Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.66
November 23, 2022
…carts, helping to free up space, increase flexibility, and gain advantages more quickly. AMRs improve employee morale, retention DENSO employees were walking up to 12 miles per day moving material between production areas and the warehouse, spending about 60% of their time just pushing carts, said Olinger. The initial pilot program to automate this conveyance with AMRs eliminated this manual task, allowing six workers to transition to more value-added work, he noted. The project quickly expanded to bring components directly to line-side production for just-in-time efficiencies. Support for the robots has grown quickly among employees, with workers in other departments…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 6.51
November 20, 2022
Growth is good for businesses, though it can strain the limits of existing manual and automated processes in distribution centers. This was the case for Waytek, a distributor of automotive electrical components. The company faced fulfillment growing pains before it implemented a flexible system using autonomous mobile robots, or AMRs. Founded in 1970, Waytek is a family-owned distributor of electrical components to manufacturers and upfitters specializing in wire harnesses and mobile equipment. The Chanhassen, Minn.-based company said its mission is to make it easy for for its customers to source electrical parts. In 2007, Waytek had moved into its present…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.36
November 17, 2022
…ability to deliver a higher quality of work and gain a head start on their next automation projects.” Students will receive the same certification and training no matter the location The company added courses range from beginner to advanced level and feature courses on the RC+ development environment, robotic vision guidance, and Epson RC+ Express. No matter the location, students will receive the same training and certification. “Epson recognizes that taking time to leave the plant and travel to attend essential training sessions can be a challenge for our customers,” said Rick Brookshire, director of product management and product development,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.85
November 16, 2022
…AutoStore's automated storage and retrieval system, or ASRS, to gain access to data-led insights and identify the cause of operational issues, said the company. Unify Analytics is available in two versions, a Web application where businesses can view real-time statistics and analytics, and an API that enables seamless integration with external third-party applications. “Businesses can reap multiple benefits by combining automated storage and retrieval and data-led insights,” stated Andreas Munch, product manager at AutoStore. “This data analysis tool will allow businesses to be more proactive and respond rapidly to real-time challenges.” Founded in 1996, AutoStore said it is a pioneer…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.79
November 14, 2022
…organizations integrate mobile robot fleets with additional systems to gain efficiencies. Most assistive-pick robots need to communicate with a WMS to obtain order data. Meanwhile other sites implement AMRs with automated conveyors, pack-out lines, or voice systems, especially for picking cases to larger AMRs. According to Fitzgerald, 6 River Systems’ partner program supports integration with systems such as automatic box builders, autobaggers, and vertical lift modules. In some cases, AMR solutions might integrate with a manufacturing execution system (MES) or enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. The need to simplify integration of multiple robots with WMSes has given rise to new…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 4.42
November 07, 2022
…technology evidenced by strong unit economics and the performance gains of our new products complemented by Velodyne’s decade of innovation, high-performance hardware and software solutions, and established global customer footprint position the combined company to accelerate the adoption of lidar technology,” said Angus Pacala, CEO of Ouster in a statement. “Together, we will aim to deliver the performance customers demand while achieving price points low enough to promote mass adoption,” he added. As one company, Velodyne’s and Ouster’s engineering, manufacturing, and general administration teams will be combined. Velodyne CEO Ted Tewksbury will serve as the board's executive chairman, and Pacala…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.67
November 03, 2022
…help give girls in high school the opportunity to gain hands-on technical skills and learn about the robotics industry. This is the third time MassRobotics is putting on the program. Jumpstart focuses on many technical areas, from programming to design and simulation, to hands-on building, prototyping and testing, according to MassRobotics. A key part of the Jumpstart program is making sure these young women feel confident and empowered to enter the STEM field, it said. MassRobotics partners and other MA robotics companies will take part in program The curriculum includes participation from MassRobotics' partners and other companies in the Massachusetts…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.57
October 28, 2022
…system to the FDA for consideration and hopes to gain clearance soon, he said. Surgeons from Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Stanford University, the University of California San Francisco, the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, and Brigham and Women's Hospital have expressed interest in using the robot after clearance. Galen’s initial indications will focus on laryngological procedures. Future clearances will expand the scope of the platform into ENT (ear, nose, and throat), neurosurgical, spinal, and cardiothoracic procedures. “Physicians requested a platform with a great deal of stability with a low cost and that can be wheeled from…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 4.25
October 26, 2022
…not limited to a single manufacturer's implants. Surgeons can gain the benefits of robot-assisted surgery and choose the implant that is best for each patient, it claimed. The company's products include the TPLAN 3D planning workstation, the TCAT computer-assisted tool, and the TSolution One total knee replacement system. The TSolution One core technology has been used in thousands of successful total joint replacements worldwide. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cleared the TSolution One Total Knee Application in October 2019, and it is commercially available in the U.S. and other countries. THINK Surgical said the new investment will enable it…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 7.85
October 26, 2022
…conducted by the Robotics Society in Finland, independent advisors Gain & Co., and online marketplace HowToRobot.com. “The integrators in Finland are automating things that no one else is willing to do,” Latokartano said. “They are crazy enough to do it – and succeed.” Robots laser-clean fighter jets Examples of the niche applications that robotic companies in Finland are taking on include laser cleaning of body parts for the F-35 combat aircraft, arc welding of cruise ships, and robotic waste sorting using machine learning (see below). Automating such complicated tasks requires special knowledge to be a profitable investment, according to Søren…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 5.13
October 21, 2022
…robots enable goods-to-robot (G2R) use cases, where the greatest gains are yet to be made on the automated warehouse floor. Cobot in action OSARO’s advanced vision software enables robots to see, perceive, grasp, and perform tasks previously done only by humans in e-commerce fulfillment. It allows larger robots—as well as cobots—to manage changes in packaging materials on the fly and reliably handle a vast range of item shapes and SKUs for picking, kitting, and packaging. OSARO vision software is available to integrators and resellers who are working with clients on specific deployments. “Collaborations such as this, with Elm Electrical and…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 1.74
October 16, 2022
…reported that manufacturing in the U.S. added a net gain of 67,000 workers over pre-pandemic levels for the first time since the 1970s. The Times suggested that this uptick is in large measure in response to supply chain issues with China and localizing inventories with new “grey-collar” jobs managing robots. I think Erik Nieves, CEO of Plus One Robotics, said it best at the summit: “Well, it was clear that there was not going to be enough labor to manage all of the deliveries and the packaging as we continue to move our commerce online.” “But COVID acted as an…
