Robotics & Automation News

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Service robots

Panasonic tests its mobile robot vending service in Tokyo park

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Panasonic has been testing its “Pimto” mobile robot vending service, which uses remotely operated robots, for unmanned sales at a park in Tokyo.

The garden, located in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Environment.

With the number of visitors to Shinjuku Gyoen increasing, Panasonic sought to enhance the visitor experience while maintaining service quality by increasing opportunities to purchase products that convey the charm of Shinjuku Gyoen. [Read more…] about Panasonic tests its mobile robot vending service in Tokyo park

Pudu Robotics launches new industrial sweeper

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Pudu Robotics, a service robotics specialist, has unveiled its AI-powered robotic sweeper, the PUDU MT1.

Traditional cleaning in expansive settings like arenas, warehouses, and manufacturing plants is often labor-intensive and less efficient.

Available now for North and South American markets, and other regions around the world, the PUDU MT1 aims to revolutionize this with advanced technology, enhancing efficiency, reducing costs, and maintaining high cleanliness standards.

Designed for large-scale environments the PUDU MT1 can efficiently handle cleaning regions exceeding 100,000 square meters, leveraging sophisticated AI-driven features to handle the unique challenges of large environments with ease and accuracy. [Read more…] about Pudu Robotics launches new industrial sweeper

Brain Corp’s autonomous robot fleet reaches ‘250 billion square feet milestone’

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Brain Corp, a developer of software for robots, says its fleet of over 37,000 autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), powered by the BrainOS Robotics Platform, has now “autonomously covered more than 250 billion square feet of space globally”.

The vast majority of the robots which use BrainOS are industrial or commercial large floor cleaning machines (see main image), manufactured by other companies, such as Tennant and and SoftBank Robotics.

Brain Corp says the new milestone emphasizes the “global trend towards automation” as industries around the world increasingly move to intelligent robotic solutions to optimize operations and address rising workforce challenges. [Read more…] about Brain Corp’s autonomous robot fleet reaches ‘250 billion square feet milestone’

Richtech Robotics introduces ‘Scorpion’ service robot

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Richtech Robotics, a Nevada-based provider of AI-driven service robots, has launched Scorpion, its AI-powered, single-arm beverage service robot.

Providing customized drink recommendations based on preferences and mood, Scorpion leverages Nvidia AI technologies to support its cocktail and wine tasting programs.

Additionally, Richtech Robotics signed a distributor agreement with Park 34 Liquor Store, under which the distributor has agreed to sell a minimum of 500 Scorpion units over five years, followed by a minimum of 500 units per year annually. [Read more…] about Richtech Robotics introduces ‘Scorpion’ service robot

Google Might Be the First to Put Real AI in a Robot Body

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Robot technology is moving forward, thanks to heroic efforts by Boston Dynamics and various robot vacuum companies. But it seems like a gap is opening up between what chatbots like Gemini, Claude an ChatGPT can do, and the capabilities of physical machines. The former are writing symphonies while the latter are struggling to stumble across an empty room.

Incredibly, Google engineers foresaw this problem nearly a decade ago. Boffins believed that the invention of the transformer would assist with artificial cognition and improve language models, but they didn’t think it would translate easily into physical activity.

“This problem is currently dogging the household appliance sector,” says Vacuum Wars, a company that is always looking for the best robot vacuum on the market. [Read more…] about Google Might Be the First to Put Real AI in a Robot Body

Chipotle installs ‘cobotic’ avocado preparation prototype

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Chipotle Mexican Grill has unveiled “Autocado”, its avocado processing cobotic – collaborative robotic – prototype developed in partnership with Vebu that cuts, cores, and peels avocados before they are hand mashed to create the restaurant’s signature guacamole, and the Augmented Makeline, a cobotic makeline built in collaboration with Hyphen, are being tested in Chipotle restaurants for the first time.

Autocado is currently operating at Chipotle’s Huntington Beach, California location at 20972 Magnolia St and the Augmented Makeline is being utilized at the company’s Corona del Mar, California location at 3050 East Coast Highway.

Curt Garner, chief customer and technology officer, says: “These cobotic devices could help us build a stronger operational engine that delivers a great experience for our team members and our guests while maintaining Chipotle’s high culinary standards.

[Read more…] about Chipotle installs ‘cobotic’ avocado preparation prototype

Walmart installs drinks-making robot from Richtech Robotics

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Richtech Robotics, a Nevada-based provider of AI-driven service robots, has installed its advanced robotic beverage system, ADAM, at a One Kitchen in a Rockford, Illinois Walmart.

This milestone marks the second installation as part of a planned rollout across 240 One Kitchen locations in the US.

One Kitchen restaurants feature multiple national and local brands using a single kitchen. The Rockford Walmart will also have a Richtech Robotics’ Matradee L and DUST-E S installed. [Read more…] about Walmart installs drinks-making robot from Richtech Robotics

Service robots market growing ‘six times faster’ than industrial robots

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The service robot market has undergone major changes over the past years. AI and machine learning enabled the development of machines capable of performing a variety of tasks with greater accuracy and efficiency than ever before.

As a result, the entire sector has skyrocketed, growing much faster than the industrial robot market.

According to data presented by Altindex.com, the service robots market is expected to grow by 66 percent and reach a value of $55 billion by 2028, showing six times bigger growth than the industrial robots segment.

[Read more…] about Service robots market growing ‘six times faster’ than industrial robots

Picnic Works and Roboworx team up for national rollout of autonomous pizza stations

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Seattle-based Picnic Works, a developer of food production automation, and robot management company Roboworx have formed a strategic collaboration to facilitate the national rollout of Picnic’s fleet of autonomous Picnic Pizza Stations.

This partnership aims to enhance the efficiency and consistency of pizza production across numerous restaurant locations.

Founded in 2016, Picnic has been at the forefront of integrating technology with food service. The Picnic Pizza Station is designed to seamlessly fit into existing commercial kitchens, assembling 130+ pizzas per hour, depending on size, with precision and efficiency. [Read more…] about Picnic Works and Roboworx team up for national rollout of autonomous pizza stations

Pudu Robotics expands into industrial robotics market

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Pudu Robotics, a provider of service robotics, has launched its first robot designed expressly for industrial applications – the Pudu T300.

The Pudu T300 features superior maneuverability with an ability to navigate efficiently through the variety of narrow passageways commonly found in industrial facilities.

The Pudu T300 also includes “map-and-go” functionality that allows for immediate use without network connectivity, unlike many industrial robots that depend on extensive network setup. [Read more…] about Pudu Robotics expands into industrial robotics market