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Aerotech says its ECO series linear stages offer ‘lowest cost of ownership’ in linear motion

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Aerotech says its ECO-LM and ECO-SL series linear stages combine high performance and rugged mechanical design in a cost-effective, economic package.

A comprehensive choice of direct-drive linear motor, rotary servomotor, or stepping motor versions is available across 44 models with travels from 50 mm to 800 mm, plus vacuum and cleanroom versions.

The ECO linear stage series builds upon Aerotech’s long tradition of producing low total cost of ownership motion designs.  [Read more…] about Aerotech says its ECO series linear stages offer ‘lowest cost of ownership’ in linear motion

Dynamic vision sensors and event cameras could reduce machine perception’s computing workload

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Rewired’s Santiago Tenorio and Jae Yong-Lee explain dynamic vision sensors and event cameras in this exclusive interview

Just about every machine that moves requires some sort of sensing technology which informs it of its exact location and its position within its environment and its proximity to other objects within that environment. 

One of the most well-known computational solutions for such sensing systems is called “simultaneous localisation and mapping”, or SLAM, which can be found in things like robotic vacuum cleaners, warehouse robots and other moving vehicles.

In recent years, another technology called “light detection and ranging”, or LiDAR, has also received much attention because it seems to be popular with automakers.  [Read more…] about Dynamic vision sensors and event cameras could reduce machine perception’s computing workload

Nasa puts Puerto Rico on the road to helping search for aliens

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Nasa has apparently put Puerto Rico on the path to possibly providing assistance to the space agency in its never-ending search for alien life in the universe. 

Puerto Rico’s scientists and residents may be able to help Nasa make contact with aliens, and the space agency’s decision to choose the Caribbean island to host the Technology Infusion Road Tour in 2019 is highly likely to help in that ultimate goal.

Puerto Rican scientists claim Nasa’s only purpose with the decision to hold the conference on the picturesque island is to “contribute to the strengthening of the country’s aeronautical and aerospace industry”.  [Read more…] about Nasa puts Puerto Rico on the road to helping search for aliens

Omron Automation to showcase of automotive manufacturing solutions at WCX 2018

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Omron Automation, a global leader in technology solutions with a social focus, will demo its wide-ranging innovations in robotics, sensing, control, safety, vision and more at the SAE World Congress Experience (WCX) this coming April.

The automotive-focused event is the ideal place for Omron to showcase the engineering breakthroughs that have made it a globally trusted partner in mobility and factory automation.

Thanks to its highly flexible robotics, data connectivity and vision portfolio, Omron is the industry leader when it comes to building the automotive factory of the future.  [Read more…] about Omron Automation to showcase of automotive manufacturing solutions at WCX 2018

Marjorie Prime: Virtual relatives provide comfort from the afterlife

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A couple of years ago, a computer game called Pokémon Go!, which could be played on smartphones, became so popular worldwide that it was said to have crashed the Google servers it was running on. 

People everywhere were peering into their smartphones – not that they needed any additional encouragement to do that – and seeing the world through their cameras, except the world through the smartphone screen was augmented with images of the little critter from Pokémon Go!.

The game involved finding the small, dinosaur-like critter here, there and everywhere. I don’t know what the prize was for finding them, but it seems millions of people were looking for them worldwide.  [Read more…] about Marjorie Prime: Virtual relatives provide comfort from the afterlife

Exclusive interview: Sarcos Robotics aims to augment human strengths

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Exclusive interview with Ben Wolff, CEO of Sarcos Robotics

Hollywood actress Sigourney Weaver is most famous for two things: one is making vests popular and the other is having an epic dust-up with a massive alien on the deck of a spaceship, toe to toe, mano-a-mano, or womano-a-womano, or womano-a-alieno, or whatever. 

In space, no one can hear you mangle the Spanish language.

The vest is of less interest to this website, but the battle suit Weaver wore to take on what is arguably the most terrifying alien in cinematic history is of great interest because it was an exoskeleton, although most people probably didn’t know what it was called at the time.

The film was, of course, Aliens, released in 1986, and in donning the exoskeleton, Weaver instantly acquired what seemed like hundreds of times her natural body strength.  [Read more…] about Exclusive interview: Sarcos Robotics aims to augment human strengths

Robot density rises globally, South Korea ahead

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The automation of production is accelerating around the world: 74 robot units per 10,000 employees is the new average of global robot density in the manufacturing industries (2015: 66 units). By regions, the average robot density in Europe is 99 units, in the Americas 84 and in Asia 63 units.

The top 10 most automated countries in the world are: South Korea, Singapore, Germany, Japan, Sweden, Denmark, USA, Italy, Belgium and Taiwan, according to the 2017 World Robot Statistics, issued by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).

“Robot density is an excellent standard for comparison in order to take into account the differences in the automation degree of the manufacturing industry in various countries,” says Junji Tsuda, President of the International Federation of Robotics.

[Read more…] about Robot density rises globally, South Korea ahead

At the centre of events worldwide

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Since RoboticsAndAutomationNews.com was launched a couple of years ago, we’ve learned a lot. 

One of the things we’ve learned is that there are many interesting trade shows around the world related to the industries we cover.

The technologies within robotics and automation are present in just about every industry and business sector on Earth, so our content could be highly diverse, but we tend to concentrate on manufacturing and logistics, although not exclusively – we do take a look at other areas part of the time.  [Read more…] about At the centre of events worldwide

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?

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Android apocalypse
Do androids walk among us today? Do we know? Do the androids know they are androids? If they look like us, live like us, and are made of flesh and bone just like humans, how can we tell them apart from us?

We’re all gonna die. That’s a fact. But some of us refuse to accept it. From Dr James Bedford, who became the first person to be cryogenically frozen in 1967, to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton, who also want to be cryogenically frozen upon their passing through this world onto the next, there are many famous and non-famous people who simply refuse to accept that death is the end of their life.

For an increasing number of people, leaving a last will and testament, or a video, or a message stored with a company like Heavenote, is simply not enough. They don’t want to leave anything, least of all life itself. They want to cling on, no matter how tenuous their connection.

And who can blame them? Nobody wants to die. It’s this primaeval drive to avoid death that, arguably, gave rise to some of the world’s largest religions. Christianity and Islam both offer clearly articulated visions of life after death, although Judaism is less clear about what lies beyond this “mortal coil”, as William Shakespeare called it.  [Read more…] about Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?

Got Issuu? Read ‘Sensor Readings’ magazine now on all devices

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Now you can read our monthly digital magazine Sensor Readings on all types of devices – desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone. 

For the best experience, we think an app like Issuu is well worth installing on your mobile device. The Issuu app is free and we think it’s a very beautiful interface.

But you don’t have to download the Issuu app – you can read the magazine online through your browser.

Here’s the link to the latest edition: https://goo.gl/Eu7QXr

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