Ossia Inc. today announced that its Cota Real Wireless Power system has successfully passed both EU and U.K. regulatory assessments. The Redmond, Wash.-based company said it is the first radio frequency-based, non-line-of-sight, wireless power technology at-a-distance product to receive EU/UK Type Examination Certificates and that can bear both the CE and UKCA marks. “While other wireless power technologies require line of sight and offer insignificant power that requires the system to switch off in environments with humans, Cota can effectively power devices in the consumer, commercial, and industrial spaces,” said Doug Stovall, CEO of Ossia. “Even if the device is…
Mobile robots for deliveries are increasingly common, but intellectual property protections demonstrate the need for differentiation. Piaggio Fast Forward Inc. today announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has awarded it Patent No. 11,112,807 for a “Method for Determining Self-Driving Vehicle Behavior Models.” The Boston-based company said that its latest patent focuses on the proprietary design of robot behavior specifications. “The knowledge of understanding how people move is the foundation of our mission,” said Mitchell Weiss, chief technology officer at Piaggio Fast Forward (PFF). “Piaggio Fast Forward's approach is to understand pedestrian etiquette and design machines that share this…
Amid increasing shipment volumes, DHL Express yesterday said it has partnered with Dorabot Inc. to introduce DHLBot in Singapore and South Korea. The robotic arm uses artificial intelligence to automate parcel sortation. DHLBot will replace manual sortation of small parcels and enable hubs and gateways to handle greater volumes, particularly during peak season. In addition, it can increase overall operational efficiency by at least 40%, claimed DHL. “Sorting parcels might seem like a straightforward process, but it actually takes a lot of time, effort, and precision to ensure that they get to their addressees without a hitch,” said Ken Lee,…
GXO Logistics Inc. today announced that it is conducting a pilot of a robotic picking system at its fashion e-commerce warehouse in Tilburg, the Netherlands. The Greenwich, Conn.-based contract logistics provider is piloting KNAPP AG's Pick-it-Easy Robot station for one of its global customers. The companies said it is the first application of KNAPP's technology for automated pocket induction for apparel logistics. “As a leader in logistics innovation, we’re constantly exploring automation that can transform distribution and order fulfilment processes,” stated Sandeep Sakharkar, chief information officer at GXO. “The successful launch of the Tilburg pilot has allowed us to ensure…
On this Labor Day, it's worth noting that, contrary to some alarmist predictions, robotics can help create meaningful and rewarding careers rather than eliminate jobs. The East Kentucky Advanced Manufacturing Institute, or eKAMI, has helped retrain former coal miners and other people to be robotics technicians. One recent graduate shared his story with Robotics 24/7. “I was a cable guy for five to six years, and I worked at my family's retail tool store, which supplied a lot of mines,” said Dustin Porter. “We were built upon coal in eastern Kentucky, and when that declined, I knew I would have…
Robotics can help augment human capabilities and alleviate staffing shortages, but only if it is easy enough to use. Hexagon AB last week announced HxGN Robotic Automation, control software designed to enable non-specialists to program industrial robots to perform fully automated quality inspections. “Manufacturers are facing disruptions to their supply chains because of trade conflicts, the COVID-19 pandemic, and rapid innovation,” said Stephen Graham, president of metrology and production software at Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division. “For example, electrification is changing the automotive industry. Companies need faster time to market in the face of new entrants like Tesla.” Manufacturers can use…
The drive to add automation to warehouses, distribution centers, and order-fulfillment facilities is not just a matter of deploying some mobile robots. Operations must understand their processes, choose the best people or robots for certain tasks, and deploy the right software to manage multiple systems. The need for efficiency has never been greater, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues and retailers deal with back-to-school sales and the approaching holiday season, according to GXO Logistics. “When we talk about warehouse automation, it's clearly an ecosystem,” explained Sandeep Sakharkar, chief information officer at GXO Logistics. “We've evaluated automation across the board—not just robotic…
GXO Logistics
Renesas Electronics Corp. yesterday announced that it has worked with eProsima to port the micro-ROS development framework into its Renesas Advanced microcontroller units, or RA MCUs. The Renesas EK-RA6M5 Evaluation Kit for RA MCUs is the official supported reference platform for micro-ROS, they said. The goal is to ease development of professional robotics applications, said the companies. “Robotics is becoming increasingly important as Industry 4.0 and Industrial IoT gain steam,” said Roger Wendelken, senior vice president in the IoT and Infrastructure Business Unit at Renesas. “The performance and feature set of the RA family make it the best choice for…
The latest National Aerospace and Space Administration mission to Mars continues the agency's exploration of the red planet for signs of ancient microbial life, preparation for eventual human missions, and demonstration of new robotics technologies. NASA's Perseverance rover sent data this week indicating that it has successfully cored its first Martian rock. The initial images showed an intact sample present in the tube, but additional images taken after the robot arm acquiried the sample were inconclusive because of poor sunlight conditions. Another round of images with better lighting will be taken before the sample processing continues, said NASA. The Perseverance…
Yesterday, stow International NV said it has acquired a majority stake in Raiser Robotics International GmbH for an unspecified amount. The Spiere-Helkijn, Belgium-based provider of industrial storage solutions also announced the creation of stow Robotics GmbH, a new unit dedicated to warehouse automation. “The launch of stow Robotics is a strategic milestone for our business and will create substantial synergies across our warehouse automation portfolio,” stated Jos De Vuyst, CEO of stow Group. “We are thrilled to welcome the Raiser Robotics team to stow Group, and look forward to their extensive industry experience and expertise enhancing stow Robotics.” stow Group…
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