Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 6.48
August 02, 2021
…do in modern supply chains? With advances in perception, manipulation, and mobility, groups of robots can increasingly do the heavy lifting in warehouses, fulfillment centers, and distribution centers. Here are some noteworthy examples of how robots can provide returns on investment: Picking and packing: Robots can now pick items from shelves, package them, and take them to the parking lot. FANUC, which claims to be the world's largest maker of industrial robots, has already produced machines that can pick and package virtually any product. Footwear company Crocs credited 6 River Systems' Chuck mobile robots for helping it meet increased demand…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 6.39
September 23, 2023
…said it has evolved from a developer of mobile manipulation systems to a provider of software and hardware for person-to-goods automation. “This transition has been an exciting and transformational process for us,” said CEO Lance VandenBrook in a press release. “Onward Robotics better reflects the organization’s strong forward trajectory, our bold and purposeful team, and most importantly, our commitment to moving our clients and the global supply chain forward.” Founded in 2012, IAM Robotics had developed the Bolt autonomous mobile robot (AMR) and the Swift autonomous mobile manipulator. In late 2021, the company went into “stealth mode” to refocus its…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 6.13
April 11, 2022
…build a unique robot with social intelligence and mobile manipulation capabilities to help people in their work environments. In 2018, the company debuted Moxi, a collaborative robot assistant that assists clinical staff with routine, not-patient-facing tasks including fetching and delivering supplies, medications, or lab samples. Since launching and integrating into several healthcare systems, Moxi demonstrated improvement in overall clinical flows and gave care team members back valuable time to spend with their patients. “We started implementing Moxi into our clinical workflows in December and planned on going through a trial phase to determine if the technology would be helpful to…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 6.08
March 16, 2023
…Machines Inc. said it has developed haptic intelligence for manipulation tasks that were previously difficult to automate, such as packing, machine tending, and autobagging. Smarter and more dexterous robots sound great, but how can the majority of warehouses, which are not yet automated, get started with them? Robotics 24/7 chatted with Dr. Bernard Casse, founder and CEO of RIOS, about rethinking business models as capital becomes scarce and how the robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) model can enable robot adoption. Do your due diligence Even before Silicon Valley Bank's problems, robotics suppliers and users were complaining about a lack of capital. What does…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 5.98
October 22, 2021
…Genesis, there are no pull wires and no handheld manipulation,” added Fischel. “It uses external magnets for precise positioning and soft plastic to reduce the risk of physical damage to the heart.” During a virtual tour of Stereotaxis' laboratory, Fischel demonstrated the magnets, positioned by two robotic arms, as well as the X-ray, which displayed a simulated cardiac ablation in real time in a control room. Such simulation is useful not only for preoperative planning, but also for training. “In open surgery, the physicians are literally standing over the patients, and in laparoscopic procedures, they're looking through scopes,” he said.…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 5.95
July 26, 2021
…the nature of fulfillment will also change as robotic manipulation improves, said respondents. “There are quite specific challenges in picking groceries compared to normal item picking,” stated Fizyr. “You often have closely stacked items that can stick to each other.” “Secondly, some of the of the materials are reflective, and it can be like looking into a mirror sometimes,” it said. “There’s also transparent wrapping over some products ... and transparent bottles of water in a sixpack, sort of combines all the challenges together. These are all possible to overcome. As much as 85% of items can be picked by…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 5.94
June 25, 2021
…vision, a sense of touch is essential for human-level manipulation. RasLabs originally developed its electroactive polymer with the intention of using it for actuation, said Peter Vicars, CEO of the MassRobotics resident in Boston. “It can change shape with low voltage—12 to 15 volts—by 35%, and there's also an enormous attenuation of force,” he said. “With the smart material, we can make a sensor fit on the end of a traditional robotics gripper, providing a sense of touch similar to our own fingertips.” RasLabs' sensors could fit inside a robotic gripper or prosthetic hand, and it is working on a…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 5.84
May 22, 2020
…he was working on a project to do autonomous manipulation for DARPA – think a robot that would combine the mobility of an AMR with the picking capability of a robotic arm. “I was excited about the commercialization prospects for the technology and started thinking about simple material handling,” he recalled. Around that time, Kiva was acquired by Amazon. That acquisition validated the business opportunity for both roboticists like Galluzzo and the venture capitalists that were funding them. IAM Robotics raised $3 million in angel funding. Initially, Galluzzo says, IAM Robotics was going to focus on modular, low-cost robotic arms,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 5.76
January 19, 2023
…we bring a modern, robotics view to it.” “For manipulation and grasping, we looked at what the market was doing, and we developed our systems and software to do that,” he added. “Exotec's Deepsky software comes with regular updates, so there's one version across our installed base around the world. Wherever Skypod is running, performance optimization is included, so customers don't have to buy updates.” Exotec's plug-and-play approach also helps with scalability and complexity, said Bellamy. “We're building products that are consistent from one site to the next, but we can't afford to treat each project independently,” he observed. “How…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 5.69
October 01, 2019
…flexibility, streamlining workflows and increasing the efficiency of data manipulation and translation. The result is a design process that looks very different from traditional approaches. “The design process of the future requires a connected experience, where data moves seamlessly through a digital pipeline and can be accessed anywhere during product development,” says Vik Vedantham, senior manager of Fusion 360 business strategy at Autodesk. “Contextual representation of information pertinent to rapid decision making is critical to minimize non-productive time. Engineers don’t have the time to learn in-depth workflows. Hence, the solution needs to have built-in automated routines so that the user…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 5.68
August 12, 2021
…a bit.” Although there is some interest in mobile manipulation, it has been more for UR cobot arms on the MiR250, and issues with power and control still need to be worked out, said Charles. “We're seeing more use cases for tasks such as visual inspection for quality control than machine tending or pick-and-place tasks, which don't always make sense for ROI [return on investment],” he said. On the software side, Version 2 of MiR's fleet management software is available, and the company and some of its customers are watching various interoperability efforts. “Our system is fairly open,” said Charles.…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 5.62
January 15, 2023
…result of advances in sensing, navigation, motion control, and manipulation, robotics is no longer an optional tool to boost productivity. The technology has become an essential resource for reshoring U.S. operations or for helping companies to keep their doors open domestically. “Automation and robotics reduce overhead costs on labor, improve production efficiency, and allow human employees to focus on tasks that require human intelligence,” said OMRON's Choy. “In the past, companies were prevented from taking advantage of this technology due to the capital and long-term costs, in addition to a lack of expertise to integrate and maintain these systems.” “With…
