Found in
The end-to-end supply chain is a critical part of today's globally competitive enterprise. Shipments get sorted, packaged, and loaded for delivery, ultimately making their way to customers. Within these processes, there are many moving parts, and robots can improve the efficiency of many of these functions. Whether they work alongside people or relieve them to do other value-added tasks, tireless…
Found in
Additive manufacturing is widely considered an intrinsic part of the factory of the future. The technology has developed alongside progress in robotics, with interest in manufacturing innovation leading to new methods of production. Metaphorically, it is the bloom of a new machine. Additive manufacturing, or AM, represents only 1% of manufacturing so far, according to research conducted by SmarTech Publishing.…
Found in
Automation anxiety is an undercurrent of modern labor. Will a robot take over and run me right out of a job? When it comes to metalworking, robotics is supplementing labor without displacing it. In fact, highly skilled workers can supervise robots that are safe, fast, and efficient. The U.S. will have a shortage of 400,000 welders by 2024, predicts the…
Found in
Last week, local news outlets reported new Amazon.com Inc. distribution and fulfillment centers in Shreveport, La., and Savannah, Ga. The Seattle-based company has continued to open such facilities across the U.S. as e-commerce demand rises, and it said that each one will employ about 1,000 people. In addition, Amazon's centers will include robots from its Amazon Robotics unit in North…
Found in
Although the COVID-19 pandemic is easing in the U.S. as vaccines are distributed and social distancing rules are relaxed, concerns for public health remain heightened worldwide. Early last year, before the novel coronavirus was recognized as a threat elsewhere, robots in China were starting to perform tasks to keep people out of harm's way. Mobile robots were pressed into service…
Found in
As multiple industries look to robotics for augmented capabilities, the age of precise motion control is upon us. Depending on the application, developers and suppliers need to design or select the best motors, encoders and controls for the job. As fleets of autonomous systems pick, assemble, and move materials from one point to another, end users need to be confident…
Found in
Turbulent times are, perhaps, the greatest catalyst for technological change and growth. Simulation for design has taken center stage during the pandemic to aid engineers, workers and public health officials as they solve problems and strive to be best prepared to combat the spread of COVID-19. Design and simulation software is in the spotlight more than ever, as it’s an…
Found in
Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are moving out—slowly, it seems. They’ve been talked about for decades, as far back as the 1930s at the New York World’s Fair. In 2020, there’s been more talk about their use, potential, application and the transformation they offer to the world. But design engineers creating autonomous vehicles must consider many factors. Operational accuracy and safety are…
Found in
As countries plod through the toll of a worldwide pandemic, technology continues to solve problems and hurdle over obstacles. Health care facilities are one such sector. There, health care professionals—the ones who need to get close—are suddenly put in danger as the communicable coronavirus poses a dangerous health risk to them and others who perform tasks within the facility. The…
Found in
DrivenData is an organization that has hosted online challenges since 2014, allowing people from around the world to come together to solve social challenges. The platform’s competitions, like its Open AI Caribbean Challenge, combine the latest technologies in data science and crowdsourcing to help solve critical problems in areas such as health care, education and public services. In partnership with…
Found in
Manufacturing is changing. Never mind the remarkable utility of 3D scanning, the customization capability of additive manufacturing, or the facile methods of rapid prototyping—there’s a whole new way of using cloud computing to disseminate design information instantly. Potentially, it provides a new chapter in the way we manufacture everything. Welcome to contract manufacturing—also known as manufacturing as a service (MaaS).…
Found in
The International Robotic Sailing Regatta (SailBot) is a robotic sailing competition held in North America in which teams of university, college and high school students compete. The first event, in 2006, was hosted by Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, and took inspiration from a successful senior project at the University of British Columbia that built a robotic sailboat. Since 2008…
Found in
BEST (Boosting Engineering Science and Technology) Robotics is a national science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education nonprofit serving middle and high school students in 47 locations across 17 states. The organization sponsors a six-week student design competition that takes place during an after-school program. Their competition has joined the cadre of competitions that seek to engage students, arousing their…
Found in
The Robotics Education and Competition (REC) Foundation hosts the VEX IQ Challenge Next Level and VEX Robotics Competition Turning Point to involve students who are in middle school through college in hands-on robotics and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The VEX IQ Challenge Next Level and VEX Robotics Competition Turning Point are this season’s series of game challenges supported…
From geometry preparation to AI-assisted analysis, integrated CFD workflows…
Software-based GripperAI manages mixed picking through basic geometry
Safety, communication and motion control components enable smooth operation
North America’s largest robotics and automation event winds down
