Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.45
…Reshoring and nearshoring After trade conflicts with China, the COVID-19 pandemic, and other supply chain challenges, the U.S. and other countries have encouraged the production of automobiles, processors, and other goods closer to home. The CHIPS Act and Build Back Better Act have directed federal funds to reshoring for the computer and infrastructure industries, respectively. More than half of U.S. manufacturing CEOs said they intended to reshore some production, found a survey conducted by Xometry with Forbes and polling firm John Zogby Strategies. At the same time, “nearshoring” efforts will also add automation and jobs. “In fact, we're more likely…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.42
…staffers have come under tremendous stress, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. German Bionic today officially introduced its Apogee+ powered exoskeleton to the North American healthcare market. The company said it designed the technology as a “personal lift assist.” “With its full range of features, our new Apogee+ power suit is designed to help ease the extremely demanding working conditions in these system-critical professions, making the jobs safer and more sustainable,” said Armin G. Schmidt, founder and CEO of German Bionic, in a release. “Based on our early success in the European market, we firmly believe that our smart companions will…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.58
…purchasing efficiencies and manage supply pipelines, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the adoption of robotics at the distribution center, the order-picking process involved team members pushing carts weighing nearly 300 lb. up and down each aisle, guided by voice technology through headsets. While software already helped make picking routes efficient, the heavy carts limited speed and made the picking process physically taxing for team members, explained Celiberti. BISC benefits from collaborative mobile robots With its newly implemented process, the days of team members pushing heavy carts across the warehouse are gone, said BayCare. The robots are being deployed in…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.32
…billion in fiscal year 2022, began to answer before COVID-19. That’s when it launched the reinvention of the supply chain that largely supports the Macy’s brands. One metric for the company is the “inventory productivity,” according to Dennis Mullahy, chief supply officer at Macy's. “If I can generate the same amount of sales with the least number of inventory receipts and fewer moves, I can maximize inventory productivity,” he said. Macy's strategy demonstrates that supply chain innovation can have a positive impact on an organization’s bottom line. In its financial report for the fourth quarter of 2022, Adrian Mitchell, Macy’s…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.22
…have sent people who walked on the moon. The COVID-19 pandemic led to an unexpected reduction in the budgets allocated by many countries for space programs in 2021, but the reduction wasn’t very significant for any of them. Click on image to enlarge. Source: Euroconsult Still, the opportunities for space robotics to grow are huge. In fact, the market for space robotics could grow from $3.16 billion in 2023 to $4.75 billion in 2027, according to a report by Stratview Research. Due to factors both economic and experiential, not many private-sector players have made significant progress in this field. Even…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.35
From trade conflicts and the COVID-19 pandemic to chronic labor shortages, supply chains have been under stress for the past few years. CloudSort Corp. claimed that it has “reimagined” how to move packaged goods, starting with the middle mile between distribution centers and warehouses. The Seattle-based company said its cloud-based network can optimize shipping operations through its partnerships with carriers and warehouses to sort cargo and increase its density, as well as more efficiently use warehouse space. Founded in 2019, CloudSort said it challenges the conventional “hub and spoke” transportation model, which is expensive to build and maintain and closed…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.45
…long been a concern for older adults, but the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the epidemic of isolation, according to a recent advisory from the U.S. Surgeon General. Over the past year, the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) and Intuition Robotics have provided ElliQ to more than 800 New Yorkers to determine the efficacy of artificial intelligence in providing companionship to older adults. The goal was to combat loneliness, foster engagement, improve health and wellness, and support aging in place. ElliQ engages older adults Intuition Robotics said it has designed ElliQ to be “a proactive care companion for older…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.43
…their industrial computing technology and AMR software, respectively. The COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing labor shortages have created a surge in demand for mobile robots, which offer operational efficiency and flexibility, noted MOV.AI. AMR shipments increased by 53% in 2022 and could grow at an annual rate of about 50% through 2027, resulting in a total of 4 million installed units, according to Interact Analysis. In addition, the analyst firm predicted that revenue could grow by 30% to 40% annually between 2022 and 2027. With only 14% of warehouses having adopted at least one order-fulfillment AMR as of 2021, “the potential…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.19
…their operations. “Demand is not down,” Koffarnus said. “The [COVID-19] pandemic, if anything, increased demand to a new level. We still need to move the same amount of goods with less labor, and you have to rely on technology to be able to do that. There’s no other way to do it.” Augmenting labor top of mind for food and bev The food and beverage market is growing fast. In the “Food and Beverages Global Market Report 2023,” The Business Research Co. said it expects it to reach to $9.23 billion by 2027. To keep up with this demand, deliver…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.24
…full employment. The trillions injected into the economy during COVID-19 led to an inflationary effect, which could become intrinsic, but the central banks will have to see. Was Shopify's sale of mobile robot company 6 River Systems to Ocado (itself said to be up for purchase by Amazon.com) a sign of weakness in certain segments? Sharma: Supply chain issues were a big problem during the pandemic, as well as high demand from consumers. Home delivery had become critical, and then there were shortages on the worker side. You'd think that supply chains and warehousing would already be automated, but at…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.32
While the COVID-19 pandemic increased interest in robots for disinfection and social distancing, robots also promise to help shorthanded hospital staffs diagnose patients while reducing the spread of pathogens. Touchlab yesterday said that a hospital in Finland is using its Välkky system, which is designed to give remote clinicians a sense of touch. “In the past, telerobots have been limited to being able to see, hear, and speak on behalf of the people using them,” stated Dr. Zaki Hussein, CEO of Touchlab. “Now, thanks to our innovative e-skin technology, robots like Välkky can ‘feel’ too—and not only on their fingertips.”…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.23
…advice We've seen macroeconomic headwinds including trade conflicts, the COVID-19 pandemic, labor shortages, and now inflation and less-available venture capital. How can startups proceed? Singh: We invest for long-term trends, but they have to be mindful of the need to raise money every 18 to 24 months. We continue to look for new approaches and make investments, but we need to make sure there's demonstrable success in the short term. It's harder to raise money for people already in the middle of it. Their companies might have raised funding four to six years ago but didn't have technical proof or…