Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 7.62
Last week, the Association for Advancing Automation, or A3, announced that robot orders declined for the second quarter in a row after record purchases in the past two years. Despite widespread concerns about high interest rates and tightened access to capital, the overall outlook for the industry is strong, said the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based organization. Last year, sales of industrial robots in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico rose by 12%, according to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). In the first half of this year, North American orders totaled 16,865 robots, down 29% in comparison with the same period last…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 8.55
Labor shortages have become one of the most pressing challenges for small and midsized enterprises in member nations of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, or OECD. The International Federation of Robotics last week announced Go4Robotics, a new online platform to provide independent guidance in manufacturers' journey to automation. “The lack of skilled labor is a strong driver for automation in many countries,” said Dr. Susanne Bieller, general secretary of the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), in a release. “In fact, statistics from the EU say that three quarters of all companies across the EU have a problem attracting…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 7.39
Imagine having to carry a large, heavy box up a flight of stairs, said the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. You might spread your fingers out and lift that box with both hands, then hold it on top of your forearms and balance it against your chest, using your whole body to manipulate the box. Humans are generally good at whole-body manipulation, but robots struggle with such tasks. To the robot, each spot where the box could touch any point on the carrier’s fingers, arms, and torso represents a contact event that it must reason about. With billions of potential contact…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 8.33
While many warehouse operators are aware of the challenges posed by labor shortages and shifting demand, they may not know how automation can help them in the “last 100 feet,” according to enVista LLC. SLAM line automation is one approach to addressing this challenge, it said. Founded in 2002, enVista builds physical and digital systems to help optimize supply chains, serving manufacturers, distributors, third-party logistics providers (3PLs), and omnichannel retailers. The company, which has offices in Carmel, Ind., and Chicago, also provides consulting and managed services. At ProMat 2023, enVista executives explained their roadmap for helping customers integrate robotics. Last…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 9.62
Dexterity Inc. today released Version 3.0 of its Palletizing and Depalletizing, or PDP, software for warehouse robots. The company said PDP 3.0 includes features to improve throughput, reduce installation and integration time and cost, and increase performance flexibility. “Dexterity’s AI software platform uses cutting-edge robotic and automation technology to drive value for our customers,” said Cary VandenAvond, chief revenue officer of Dexterity, in a statement. “With our Palletizing and Depalletizing 3.0 release, we’re providing even more features to our customers to ensure they are able to fully utilize robots in the full diversity of their pallet operations.” Redwood City, Calif.-based…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 23.15
Collaborative Robotics today announced that it has raised $30 million in Series A funding. The San Francisco startup said it will use the funds to begin scaling early field deployments and manufacturing its novel cobots. “Our vision for a future where robots seamlessly integrate into our surroundings to enhance operational efficiency and human potential is now closer than ever,” stated Brad Porter, founder and CEO of Collaborative Robotics, in a release. “This funding will accelerate our mission to bring the world's first truly practical cobots to market.” Porter, a former vice president at Amazon Robotics, founded Collaborative Robotics in 2022…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 8.41
Locus Robotics Corp. today broke ground for its new global headquarters near Boston. The company said the new facility in Wilmington, Mass., will serve as the hub for its growing global operations and will provide room for future expansion. “We're thrilled to break ground on our new headquarters in Wilmington,” stated Rick Faulk, CEO of Locus Robotics, in a release. “This is a significant milestone that reflects our robust growth trajectory and our dedication to revolutionizing the warehouse automation sector with cutting-edge, AI-driven robotics solutions.” Spinning out of Quiet Logistics in 2014, Locus offers autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) that collaborate…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 5.54
As warehouses and distribution centers become more sophisticated, the equipment within them has also advanced. The e-commerce surge and persistent labor shortages have driven vendor innovation, resulting in a host of put walls with new features that address companies’ current and future needs. A type of warehouse racking system, a put wall can batch work in large fulfillment centers. They consist of long, narrow walls made with individualized compartments—each of which holds a single order. Put walls can cut down on the time it takes for an employee to walk back and forth between the packing area and the picking…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 14.43
PickNik Robotics today announced that it is working with SKA Custom Robots and Machines. The strategic partnership intends to combine PickNik's expertise in robotics software for unstructured environments and SKA's hardware engineering capabilities to develop field robotics. “PickNik has some of the best robotic manipulation engineers and technology in the world, whereas SKA has world-class competence in field robotics,” stated Spencer Krause, president and CEO of SKA Custom Robots and Machines, in a release. “This partnership will enable more rapid development of dexterous robotic systems by utilizing both firms' expertise.” He also said that PickNik Robotics' ability to address challenging…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 7.02
Schuurman Schoenen is a Dutch shoe company, offering a wide variety of shoes. In its warehouse in Neede, Netherlands, TORU, a picking robot developed by the robotics firm Magazino, uses a 3D camera and a variety of sensors, to work autonomously every day, all day. The robot can be programmed for inbound, as well as outbound warehouse traffic and logistics. It's an ideal solution that helps meet orders during peak seasons and keep the flow of order fulfillment moving, day and night. Using vacuum grippers, the robot grabs hold of individual shoe boxes from shelves, sorts them correctly, and concurrently…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.35
Aerial drones aren't just for outdoor inspection, surveying, and surveillance. Several startups are working to apply drones to inventory management. Verity AG last week announced that it has raised an additional $11 million in its Series B funding round. The company said in a release that it plans to use the capital “to scale the delivery of zero-error warehouses and predictable value across a supply chain industry that is increasingly turning to technology to improve crucial operational impediments—labor shortages, lost productivity, inventory errors, and waste.” Verity's founders include Raffaello D’Andrea, who co-founded warehouse automation company Kiva Systems, which was acquired…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.75
Robots are moving goods in warehouses, packaging foods, and helping assemble vehicles—when they’re not flipping burgers or serving lattes. How did they get so skilled so fast? Robotics simulation. Making leaps in progress, it’s transforming industries all around us. A robotics simulator places a virtual robot in virtual environments to test the robot’s software without requiring the physical robot. And the latest simulators can generate datasets to be used to train machine learning models that will run on the physical robots. In this virtual world, developers create digital versions of robots, environments, and other assets robots might encounter. These environments…