacturers are preparing for an increase in automation technology, with only 18 percent of companies saying they have minimal plans for automation. [Read more…] about Skills shortage could slow down the manufacturing sector, says report
The market for the heavy payload robotic arm is set to grow to $13.6 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Allied Market Research.
The research company says the large robots sector is currently worth around $10 billion.
If the forecast is accurate, it shows the staggering increase in demand for industrial robots of all types. [Read more…] about Heavy payload robotic arm market to grow to $14 billion by 2025
New research by the Max Planck Institute suggests it was ecological changes that ended the Neanderthals
Neanderthals have generally had a bad press since they were discovered more than a century ago.
Pictured as little more than apes, our closest human cousin has always been pictured as a stupid brute – almost twice our size and several times our strength – who failed to adapt to circumstances as cleverly as homo sapiens did.
One widely-taught example was that Neanderthals could not think ahead and, therefore, did not understand or perceive seasons and annual movements of animals, so did not plan for them. [Read more…] about Neanderthals may have had larger brains but environmental changes favoured homo sapiens
