Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 8.30
…Google (now part of Alphabet) in 2017, to Hyundai Motor Group. Xavier Lacherade, general manager of SBRE, will continue to lead the company, renamed Aldebaran under URG. “We know URG as a strategic partner in sales, services, and software development,” said Lacherade. “I am firmly convinced that the short management paths, which are also characterized by the German-French friendship, will inspire the work on both sides of the Rhine and lead us to new successes in the near future.” SBRE will aquire a minority stake in URG, and the two companies said they will continue to cooperate in the global…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 24.28
Mobile robots are getting smarter. OTTO Motors yesterday announced the availability of OTTO Lifter, which it called “the smartest autonomous forklift on the market.” The new system is designed to pick up and drop off pallets autonomously. OTTO Motors plans to demonstrate OTTO Lifter alongside its OTTO 100 and 1500 robots at MODEX 2022 next week in Atlanta. OTTO Motors, a division of Clearpath Robotics Inc. in Kitchener, Ontario, provides autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for moving materials inside factories and warehouses. The company said it has more than 3 million hours of driving experience with no safety incidents in demanding…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 24.64
General Motors Co. last week announced it is buying the SoftBank Vision Fund's stake in its Cruise self-driving car company for $2.1 billion. San Francisco-based Cruise makes electric, driverless vehicles such as the Origin shuttlebus. Last month, the company announced that SoftBank was going to invest an additional $1.35 billion because Cruise had started operating its fully autonomous vehicles. It has also begun offering self-driving car rides to the public in San Francisco, claiming to be the first company to do so. Now that GM has bought SoftBank Vision Fund's stake, it will give Cruise the $1.35 billion in SoftBank…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 8.88
…motion planning, the Robot Operating System (ROS), drives and motors, and simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). Median prices for robot arms have dropped over the past six years, said the AI Index Report 2022. AI investments continue to climb Private investment in AI totaled about $93.5 billion in 2021, more than double the amount of investment in 2020. However, the number of newly funded AI businesses dropped from 1,051 companies in 2019 and 762 startups in 2020 to 746 companies in 2021. In 2020, there were four funding rounds worth $500 million or more; in 2021, there were 15, said…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 7.59
…an assembly-line overhaul. After some initial challenges, the Tesla Motors factory in Fremont, Calif., is an example. Requiring greater upfront investment in robots from Comau, the flexibility of the plant can repurpose and redirect equipment to suit amended product specifications and volumes. Tesla founder Elon Musk has made no secret of his ambitions for general-purpose robots that would be even more capable. Flexible manufacturing to pick up speed The time required to change robot programming has delayed the acceptance of flexible manufacturing. Once, automating a one-hour task could require more than 15 hours of programming. A more recent move to…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 22.34
…this service and growing our collaboration with Via.” Hyundai Motor Group and connected vehicle firm Aptiv formed Motional as a joint venture in 2020. The Boston-based company is developing SAE Level 4 autonomous vehicles for robotaxi providers and fleet operators. It claimed that its achievements include the first fully-autonomous cross-country drive in the U.S, the launch of the world's first robotaxi pilot, and more than 100,000 public rides. In November 2021, Motional announced plans to partner with Lyft Inc. on robotaxi service in Las Vegas by 2023. Via helps cities digitize transportation The new service will combine Via's booking, routing,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 13.47
…lidar series production award in the industry to date, based on the number of vehicle models awarded, to support General Motors’ Ultra Cruise program. Cepton is also engaged with all other Top 10 global OEMs.
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 18.82
Toyota Motor North America has turned to Symbio Robotics Inc. to make better use of the industrial robots on its assembly lines as it shifts to electric vehicles. Toyota is using the SymbioDCS software framework to program its industrial robots to automate assembly processes and to better take advantage of the robots' artificial intelligence capabilities. “Symbio’s AI-based software gives Toyota’s team real-time control of our industrial robots and provides even more flexibility to help meet changing customer and market demand,” said Pascal Renouil, general manager of advanced technology at Toyota Motor North America. AI software unlocks new robot capabilities SymbioDCS…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 14.65
…serving a variety of markets. It offers precision encoders, motors, and customized mechatronic systems. The Bedford, Mass.-based company said it will collaborate with MassRobotics, as well as with other organizations, companies, and research institutions, to develop new applications, especially in medical robotics. “We’re excited to be part of the Boston area’s robotics community, one that is leading the next wave of technology,” said Kalpana Singh, president and general manager of Celera Motion. “Together, we are simultaneously fostering and benefiting from our area’s incredibly innovative culture. The future is very bright for our industry, and we can’t wait to see what…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 13.40
…another $1.35 billion toward commercializing its autonomous vehicles. The General Motors Co. spinoff also said it has opened rides from its staff to the public in San Francisco. “The SoftBank Vision Fund initially invested $900 million in Cruise in 2018,” said Kyle Vogt, co-founder, chief technology officer, and interim CEO. “They agreed to invest an additional $1.35 billion when we started operating fully driverless cars. I’m pleased to announce we’ve officially hit that milestone!” Founded in 2013, Cruise has been developing self-driving vehicles such as the Origin shuttlebus. GM acquired the San Francisco-based company in 2016. Last April, Walmart Inc.…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.98
…vehicle models awarded. It said it is sole-sourced by General Motors and is engaged with other Top 10 OEMs. Lidar makers seek SPAC combos On Aug. 4, 2021, Cepton, GCAC, and GCAC Merger Sub Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of GCAC, entered into a business combination agreement, as amended on Jan. 21, 2022. Following the closing of the business combination, the combined company’s common stock and warrants are expected to list on Nasdaq under the ticker symbols “CPTN” and “CPTNW,” respectively. Other lidar sensor companies involved in recent SPAC transactions include Aeva Technologies, Arbe Robotics, AEye,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 16.29
…FANUC’s largest serial-link robot to date,” said Eric Potter, general manager of FANUC America’s General Industries and Automotive Segment. “Customers that process very heavy parts need more versatility in the workspace, and this robot is a great solution for a variety of applications such as drilling and handling large automotive components, processing and handling battery packs for electric vehicles, fabrication and handling of construction materials, and much more.” Rochester Hills, Mich.-based FANUC America is a subsidiary of Japan-based FANUC Corp. The company provides CNC systems, robotics, and ROBOMACHINE factory automation. FANUC claimed that its innovative technologies and proven expertise can…