Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

platform

SVT Robotics launches new SoftBot platform

by

SVT Robotics, a software company, has launched its SoftBot Platform. The company says it allows companies to accelerate the implementation of robotics within their warehouses and manufacturing facilities “in a matter of days or weeks, rather than months or years”.

SVT says the SoftBot Platform launch makes it “an industry leader”, as they now provide the “only fully agnostic solution” for rapid integration between enterprise systems and industrial robotics and across automation technologies.

The innovative platform helps companies quickly adopt robotics into their manufacturing facilities or supply chains with fast, flexible and simple solutions that can easily be deployed without the need for custom code. [Read more…] about SVT Robotics launches new SoftBot platform

Locomation completes autonomous truck test involving three states

by

Locomation, a startup company providing autonomous trucking technology, has completed an on-road test that involved three different states in America.

The pilot program is intended to showcase autonomous trucking technology for the SmartBelt Coalition (SBC), a collaboration of five transportation agencies and seven research and academic institutions, located throughout Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania.

Over the course of one week, two Locomation trucks performed three separate interstate routes under close observation from representatives of all involved organizations. [Read more…] about Locomation completes autonomous truck test involving three states

Einride and Oatly reveal results of logistics test with electric trucks and freight mobility platform

by

Autonomous and electric truck developer Einride and large-scale drinks manufacturer Oatly have revealed the initial results of the two companies’ joint logistics operations.

Einride had integrated its vehicles into Oatly’s transport routes at its production sites and warehouses in the Swedish cities of Helsingborg, Landskrona, and Småland’s Tingsryd.

Oatly is one of the first companies in the world to operate a full fleet of Einride electric trucks daily, on-site. [Read more…] about Einride and Oatly reveal results of logistics test with electric trucks and freight mobility platform

Locomation integrates Nvidia chip into autonomous vehicle

by

Locomation, a provider of autonomous trucking technology, says it will use the Nvidia Drive AGX Orin autonomous vehicle computing platform for the commercialization of self-driving trucks starting in 2022.

Locomation’s first commercial product in a series of planned product rollouts is Autonomous Relay Convoy (ARCTM).

ARCTM allows one driver to pilot a lead truck equipped with technology augmentation while a fully autonomous follower truck operates in tandem. [Read more…] about Locomation integrates Nvidia chip into autonomous vehicle

Japanese construction giant Obayashi to integrate SafeAI technology to make its vehicles autonomous

by

SafeAI, a technology platform for autonomous heavy equipment, and Obayashi Corporation, a Japanese-based global leader in construction, have agreed a partnership to create autonomous construction sites, beginning with a pilot program on a US test site.

Joining with one of the largest names in construction, SafeAI is demonstrating industrial autonomy in a real world situation and setting a standard for future autonomous heavy equipment.

The news follows Obayashi’s strategic investment in SafeAI in November 2019. [Read more…] about Japanese construction giant Obayashi to integrate SafeAI technology to make its vehicles autonomous

Yaskawa and Phoenix Contact partner to develop new PLC platform

by

Yaskawa, a manufacturer of motion control, robotics, and variable speed drives, and Phoenix Contact, a manufacturer of automation solutions, have agreed a partnership to develop a new programmable logic controller platform.

The companies say they will utilize PLCnext Technology from Phoenix Contact in the development of the “next generation machine controller and PLC platform”, realizing the i3-Mechatronics solution concept lead by Yaskawa.

The common goal of both companies is to offer an open and future-proof ecosystem for industrial automation. In this context, Phoenix Contact has licensed its PLCnext runtime environment to Yaskawa and agrees on further joint developments. [Read more…] about Yaskawa and Phoenix Contact partner to develop new PLC platform

Nvidia claims its Jetson Nano is the ‘ultimate AI and robotics starter kit’


by

Chipmaking giant Nvidia has expanded its Jetson AI at the Edge platform with an entry-level developer kit priced at $59, opening the potential of AI and robotics to a new generation of students, educators and hobbyists.

The Jetson Nano 2GB Developer Kit is designed for teaching and learning AI by creating hands-on projects in such areas as robotics and intelligent IoT.

To support the effort, Nvidia also announced the availability of free online training and AI-certification programs, which will supplement the many open-source projects, how-tos and videos contributed by thousands of developers in the vibrant Jetson community. [Read more…] about Nvidia claims its Jetson Nano is the ‘ultimate AI and robotics starter kit’


Denso unveils new IoT platform to link 130 factories

by

Denso, one of the world’s largest automotive component manufacturers, has launched a Factory-IoT Platform that connects 130 production factories worldwide using information technology and the internet of things technologies, based on the concept of “as if under one roof.”

This is the first in-house development of a cloud-native platform using open-source-software in the automotive supplier industry. Cloud-Native refers to a system development method that uses open-source-software to cooperatively control multiple applications on the premise of operation in the cloud.

Open-source-software is free software that anyone can use. The newly developed platform stores data collected from a range of equipment at various production sites in a single cloud that can be used freely across Denso’s organization network. [Read more…] about Denso unveils new IoT platform to link 130 factories

SVV claims China’s first dedicated low-volume manufacturing facility

by

Product development and engineering company Shenzen Valley Ventures (SVV) says its​ new manufacturing facility in China is its “first tier-1 facility” in the country. (See 3D tour of the facility.)

Located on the 9th floor of a skyscraper, SVV says it is “the most impressionable manufacturing facility in the Greater Bay Area’s Shenzhen”.

The platform is designed solely to accommodate the low-volume production needs of complex business-to-business devices, something which other manufacturers are unable to support, at least at a tier-1 level.  [Read more…] about SVV claims China’s first dedicated low-volume manufacturing facility

Walmart considers buying TikTok in bid to tackle Amazon’s advertising dominance

by

Walmart is considering buying TikTok, the Chinese-owned app and social media platform. 

While it may not seem to make sense at first, the idea is part of Walmart’s restructuring as a more digital-oriented enterprise.

Walmart is by far the America’s largest retail chain, with more stores selling more stuff than anyone else – revenue for 2017 was more than $500 billion. The second largest, Costco, generated $130 billion in the same year, while Amazon’s were almost $120 billion. [Read more…] about Walmart considers buying TikTok in bid to tackle Amazon’s advertising dominance