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JTEKT subsidiary Koyo acquires Canadian assets of KSR International

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Acquisition ‘strengthens JTEKT’s global ECU development capabilities’, says company

Koyo Canada, a subsidiary of automotive technology company JTEKT, has acquired the assets of a Halifax, Nova Scotia research and development facility previously owned by KSR International, a Canadian company.

The acquisition strengthens JTEKT global engine control unit (ECU) development for vehicle steering and driveline products, and will set the foundation for further expansion of its global electrification capabilities and plans.

The new KCI Halifax R&D facility allows JTEKT to more efficiently respond to the expanding demands of autonomous driving support, steer-by-wire and high voltage systems. [Read more…] about JTEKT subsidiary Koyo acquires Canadian assets of KSR International

Micron launches robot design challenge

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Micron Technology, a provider of memory and storage solutions, has launched its UV Robot Design Challenge.

The company says the competition is designed to address the growing need for reliable, low-cost ultraviolet light robotic solutions that can help automate disinfection and potentially combat the spread of Covid-19 and other diseases.

UV germicidal irradiation has been shown to destroy the RNA in viruses and can help mitigate the transmission of microbes, which can remain active on surfaces for prolonged periods of time. [Read more…] about Micron launches robot design challenge

Automation is the ‘obvious answer’ to coronavirus disruption to e-grocery supply chain, says Swisslog

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Higher levels of automation is the “obvious answer” to the challenges brought about by the disruption to the e-grocery supply chain, according to warehouse robots maker Swisslog.

The company says Covid-19 is “accelerating changes to e-grocery fulfillment”.

After years of relatively stagnant demand, e-grocery services started to ramp up in 2019 and analysts were predicting significant growth in 2020. [Read more…] about Automation is the ‘obvious answer’ to coronavirus disruption to e-grocery supply chain, says Swisslog

Mitsubishi and NTT take 30 per cent stake in HERE Technologies

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HERE Technologies says Mitsubishi Corporation and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation have completed their joint acquisition of a 30 per cent ownership stake in the company, after receiving regulatory approvals.

HERE welcomes Mitsubishi and NTT as strategic investors. The two companies have co-invested in HERE via their recently established, jointly owned holding company COCO Tech Holding in the Netherlands.

As a result, HERE now has nine direct and indirect shareholders: Audi, Bosch, BMW Group, Continental, Intel Capital, Mitsubishi, Mercedes-Benz, NTT and Pioneer.​ [Read more…] about Mitsubishi and NTT take 30 per cent stake in HERE Technologies

Lumotive claims ‘industry-first’ LiDAR using liquid its Crystal Metasurfaces and CMOS manufacturing

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Lumotive, a developer of scalable solid-state LiDAR systems, has launched the first two in a series of 3D-sensing products that utilize its innovative Liquid Crystal Metasurfaces (LCMs) manufactured in CMOS semiconductor processes.

The company says the new systems are designed to meet performance, cost and size requirements across a range of industries.

With samples available in the fourth quarter of this year, the Lumotive X20 and Lumotive Z20 LiDAR systems target the automotive and industrial automation markets, respectively. [Read more…] about Lumotive claims ‘industry-first’ LiDAR using liquid its Crystal Metasurfaces and CMOS manufacturing

9,000 elephants: Heaviest things ever moved on land

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People travel all over the globe to see the many great wonders of our world, but does it ever cross your mind of how they got there in the first place?

Transporting impossibly large items has been a mechanical and logistical challenge for thousands of years, becoming even more tricky when shifting things overseas with ships.

Famous sites such as the Statue of Liberty were disassembled in Paris and then packed into 214 wooden crates and shipped across the Atlantic in 1885. [Read more…] about 9,000 elephants: Heaviest things ever moved on land

LG partners with Woowa Brothers to develop food delivery robots

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Electronics and household appliances giant LG is partnering with unicorn startup Woowa Brothers to develop food delivery robots.

The partnership will aim to produce mobile robots that can deliver food to people’s homes as well to the tables of customers at restaurants.

While LG is well known around the world, Woowa Brothers is a startup which achieved unicorn status – became worth more than $1 billion – when German company Delivery Hero acquired it for around $4 billion in January this year. [Read more…] about LG partners with Woowa Brothers to develop food delivery robots

Boston Dynamics canine robot Spot gets a job as a terrifying alien sheepdog

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Sheep are often herded using a real sheepdog, clever canines which run around directing the animals into a pen on a farm. 

But a clever software company is conducting a test by replacing the dog with Boston Dynamics’ terrifying canine robot, Spot.

New Zealand is at the very edge of human civilisation on Earth, and the sheep there probably see the robot as an alien. [Read more…] about Boston Dynamics canine robot Spot gets a job as a terrifying alien sheepdog

Tech giants and driverless cars: Racing against the automakers

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Modern tech conglomerate Amazon – whose interests range from online shopping, through computing devices such as the Kindle and Amazon Echo, to cloud computing and even space exploration – is in advanced talks to acquire self-driving startup Zoox, according to a report on the Financial Times website. 

It’s not the first time Amazon has shown interest in the automotive sector. The company was the lead investor in Aurora Innovation’s $530 million funding round last year.

Aurora is seen as a rival to Waymo, the driverless car company set up by Google, another tech giant. [Read more…] about Tech giants and driverless cars: Racing against the automakers

XPO Logistics expands last mile service in Spain to meet increase in online orders of large products

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XPO Logistics, a leading global provider of transportation and logistics solutions has expanded its last mile service for bulky and heavy goods in Spain, as consumers turn to e-commerce.

The company makes an estimated 4,500 daily deliveries to all parts of Spain through its national last mile network, with the highest demand in the regions of Madrid, Barcelona, Andalucía and Levante.

XPO launched its last mile service in Spain in 2018, providing consistent, nationwide home deliveries through 60 distribution sites linked by cutting-edge technology. [Read more…] about XPO Logistics expands last mile service in Spain to meet increase in online orders of large products