Design
Getting started with managing robot fleets can be difficult for busy developers and facilities operators. InOrbit Inc. today launched a Free Edition of its cloud-based robot operations, or RobOps, software. The Mountain View, Calif.-based company said it will help businesses scale their fleets and free them to focus on their unique differentiators. “When we've talked to customers, many think they're going to develop RobOps software in-house, but many times, they don't know how much work that is,” said Florian Pestoni, co-founder and CEO of InOrbit. “But if they're freed from spending the next six months to three years on development,…
General Motors Co. today said it will invest $300 million in Momenta to accelerate the development of next-generation, self-driving technologies for future GM vehicles in China. “Customers in China are embracing electrification and advanced self-driving technology faster than anywhere else in the world, and the agreement between GM and Momenta will accelerate our deployment of next-generation solutions tailor-made for our consumers in China,” stated Julian Blissett, executive vice president of General Motors and president of GM China. “Momenta is committed to developing breakthrough artificial intelligence solutions to push beyond the frontier of possibilities today and significantly improve personal mobility experiences,”…
Berkshire Grey Inc. yesterday announced the launch of its Robotic Shuttle Put Wall, or RSPW, system for e-commerce order fulfillment. The RSPW is an automated put wall that uses artificial intelligence and can increases capacity and throughput, said the Bedford, Mass.-based company. This is more important than ever because of currently heightened customer expectations for fast and efficient fulfillment, as well as labor scarcity. “Businesses will continue to see e-commerce orders rise as global e-commerce sales expect to approach $5 trillion by the end of 2021,” stated Kevin Prouty, an analyst at IDC. “This growth in volume, combined with labor…
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The supply chain industry has surged its warehouse automation efforts considering the e-commerce boom and labor scarcities. In addition to systems such as headphone-enabled voice-picking and exoskeletons that reduce human effort, mobile robots are proving to be the most prevalent productivity-enhancing solution in the warehousing sector. Worldwide mobile robot shipments to warehouses will have a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of almost 40% from 2021 to 2030 and exceed 500,000 global shipments in 2030, according to ABI Research. “Productivity technologies can achieve far greater return on investment if correctly combined with other technologies,” stated Adhish Luitel, an industry analyst for…
ABB today said it has expanded its range of SCARA robots with the launch of the IRB 920T. The new robot provides the highest levels of speed, accuracy and repeatability for assembly, picking, and handling tasks, the company claimed. It said the IRB 920T is designed to meet the requirements of the electronics industry for high-speed production in increasingly complex manufacturing processes. “The need for companies to respond quickly to changing consumer demands is making SCARA robots a popular choice for production lines where fast and accurate performance is key to ensuring maximum product quality,” said Antti Matinlauri, head of…
NVIDIA Corp. today announced that it is working with Open Robotics to improve ROS 2 performance on its Jetson platform for artificial intelligence at the edge and its GPU-based systems. The company said this initiative will enable robotics developers to more easily and quickly incorporate computer vision and machine learning functionality into systems based on the Robot Operating System (ROS). “We've been working closely with Open Robotics to bring a host of NVIDIA AI technologies to the ROS community,” said Murali Gopalakrishna, head of product management, autonomous machines, and general manager for robotics at NVIDIA. “We want to make it…
PACCAR Inc. today announced that it has teamed up with Aurora Innovation Inc. and FedEx Corp. to launch a commercial pilot of autonomous trucks in line-haul trucking operations. The companies claimed that their collaboration is the first of its kind among a truck manufacturer, a self-driving technology developer, and a logistics provider, respectively. “PACCAR is pleased to partner with industry leaders FedEx and Aurora on this innovative project,” said John Rich, chief technology officer at Bellevue, Wash.-based PACCAR. The company designs, manufactures, and supports high-quality, light-, medium- and heavy-duty trucks under the Kenworth, Peterbilt, and DAF nameplates. PACCAR also designs…
Thanks to its confluence of academia, government research and development, and corporate investment, Pittsburgh continues to be a leader in automation innovation. Oshkosh Corp., which provides mission-critical vehicles and essential equipment, and Carnegie Foundry, a robotics and artificial intelligence venture studio, this week announced a strategic partnership. Oshkosh is also investing an unspecified amount in Carnegie Foundry to accelerate innovation in autonomy and robotics. “For years, Oshkosh has been developing autonomous technology that delivers greater productivity while reducing total cost of ownership for our customers,” stated John Pfeifer, president and CEO of Oshkosh Corp. “Oshkosh’s strategic investment in Carnegie Foundry…
HAI Robotics, which has developed autonomous case-handling robots, yesterday announced that it has secured $200 million in Series C and D financing. The company said it plans to use the investment to make technical updates to its robot fleet, expand its global operation networks, and optimize its supply chain management and staff. “Our major future orientation will center on expanding the overseas market and localize our service,” said Richie Chen, co-founder and CEO of HAI Robotics. He added that the Shenzhen, China-based company will continue to pursue technological innovation as the primary driver for growth and to continuously create value…
Embark Trucks Inc., which is developing autonomous technology for the trucking industry, last week announced that it has partnered with Ryder System Inc. The companies plan to launch a nationwide network of up to 100 Embark transfer points, where Ryder will provide yard operations, maintenance, and fleet management to support a seamless coast-to-coast autonomous network for Embark fleet partners. “A fully developed transfer point has to include autonomous truck maintenance services and efficient yard operations,” said Alex Rodrigues, CEO of Embark. “By working with Ryder to offer best-in-class truck services throughout our transfer point network, we’re laying the groundwork for…