Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 12.19
…in Series B funding. Its customers include Foxconn, Samsung, General Motors, Flex, Harman International, Pivotal Commware, and Kyocera. Powermat eliminates need for direct-contact charging Powermat said its new wireless charging platform for autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and other commercial devices eliminates the need for direct contact with pogo-pins entirely, providing operators with 90% charging efficiency while enabling flexible charging capabilities. Robots, including those using photovoltaic cells, can charge in proximity to their charging stations without the need for accurate alignment or direct contact, it said. “This innovation will help accelerate the global adoption of robots and AMRs, which provide efficiency,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 28.03
…the road to autonomy isn't smooth for everyone. Local Motors Inc., which was developing the Olli autonomous shuttle, reportedly shut down today. Founded in 2007, Local Motors had originally focused on autonomous vehicles for racing, with the Rally Fighter in 2009. It then pivoted to passenger transportation, with a crowdfunding campaign in 2013. The Chandler, Ariz.-based company said it used a “microfactory” model to manufacture vehicles based on open-source designs. It had claimed to have built the world's first co-created vehicle; the world's first 3D-printed car; and Olli, the world's first co-created, electric autonomous vehicle. Local Motors started scaling Olli…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 8.53
…than 400 facilities globally, including those of Amazon, Walmart, General Motors, the U.S. Postal Service, United Parcel Service, Whirlpool, Jaguar Land Rover, and Caterpillar. Consumer goods are organized into sanitized totes to support a multiple gripper pick module that HDS Global said can achieve a 95% success rate. Source: Business Wire RoboFS taps talent for full automation To build the first fully automated fulfillment system and address fragmented e-commerce, HDS Global said it worked with “several innovative Global Fortune 500 heavyweights and industry veterans with bankable track records in robotics and e-commerce.” “Through the team’s collective insights, HDS Global has…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 9.64
…today's race different from October's race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS)? Mitchell: Teams must still be able to demonstrate their capabilities, but it's a smaller in-person crowd. It's open to CES attendees but scaled back due to COVID-19. Going back to the IMS, we showcased where the 19 teams were in their journey toward eventual head-to-head racing. Based on a variety of conditions, like weather, we didn't feel that putting multiple cars on track was a safe bet at that time. We wanted to first show that autonomous cars could go fast in a safe but exciting environment, so…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 11.25
…cases. Powermat said global enterprises such as Foxconn, Flex, General Motors, Harman International, Kyocera, and Samsung are already usng its technology, which can be found in over 800 million smartphones, 40 million embedded accessories, and 8 million cars worldwide. Foxconn, Hudson expect spike in demand for wireless power “Access to power on a wireless basis is an essential element to the new mobility ecosystem, which is a business area of increasing focus for FIT,” said Thomas Fann, special assistant to the chairman at Foxconn Interconnect Technology. “OEMs and technology companies are looking for reliable, high-performing, and cost-efficient wireless power solutions.”…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 25.09
…to differentiate themselves based on safety and reliability. OTTO Motors this week named two executives with engineering and integration experience as co-presidents. The Kitchener, Ontario-based company also recently announced a lifetime powertrain warranty for its autonomous mobile robots, or AMRs. “When we built our first prototype in 2013, the world of automation was a different place,” recalled Matthew Rendall, CEO of OTTO Motors. “The most important concept—not only in AMRs, but also in best practices when designing and installing automation, was maximizing return on investment [ROI]. We set out to design a transformative materials-handling solution using autonomy technology that has…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 7.53
…their growth and solve big challenges by using AWS.” The nonprofit has worked with other strategic partners including Festo, General Motors, Panasonic, Analog Devices, and Mitsubishi Electric. MassRobotics is now accepting applications from qualified startups (with less than $10 million in revenue and less than $100 million raised) for the accelerator program, and registration closes on Jan. 16, 2022. An informational webinar will be held from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. EST on Jan. 10, 2022.
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 14.12
…$55 million in Series B funding in May, and General Motors recently joined its investors. Last month, Ambarella announced that Oculii and Ambarella had signed a definitive merger agreement, pursuant to which Ambarella would acquire all outstanding capital stock of Oculii for $307.5 million. On Nov. 5, 2021, pursuant to the terms of the merger agreement, Ohio Merger Sub Inc. merged with and into Oculii, and all outstanding capital stock of Oculii was cancelled and converted into the right to receive cash. As a result of the merger’s completion, Oculii has become a wholly owned subsidiary of Ambarella. Steven Hong,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 8.90
…Rubik’s cube with software that’s a step towards more general AI, and a step away from the common single-task mentality. DeepMind created “RGB-Stacking,” a vision-based system that challenges a robot to learn how to grab items and stack them. In the ongoing quest to get machines to replicate human abilities, scientists at the MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (MIT CSAIL) created a framework that’s more scaled up. They built system that can reorient over 2,000 different objects, with the robotic hand facing both upwards and downwards. This ability to manipulate anything from a cup to a tuna can…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 18.14
…leading investors in Momenta included Chinese strategic investor SAIC Motor; global strategic investors General Motors, Toyota, and Bosch, as well as Temasek and Yunfeng Capital. Mercedes-Benz, IDG Capital, GGV Capital, Shunwei Capital, Tencent, and Cathay Capital also participated in the $500 million Series C round. Autonomous vehicle developers and related technology providers have raised more than $26.5 billion in 2021, according to Robotics 24/7. Here are 10 of the biggest totals to date: Company Location Amount (M$) Transaction Date Cruise San Francisco 2,750 Investments 4/15/2021 Waymo Mountain View, Calif. 2,500 Investments 6/16/2021 Xpeng Hong Kong 2,000 IPO 6/24/2021 Momenta Beijing…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 18.84
…continue going up at that rate forever, exposure to general non-automotive industry—which is as large or larger than the automotive space—is encouraging for the long term.” According to A3, the most substantial increases in robot orders in Q2 came from companies in the following segments: Metals, up 99% over Q2 2020 Automotive components, up 85% Semiconductor and electronics/photonics, up 62% Plastics and rubber, up 51% Food and consumer goods, up 51% Automotive OEMs, up 49% Life sciences/pharmaceutical/biomed, up 21% Component technology markets have record growth In addition to the large increase in robotic orders, machine vision, motion control, and motor…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 25.76
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,”…