Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 6.48
…manage safe navigation and task assignment in dynamic environments. Interoperability has arisen as a concern over the past year or so, as factories and warehouses begin to deploy robots from multiple suppliers. A universal fleet management system such as Meili FMS can help mobile robot fleets to work effectively, especially if the fleet consists of different types of robots. Not only does will this software allow you to centrally manage your robots, but it can also enable them to autonomously and automatically adjust to changes in your order fulfillment. Caption About the author Michelle Schlechtriem is the content manager at…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 4.55
…for all of these needed conversations around things like interoperability to happen, but it will get many end users back out there to trade shows like Automate to see these technologies and talk to providers about the tasks they are looking to automate. Personally, I am looking forward to seeing all of my Robot Safety colleagues at R15 Week, which will be hosted by the FedEx Institute of Technology on the campus of the University of Memphis, in March and then again in Columbus, Ohio, later in the year. As more robots enter the public sphere and start to interact…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 13.53
…of community impact was the release of our AMR Interoperability Standard this past summer, which has already been shown in operation at a FedEx facility. Teele: At the ARM Institute, we were able to accomplish much during a challenging pandemic year. However, our biggest accomplishment was the launch of RoboticsCareer.org. Numerous studies have indicated that lack of skilled labor is the No. 1 reason holding back automation at manufacturers in the U.S. This free, national resource is designed to help those both entering the workforce as well as incumbent workers better understand the skills and career paths for a role…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.39
…grow in warehouses and elsewhere, concerns have arisen around interoperability among robots from multiple vendors. Locus, Waypoint, 6 River Systems, InOrbit, Mobile Industrial Robots, Vecna Robotics, and FedEx participated in MassRobotics' AMR Interoperability Working Group, said Saad. At the AMR and Logistics Conference held by the Association for Advancing Automation (A3) in Memphis in October, the working group conducted the first demonstration of a standard for communications among mobile robots. The group plans to address batteries and power management next, Saad noted. He added that MassRobotics will address climate change and robotics in the coming year. “We have a lot…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 14.70
…told Robotics 24/7. “We touched on the need for interoperability and the higher-level need for orchestration of autonomous and semi-autonomous systems on streets.” “It was also clear from FedEx's comments at past A3 [Association for Advancing Automation] events that interoperability is absolutely becoming a requirement in the warehouse,” he said. “From different standards efforts to our discussions of best practices, the industry is becoming aware of the need.” Joe Wieciek, ROG co-founder “I was an active participant in conferences such as LISA, where systems administrators could learn from each other,” added Joe Wieciek, director of technical operations at autonomous yard…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 6.21
…RoboRunner to focus on robotic fleets and potentially enable interoperability. “In 2018, we launched AWS RoboMaker, a cloud-based simulation service that enables robotics developers to run, scale, and automate simulation without managing any infrastructure,” said Channy Yun, principal developer advocate for AWS. “As we worked with robot developers and operators, we have repeatedly heard that they face challenges in operating different robot types in their automation efforts, including autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs), autonomous mobile vehicles (AMRs), and robotic manipulators.” “Today, we are launching a public preview of AWS IoT RoboRunner, a new robotics service that makes it easier for enterprises…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 19.34
…said the company. “The reason is the lack of interoperability,” said A.K. Schultz, co-founder and CEO of SVT Robotics. “The demand for industrial automation is even higher, but industry growth has been limited by capacity to execute.” “Integrations are typically all custom-coded, meaning long development cycles,” he said. “It’s expensive, and companies wait as much as a year or more for new automation to go live. Solving that problem with the SOFTBOT Platform empowers the market to grow at its full potential.” SVT deployments grow rapidly Founded in 2018, SVT Robotics has experienced tremendous growth, with deployments increasing 375% from…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 11.29
…(CTRLS) and the System Unification Model (SUM) to enable interoperability between ROV and robotic arm systems. CTRLS allows the topside ROV operator to send mission goals to the SUM module located on the vehicle. This enables the vehicle and robotic arms to quickly and efficiently achieve those mission goals, making it easier for operators to complete complex underwater tasks, said RE2. “Currently, robotic arms and ROVs are controlled with separate control systems,” said Jorgen Pedersen, president and CEO of RE2 Robotics. “CLAMS will enable both the robotic arms and the mobile platform to be operated with a single control unit.”…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 8.49
…robotics from different vendors, elevating the importance of easy interoperability, said Dwight Klappich, research vice president at analyst firm Gartner Inc. Application programming interfaces (APIs) from robotics vendors and from warehouse management system (WMS) providers can help. However, things get more complicated when multiple types of robots, fixed automation, and other systems like manifesting or cubing and weighing, need to work in concert. “The problem is when operations get to the point of deploying heterogeneous fleets of robots, then that API approach becomes increasingly difficult to do,” explained Klappich. “You can end up with all these one-off integrations between multiple…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 16.25
…billion ($4.37 billion U.S.) in 2020. arculus integrates European interoperability standard Founded in 2016, arculus offers the arculee line of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), the Warehouse software for goods-to-person logistics, Modular Production for dynamic product flow, and the Fleet management software. The Munich, Germany-based startup said its systems provide 99.96% uptime, moved more than 500,000 km (310,000 mi.) autonomously in 2020, and have completed 1.5 million picks. The company obtained Series A funding and integrated the European VDA 5050 interoperability standard last year. The arculus Fleet traffic-control system enables AGVs and AMRs from different manufacturers to be operated via a…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 15.82
…robots in warehouses and elsewhere have raised concerns about interoperability among systems from multiple vendors, as well as with facility infrastructure and enterprise software. One effort has its roots in the open-source community and the healthcare industry. The Open Robotics Middleware Framework, or Open-RMF, is designed to coordinate fleets of robots with typical use cases and integrate them with elevators and other systems. “As more diverse robots are being deployed around the world, there is a growing need for specialized robots from different developers to be able to communicate with each other. A lingua robotica, if you will,” said Open…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 12.23
…problems; and what audience members should know about adopting, financing, and managing AMRs. The conference also featured discussions about interoperability among varied robots from multiple manufacturers, the new R15.08 industrial mobile robot safety standard, and scaling robotics deployments, among other topics. The addition of logistics also benefited the event, said Burnstein. “We added technologies besides AMRs,” he explained. “Some attendees wanted to know how these robots can work in automotive manufacturing. Logistics touches everyone, not just e-commerce and warehouses.” See the slideshow (right) for 10 insights from the AMR & Logistics conference.