DETROIT—Automate 2023 could very well have been the Association for Advancing Automation's most-packed trade show yet. There were several interesting developments, including product launches, new collaborations, and insights into where robotics is heading in the next few years. More than 30,000 people registered for this year's event, with 757 exhibitors on the show floor, according to the Association for Advancing Automation (A3). Robotics 24/7 has rounded up the most interesting or impressive robots we saw at Automate. One notable trend is that industrial automation and collaborative robot arms are converging in capabilities, as cobots increase in size and industrial robot…
Late last month, Virtual Incision announced that its De Novo request for its MIRA surgical system for use in bowel resection procedures is under substantive review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA. MIRA stands for “miniaturized in vivo robotic assistant.” The company said in a press release that if its request is granted, MIRA “will be the first robotic-assisted surgery device to obtain marketing authorization through the De Novo pathway for use in bowel-resection procedures.” The company added the authorization would provide it the foundation it needs to gain approval for other procedures in the future. The…
As robot manufacturers develop their systems to work in tandem with humans, several regulatory bodies around the globe are working on making sure those vendors are building with safety in mind. From the International Organization for Standardization to the American National Standards Institute, experts regularly convene to outline what robot makers should consider when building their machines. That work is ongoing, and these organizations continue to make changes as technologies improve and robots begin to be used for more applications. Luckily, the groundwork has been laid, Aaron Prather, director of robotics and autonomous systems at ASTM International, a global standards…
Melonee Wise is Agility Robotics' new chief technology officer. Wise previously served as vice president and general manager of robotics automation at Zebra Technologies. She is the co-founder and former CEO of Fetch Robotics, which was acquired by Zebra in 2021. Wise is recognized as a pioneer in the robotics industry, particularly for her work in the autonomous mobile robot (AMR) space. In 2022, she was honored with an Engelberger Robotics Award, which is considered to be among the highest accomplishments in robotics. Wise will now help Corvallis, Ore.-based Agility Robotics improve Digit, its “multi-purpose” and “human-centric” robot. Specifically, she…
After going into stealth mode in late 2021, IAM Robotics is back with a new system aimed at increasing order-fulfillment productivity in warehouses and manufacturing facilities. The Pittsburgh-based company said its Meet Me system was designed to facilitate collaboration between workers and robots completing person-to-good tasks. The Meet Me system covers multiple steps. Using a wearable device attached to their wrists, workers are directed where to go in a facility and what items to pick. From there, a Lumabot autonomous mobile robot (AMR) meets the worker at the pick location; IAM Robotics' Pyxis workflow management software tells the associate how…
PITTSBURGH—For the past several months, CapSen Robotics has been gearing up for Automate, the Association for Advancing Automation's robotics trade show in Detroit. The Pittsburgh-based startup develops software for robot arms and has partnered with DENSO and Calvary Robotics to showcase its CapSen PiC System, which was designed to help customers program their robots to complete bin-picking tasks. “We do software for adding intelligence to robot arms,” Jared Glover, CapSen Robotics CEO and co-founder, told Robotics 24/7 during a recent visit to its headquarters. “We provide all the 3D vision software and the motion planning and control software to get…
If there is one thing Jenn Apicella values, it's partnerships. “I’m a passionate-partner person,” she said in a recent interview with Robotics 24/7. “You can only grow in this current world with strong business partnerships, and just great partners in your corner, whether those are the vendors you do business with or like-minded businesses that help you grow.” Apicella was recently named the interim executive director of the Pittsburgh Robotics Network (PRN), a role that was previously held by Joel Reed, the former CEO and president of IAM Robotics and a known robotics expert in the Pittsburgh area. Apicella previously…
A familiar face has been named the new interim executive director of the Pittsburgh Robotics Network, or PRN. Jenn Apicella, who previously served as vice president at PRN, will lead the organization following Joel Reed's announcement yesterday that he is stepping down to explore other opportunities in robotics. “I am excited to continue this important work of expanding opportunities for our robotics workforce, companies and ecosystem, allowing our region to directly influence the advancement, adoption and commercialization of robotics worldwide,” Apicella said in a statement. “The Pittsburgh region is an established leader, known around the globe for our excellence in…
