End-user
It could be said that robots are only as good as the tools they have installed. Whether it's moving pieces of food or lugging around crates of toiletries or other goods, robots need to be fast and efficient. They also must provide a strong return on investment. Warehouse and manufacturing facility operators are always on the hunt to improve their supply chain processes. End-of-arm tools (EOAT) allow robots to have better control, accuracy, and precision, enabling autonomous systems to have more capabilities. There are a wide range of robot arm tools, including grippers, collision sensors, and welding torches. Materials handling…
Engineer
End-user
Design
Robotics companies are increasingly designing robots to work in more and more industries. Delivery robots bring food to hungry customers. Robot arms are used in factories for pick-and-place tasks. And mobile robots move around warehouses receiving and delivering items to workers. Companies are designing robots to complete specific tasks. Austin, Texas-based Apptronik is one of several companies designing general-purpose humanoid robots it hopes will be capable of completing a whole swath of them. Apptronik last week raised $14.6 million in seed round funding. It said it will use the money to fulfill customer orders and accelerate “the commercialization of one…
The collaborative robot, or cobot, market has exploded in the past decade, as more manufacturers and customers alike realize the benefits of the robot type. Designed with safety and human collaboration in mind, cobots don't need to be caged in their own work cell. Cobot applications are vast, ranging from materials handling, quality inspection, welding, and even food preparation and serving. In 2020, the global collaborative robot market was sized at $668 million, according to Mordor Intelligence. It is expected to reach $1.8 billion by 2026, according to the research firm. Future Market Insights estimated that the market will reach…
Engineer
Soft Robotics Inc. has learned a lot in the years it has spent primarily focused on automation in food processing. The Bedford, Mass.-based company makes grippers and high-speed 3D vision software using artificial intelligence. Harley Green, director of business development at Soft Robotics, said the company initially took more of a “shotgun approach” and tried to go after the automotive and pharmaceutical industries. For many businesses, however, the price-to-value proposition didn’t exactly add up, he said. Soft Robotics expands from food to logistics Soft Robotics realized that its best bet was to start with the food-processing market. The company sells…
DETROIT—Last week at the Automate 2022 trade show and conference here, Covision Quality was awarded the $10,000 top prize in “The Cowen Startup Challenge: Automate to Outperform” competition. South Tyrol, Italy-based Covision Quality makes software using machine learning and computer vision that scales and automates “visual inspection and defect inspection on metals and plastics,” according to its website. The startup is a spin-off of Covision Lab, which is backed by seven multinational technology companies, including Durst, Microtec, alupress, TTControl Hydac International, Microgate, Mirco Photon Devices, and Barbieri. Covision Quality said its customers include manufacturers in the “downstream industry,” including GKN…
At MARCo Technologies LLC, CEO Jacob Boyle and his team are using artificial intelligence and robotics to increase access to mental health treatments. The Newark, N.J.-based company’s flagship product is a plush humanoid service robot named MARCo. People can interact with the robot in several ways designed to, among other things, brighten their mood, reduce their anxiety, and clear their heads. Robot to give users more control of their mental health The robot companion was programmed with what Boyle calls “five objectives of care.” Those include companionship, guided meditation and relaxation, talk support, biofeedback, and high-alert outreach. “Mental health is…
Jack Morrison, Davis Foster, and Isaac Roberts are trying their hand at disrupting the landscape industry with the M.52, their autonomous lawn mower. Together, the trio make up the leadership team of Scythe Robotics, a Boulder, Colo.-based automation company they founded in 2018. Morrison serves as CEO, Foster works as hardware lead, and Roberts works as chief operating officer. Morrison was inspired to make the M.52 while mowing his lawn one day. “It sort of clicked for me,” he said. “’Why am I still doing this? Why are people still doing this? This seems like a perfect application for autonomy.…