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Surgical robotics startup Capstan Medical raises $110 million in new funding

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Capstan Medical, a developer of robotic enabled minimally invasive solutions to address heart valve disease, announced today its $110 million Series C to further advance its mission of bringing its innovative structural heart solution to patients.

The round was led by Eclipse, with participation from existing investors Yu Galaxy and Intuitive Ventures, and new investment from Gideon Strategic Partners.

Heart disease has remained the leading cause of death in America for over 100 years, claiming a life every 33 seconds. Today, there are more than 7 million people in the US with heart valve disease, a complex condition made up primarily of mitral and tricuspid valve disease. [Read more…] about Surgical robotics startup Capstan Medical raises $110 million in new funding

Simbe Robotics introduces ‘industry-first’ farm supply solution

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Simbe Robotics, the provider of in-store inventory robots and its proprietary Store Intelligence software, is expanding into farm supply with a partnership with Country Supplier.

After a successful proof of value, Country Supplier, a farm and ranch retailer with stores across Idaho, Utah, Nevada and Arizona, will install Simbe technology across additional locations.

Farm supply stores are vital to local communities, providing essential products that support daily operations for farms and local businesses. To meet seasonal demand, store shelves need to be well-stocked with the right products, at the right time, and at price points that customers expect. [Read more…] about Simbe Robotics introduces ‘industry-first’ farm supply solution

Robotics in Healthcare: From Surgical Assistants to Elderly Care

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Seeing technology as the most trending news topic has become routine for a long time now. However, with steady progress and developments made daily, the world is automating and finding new ways to innovate mundane ideas, be it in the health sector, education, finance, or manufacturing.

The intersection of robotics and healthcare is ushering in a new era of medical innovation, transforming how we approach patient care, surgical procedures, and elderly assistance. While healthcare robotics began as experimental tools, they have evolved into indispensable assets in the present day.

Early innovations only focused on simple automation. However, today’s systems integrate AI and precision engineering. This synergy enables robots to perform tasks once thought impossible. Let’s explore this in detail: [Read more…] about Robotics in Healthcare: From Surgical Assistants to Elderly Care

Opinion: Exploring the correlation between robotics utilisation and economic growth

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Here at RoboticsAndAutomationNews.com, we often wonder about the relationship between a nation’s reported economic growth and its utilisation of robotics and automation systems. We have a hunch that the more automated machines a country integrates into its economy, the more growth it experiences. We can’t say we prove this hunch in this article, but we think most readers will agree that it is an important correlation that deserves some investigation.

Economic growth sounds like a concept that’s easy to understand, but we don’t think it’s as straightforward as it seems. Each nation and region has its own way of calculating what is called “economic growth”, and there are countless gears turning to drive nations’ economies forward.

Among these, automation – robotics being a sub-set of automation – has emerged as one of the most powerful engines for transforming many previously small economies into global payers. Over the past few decades, while being derided for using cheap labour to gain an advantage – which undoubtedly has happened, countries like China, Japan, and South Korea have surfed the automation wave to reach remarkable economic heights. [Read more…] about Opinion: Exploring the correlation between robotics utilisation and economic growth

Virginia Tech innovates underwater robotics with support from the Office of Naval Research

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It’s been said that we know more about the surface of the moon than the floor of Earth’s oceans. For more than two decades, Virginia Tech’s Center for Marine Autonomy and Robotics has been developing robots that can find what lies beneath the sea surface with the support of the Office of Naval Research.

Bringing together faculty and students from the College of Engineering and the Virginia Tech National Security Institute, the center is developing advanced underwater robots and autonomy algorithms that enable them to operate intelligently without human oversight.

The research team recently was awarded two grants totaling more than $5 million to continue that mission. Two additional grant proposals, totaling about $2.4 million, have been selected by the agency and awards are in process. [Read more…] about Virginia Tech innovates underwater robotics with support from the Office of Naval Research

Locus Robotics and Geodis celebrate ‘10 million units picked’ at US distribution facility

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Locus Robotics, a warehouse automation company, working with its customer, Geodis, a global logistics provider, has surpassed 10 million units picked using Locus’s warehouse automation solution at its Carlisle, Pennsylvania, distribution center.

The companies say the milestone achievement further demonstrates the transformative impact of Locus warehouse automation technology on productivity, operational efficiency, and unmatched flexibility at an “unprecedented scale”.

Rick Faulk, CEO, Locus Robotics, says: “As a trusted collaborator for more than six years, Geodis is setting new standards for speed and efficiency within its facilities. [Read more…] about Locus Robotics and Geodis celebrate ‘10 million units picked’ at US distribution facility

Exotec expands pharmaceutical sector portfolio through partnerships with Hygie31 and Hartmann

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Exotec, a provider of warehouse automation and robotics solutions, has agreed partnerships with two new organisations in the pharmaceutical sector: Hygie31 and Hartmann Group. Both companies will adopt Exotec’s Skypod robotic system to automate warehouse processes and increase efficiency.

Hygie31, a major player in the healthcare industry has chosen Exotec to transform its pharmacy Dhygietal logistics platform, with the Skypod robots implemented at the company’s La Veuve warehouse.

The Exotec installation covers 1,500 sq m and comprises 38 Skypod robots, moving autonomously in all directions and up to 11 metres in height.

[Read more…] about Exotec expands pharmaceutical sector portfolio through partnerships with Hygie31 and Hartmann

Kuka establishes new software and digital business segment

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The long-established German-based automation company Kuka, which is known worldwide for its orange industrial robots and automation solutions, is expanding its software and digital operations, and establishing a new business unit called Kuka Digital.

The company’s goal is the end-to-end digitalization of a wide range of machines and systems in production, from the first 3D simulation to connectivity and data analysis through to the use of artificial intelligence.

Software is playing an increasingly important role in mechanical engineering. What used to be mostly solved mechanically is now done by electronics and the associated software.

[Read more…] about Kuka establishes new software and digital business segment

Opinion: Enhancing employee experience with robotics and automation at DHL

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By Sally Miller, global CIO, DHL Supply Chain

As the deployment of robotics and automated solutions accelerates, we are seeing supply chain and logistics operations transform.

Over time, initial concerns that robotics would replace the human workforce have gradually given way to a deeper understanding of how these technologies complement and enhance human roles.

The integration of robotics and automation into supply chains is proving to be a powerful tool which works alongside employees to drive efficiency while reducing manual strain and creating new career development opportunities.

[Read more…] about Opinion: Enhancing employee experience with robotics and automation at DHL

Relay Robotics calls for creation of SAE-style autonomy levels for indoor robots

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Relay Robotics – a provider of indoor robots mainly used in hotels and hospitals to deliver small items – is calling for the creation of a framework for indoor robots similar to that for autonomous road cars.

The SAE – short for Society of Automotive Engineers – released a guidance in 2014 which defined levels of autonomy in automotive vehicles from 0 to 5, and this has become the standard reference for the automotive industry.

Now, in a detailed article, two robotics experts at Relay Robotics – Sonali Deshpande, senior navigation engineer, and Jim Slater, robot systems architect – have outlined a set of definitions which the company hopes will help the wider industry develop such a framework for indoor robots.

[Read more…] about Relay Robotics calls for creation of SAE-style autonomy levels for indoor robots