Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.33
Drone delivery provider Zipline Inc. yesterday said it has raised $250 million in financing. The San Francisco-based company claimed that it “operates the world's largest automated on-demand delivery service.” Zipline said it plans to use its latest funding to continue developing its integrated service and expand into new industries and locations. “At Zipline, our mission is to create the first logistics company that serves all humans equally,” stated Keller Rinaudo, founder and CEO at Zipline. “Around the world, our partners are reimagining how patients access care with fast, reliable on-demand delivery.” Founded in 2014, Zipline said it has made more…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 9.68
Kindred Systems today said it will integrate its SORT pick-and-place robots with Hy-Tek Integrated Systems’ material handling products to automate retail and e-commerce order fulfillment operations. The partners said they will accelerate polybag picking processes at warehouses and distribution centers to meet increasing consumer demand at Hy-Tek’s apparel customers. “In this rapidly growing e-commerce fulfillment environment, Hy-Tek turned to Kindred and its SORT robotic system to solve challenges that our customers were facing,” said Donnie Johnson, president of Hy-Tek Integrated Systems. “Kindred offered an affordable yet flexible solution to efficiently and effectively improve their e-commerce fulfillment operations. We are very…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 6.82
Warehouse automation requires a combination of hardware, software, and services optimized for each customer and facility. inVia Robotics Inc. today announced that it has made agreements with more than 10 companies as part of its channel partner program. Westlake Village, Calif.-based inVia said the joint technology offerings will supplement its direct-sales efforts through new channels, including international markets. In addition, the company said the program will expand its ability to provide its artificial intelligence-driven optimization software and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) to e-commerce fulfillment centers facing accelerated customer demand. inVia Robotics named as certified partners Argon Consulting, Atlantic Packaging, Conveyor…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.94
Among the combinations of software and hardware for warehouse automation is robotics software and wearable technology. inVia Robotics Inc. and Rufus Labs Inc. yesterday announced a strategic partnership to jointly offer their systems through subscriptions. The companies said the combination of their e-commerce automation, wearables, and workforce analytics is intended to help address labor shortages and improve efficiency and productivity. Founded in 2015, Westlake Village, Calif.-based inVia Robotics said it has developed the “first economical” goods-to-person system through a robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) model. Founded in 2013, Rufus Labs claimed to be the only company to offer industrial wearables and cloud enterprise…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 4.55
The already competitive market for mobile robots continues to go global. OTTO Motors today announced a series of partnerships to make its autonomous mobile robots available to a global audience. The Kitchener, Ontario-based company also said it has successfully completed third-party assessments to demonstrate that its products meet or exceed all relevant safety standards in Europe and the U.S., including ANSI/RIA R15.08, which it helped to define. “One of the things that sets OTTO Motors apart is our process-first approach to automating material handling,” stated Rick Baker, chief revenue officer of OTTO Motors. “It is how we’re able to achieve…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.30
The drive toward autonomous freight continues, as self-driving software provider Embark Trucks Inc. and special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Northern Genesis Acquisition Corp. II today announced that they have agreed to a merger that will lead to Embark becoming a publicly listed company. For the past five years, San Francisco-based Embark Trucks has been testing purpose-built Class 8 trucks using its autonomous driving software. The startup has partnered with leading carriers in the $700 billion U.S. trucking market such as Anheuser-Busch InBev, HP Inc., Werner Enterprises, Mesilla Valley Transportation, and Bison Transport. They pay a per-mile software-as-a-service subscription cost to deploy…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 4.57
Integrating robotics software and hardware for piece picking can be challenging, so SVT Robotics Inc. has worked with RightHand Robotics Inc. to develop a prebuilt connector between SVT’s SOFTBOT Platform and the RightPick 3 item-handling robot. “By connecting to the prebuilt standard integrations of our SOFTBOT Platform, RightHand Robotics customers who adopt the RightPick 3 system can now deploy without the need for custom integration code,” stated T.J. Fanning, vice president of sales at SVT. “Integrators offering flexible, automated piece picking will be able to connect and integrate this robust solution faster than ever before.” SVT Robotics said SOFTBOT enables…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 18.01
Quanergy Systems Inc., which provides solid-state lidar sensors, and CITIC Capital Acquisition Corp. today announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement that will result in Quanergy being listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Quanergy said it plans to use the $278 million in funding to continue its growth strategy, including accelerating research and development, providing working capital, paying down all debt, and establishing funds for potential acquisitions. Quanergy supplies optical phased array (OPA) technology focused on the automotive and Internet of Things (IoT) markets. The company has over 350 customers and 40 partnerships worldwide.…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.40
Quick-service restaurants are facing record labor shortages, cost and hygiene concerns, and competitive pressures to improve the customer experience. Many are looking to emerging automation to meet the demand for speed and efficiency. Miso Robotics Inc. today announced a partnership with manufacturer Lancer Worldwide to build an intelligent beverage dispenser for future commercial kitchens. While 60% to 70% of sales at certain quick-service restaurants (QSRs) came from drive-thru lanes before the COVID-19 pandemic, some chains reportedly experienced a jump to as high as 90%. However, volume increases and staff decreases have slowed total average drive-thru times by 29.8 seconds last…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 12.95
Researchers at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have developed millimeter-sized robots that can be controlled using magnetic fields to perform highly maneuverable and dexterous manipulations. This could enable applications in biomedicine and manufacturing, they said this week. The team of scientists created the miniature robots by embedding magnetic microparticles into biocompatible polymers—non-toxic materials that are harmless to humans. The robots are “programmed” to execute their desired functionalities when magnetic fields are applied. The robots improve on many existing small-scale robots by optimizing their ability to move in six degrees of freedom (DoF), said Nanyang Technological University (NTU). It defined six…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 16.60
…told Robotics 24/7. “People now expect same-day delivery, and micro-fulfillment centers can help operators maximize real estate.” “The third trend is a shortage of labor, especially in the U.S., Israel, Europe, and Australia,” Yanovsky said. “Warehouse workers walk 10 miles per day and lift heavy boxes. Those [tasks] are better for robots to do, and we want to put people in other tasks.” “All of these trends brought customers to understand that they need robotics, but it's not easy,” she said. “Automation will impact their business format; it's not just realizing what they will or will not implement. Businesses need…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.86
One recent trend in supply chain automation is toward larger and more capable robots. Mobile Industrial Robots ApS today launched the MiR250 Hook, which can tow loaded carts weighing up to 1,100 lb. (500 kg). The Odense, Denmark-based company said the patented MiR250 Hook builds on its fastest and most compact mobile robot to help further optimize industrial workflows. “At workplaces worldwide, humans move thousands of carts and transport cages manually between departments, a highly repetitive and time-consuming task,” stated Søren E. Nielsen, president of Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR). “With the highly precise and powerful MiR250 Hook, towing carts and…