The next generation of robots could benefit from open-source software designed to take advantage of the latest compute hardware. NVIDIA Corp. and Open Robotics today announced two features in the Humble ROS 2 release intended to improve performance on platforms that offer hardware accelerators. “The Robot Operating System evolved in a CPU-only world, but newer SoC architectures with onboard hardware accelerators required us to make changes to maximize efficiencies,” said Gerard Andrews, senior product marketing manager for robotics at NVIDIA.…
This week, Universal Robots A/S announced that its collaborative robot arms will be displayed at more than 30 booths at the Automate 2022 trade show next month in Detroit. The Odense, Denmark-based company said it cobots provide new opportunities for manufacturers who are plagued by the inability to ramp up production that requires complex tungsten inert gas (TIG) or laser welding processes. It added that its robots are also useful for hard-to-staff tasks such as machine tending, dispensing, labeling, and…
Automotive parts maker Continental AG will present its autonomous mobile robots, or AMRs, for the international market at the LogiMAT 2022 trade show next week. Hanover, Germany-based Continental said its years of experience with robotics have helped it add mobile robots to its portfolio. “We are pleased to confirm that from now on, volume production of the AMRs has started in Continental’s Rheinböllen plant in Germany with the first external customer projects slated to be delivered,” said Pierre Pomper, head…
Locus Robotics Corp. today announced the the expansion of its relationship with Radial, a bpost group company. The e-commerce fulfillment provider will deploy Locus autonomous mobile robots, or AMRs, at its warehouse in Romeoville, Ill. The companies said the AMRs will support high-volume order fulfillment for SKIMS, a retail apparel brand. “This new deployment expands Radial’s ability to strategically scale to meet the growing needs of dynamic and growing customers like SKIMS,” stated Rick Faulk, CEO of Locus Robotics. “Locus'…
MassRobotics, a public-private nonprofit dedicated to growing Massachusetts' robotics ecosystem, is calling for nominations for its new annual award. It will be presented to a female researcher who has made substantial contributions to robotics. The name of the award is the Robotics Medal. Along with the recognition, the recipient will receive $50,000. The purpose of The Robotics Medal is to inspire and encourage women and other underrepresented groups to take part in shaping the future of the world through robotics,…
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HAI ROBOTICS announced today that will exhibit HAIPICK A42T, the company’s tallest autonomous case-handling robot, for the first time in Europe next week at the LogiMAT 2022 tradeshow in Stuttgart, Germany. Featuring a telescopic lift, the robot can reach a maximum picking height of 10 meters (32 ft.). It can descend as low as 0.28 m (11 in.) to pick totes and cartons stored on the bottom level of the shelf. The Shenzhen, China-based company will also display its HAIPORT…
Hyundai Motor Group, or HMG, today announced it plans to invest more than $10 billion in the U.S. by 2025. That’s above the $7.5 billion it announced last year, according to Reuters. The announcement came after U.S. President Joe Biden met with Euisun Chung, executive chair of Hyundai Motor Group, in Seoul, South Korea, on Sunday. “We have come a long way and become very successful in a short period of time, but we are also preparing for our future,”…
Automation is rapidly spreading in warehouses across the U.S. Today, Symbotic LLC announced that it will deploy its robotics and software in all 42 of Walmart Inc.'s regional distribution centers. This is an expansion of Walmart's prior agreement to deploy Symbotic's supply chain technology in 25 distribution centers. “The expanded partnership with Walmart substantiates how our technology is truly reinventing the traditional warehouse and distribution of consumer goods across the supply chain,” stated Rick Cohen, chairman, president, and chief product…
Sensible 4 Oy, which has been developing self-driving software to enable vehicles to operate in difficult weather conditions, said last week that it has received an €8 million ($8.4 million U.S.) loan from the European Investment Bank, or EIB. The company said it will use the funding to continue developing and marketing its technology. “We are excited that the EIB sees the potential in our technology and is financing us in this early stage,” said Harri Santamala, CEO of Sensible…
Businesses can integrate robots smartly and safely by investing in a robotics feasibility study. Adding this extra step can result in a higher return on investment and less time and money wasted on trial and error. Feasibility studies can be especially helpful if your team is new to robotics or lacks a dedicated expert. It is vital to invest in one early on to maximize the benefits of automation. When to do a robotics feasibility study The best time to…
Advanced motor technologies are helping improve tasks robots can perform, helping to make them stronger, nimbler, and more sustainable. Empowered with these enhancements, a new class of robots has begun to take on tasks in industries that haven’t typically taken advantage of automation. Market demand for compact, and energy efficient mobile robots continues to grow. At the same time, advances in automation manufacturing have helped improve today’s motors in multiple ways. Motors advancements bring more accuracy Greg Diek, product manager…
