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Genesis and Demaurex to develop ‘next generation’ robotic systems

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Demaurex, a Swiss robotics company and pioneer of high speed pick and place robotics, and Genesis Robotics and Motion Technologies, an innovative start-up robotics company, have signed a joint development agreement to integrate Genesis Robotics’ revolutionary LiveDrive Direct-Drive Motors into Demaurex’s latest generation “delta robot systems”.

The JDA was signed at an exclusive signing ceremony at the Lausanne headquarters of Demaurex to begin what both companies hail as a milestone in the development of advanced robotics.

Demaurex engineered and industrialized the original Delta robot in 1988, based on a patent of Prof Reymond Clavel of the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, introducing high speed, vision guided product pick and place systems to the robotics market for the first time. [Read more…] about Genesis and Demaurex to develop ‘next generation’ robotic systems

White paper: Preparing Your Warehouse for Robots

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In this white paper, Preparing Your Warehouse for Robots, produced in association with Geek Plus Robotics, we look at the types of robotics and automation technologies available to warehouse managers and how they can prepare for the implementation of these technologies.

We can provide a brief answer right now to one of the first questions that many people ask about buying robots and increasing the level of automation in their warehouse: “Is it expensive?”

And that answer is, as ever, “It depends.” [Read more…] about White paper: Preparing Your Warehouse for Robots

Groupe PSA tests test vehicle-to-infrastructure communications in Spain

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For the first time in an urban environment, The Automotive Technology Centre of Galicia and Groupe PSA are testing the contribution that communication technologies can make to the development of automated vehicle functions.

The aim is to see how well vehicles can communicate with the surrounding infrastructure in a complex urban environment.

The tests carried out in Vigo related to: an automated valet parking system; autonomous driving in an urban environment; optimal speed regulation when approaching a traffic light; and protection of vulnerable users.

[Read more…] about Groupe PSA tests test vehicle-to-infrastructure communications in Spain

Continental launches series production of technologies for robo-taxis

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Continental’s technology for driverless vehicles will be in production for the first time in French company EasyMile’s EZ10 autonomous shuttle. Continental has held a stake in this driverless vehicle manufacturer since 2017.

Driverless robo-taxis will become an important part of mobility in urban centers, helping to reduce traffic congestion and increase efficiency, says the company.

Driverless transport systems of this kind are still rare. Small autonomous shuttle buses with room for several passengers – which also qualify as robo-taxis – have driven on short, straightforward public routes during pilot projects and in designated areas at airports, hospitals, universities, and exhibition grounds.

[Read more…] about Continental launches series production of technologies for robo-taxis

Innovation in industrial manufacturing taking many forms, finds Deloitte

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Not all types of innovation are created equal when it comes to the transformation taking place today in the industrial manufacturing sector.

A new report series, Innovation in Industrial Manufacturing, by Deloitte about innovation in industrial manufacturing shows that patent-based innovation – in both business process improvement and new product development – has become a key marker for how industrial companies are leveraging their research and development budgets to remain competitive in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

In the report series, Deloitte reviewed the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) filings and citations of 43 Fortune 100 industrial manufacturers, between 2006-2018, and found important insights into how companies are investing in R&D, how digital technology is developing in the sector – specifically “exponential technologies” such as 3D printing, blockchain, cybersecurity, IoT, and so on – and outlines “winning approaches” to innovation for manufacturers. [Read more…] about Innovation in industrial manufacturing taking many forms, finds Deloitte

Panasonic launches initiative to encourage ‘social integration of robots’

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Panasonic has launched an initiative to promote robot development via open co-creation. The “Robotics Hub” is the central axis of Panasonic’s quest to integrate robots into society in the near future.

Nine years ago, in 2010, the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO), one of the largest public research and development management organisations in Japan, released some very curious data.

In their future market projections of domestic robot turnout, they forecast a sharp expansion of robots in the services field by 2035. By “services field,” it is meant medical care, logistics, nursing and welfare, cleaning, security and so forth.

[Read more…] about Panasonic launches initiative to encourage ‘social integration of robots’

Raytheon and United Technologies aerospace businesses to merge

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Raytheon Company and United Technologies have entered into an agreement to combine in an all-stock merger of equals.

The transaction will create a premier systems provider with advanced technologies to address rapidly growing segments within aerospace and defence.

The merger of Raytheon, a leading defence company, and United Technologies, a leading aerospace company, comprised of Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney, will offer a complementary portfolio of platform-agnostic aerospace and defence technologies.

[Read more…] about Raytheon and United Technologies aerospace businesses to merge

Yamaha invests in drone tech startup Exyn

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Yamaha Motor Ventures & Laboratory Silicon Valley, the strategic business development and investment arm of Yamaha Motor, has participated in the $16 million Series A funding round for Exyn Technologies, a developer of autonomous aerial robotics for GPS-denied environments.

The investment is one of the first out of the $100 million Yamaha Motor Exploratory Fund established in 2018 and activated this year. The Exyn investment reflects YMVSV’s interest in developing innovation in the aviation sector.

George Kellerman, CEO and managing director of YMVSV, says: “Advanced aerial autonomy technologies have broad impacts across industry sectors, making Exyn Technologies a very attractive exploratory investment for us. [Read more…] about Yamaha invests in drone tech startup Exyn

Robert Bosch Venture Capital leads growth funding round in MegaRobo

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Robert Bosch Venture Capital, the corporate venture capital company of the Bosch Group, is leading a growth financing round in MegaRobo. 

The Chinese high-tech robotic company with over 100 employees is headquartered in Beijing and integrates cutting-edge machine vision and artificial intelligence (AI) to provide modular automation solutions for lab automation, smart retail and light industrial sectors.

“MegaRobo’s technology increases efficiency in production automation. Already today, robots from MegaRobo are used for special applications in the end-of-line production of household appliances at Bosch”, says RBVC managing director Dr Ingo Ramesohl.

[Read more…] about Robert Bosch Venture Capital leads growth funding round in MegaRobo

Nokia’s 5G factory recognised as ‘Advanced 4th Industrial Revolution Lighthouse’

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Nokia‘s 5G ‘factory of the future’ in Oulu, Finland has been selected by McKinsey and the World Economic Forum as an Advanced 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) Lighthouse, reflecting leadership and proven success in adopting and implementing 4IR technologies at scale.

Designed to showcase Industry 4.0 concepts for the manufacturing of Nokia 4G and 5G base stations, the Oulu factory uses Nokia’s private (4.9G/LTE) wireless networks for connectivity for all assets within and outside the factory, IoT analytics running on Edge cloud, and a real-time digital twin of operations data.

The factory, which produces 1,000 4G and 5G base stations per day, generated significant annual improvements, including more than 30 percent productivity gains, 50 percent savings in time of product delivery to market, and an annual cost savings of millions of euros.

[Read more…] about Nokia’s 5G factory recognised as ‘Advanced 4th Industrial Revolution Lighthouse’