Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 15.68
…the type of controls required for drone racing, which Lockheed Martin has made investments in recently. “Why is this problem important? It is beautiful because you are competing with a human pilot,” Kayacan says. “The drone has to see the correct gates, estimate where they are and then decide the trajectory, and you need a really good controller. Can we compete with a human pilot? Over the next five to ten years, it will happen.” The lab uses a mix of off-the-shelf drones and drones that the team designs from scratch and creates using an filament fusion fabrication 3D printer.…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 15.30
…manufacturing. Fixtureless Robotic Assembly and Manufacturing Environment (FRAME) Source: Lockheed Martin Principal Investigator: Lockheed Martin Project Team: University of Southern California, Carnegie Mellon University, and CapSen Robotics Project Description: This project seeks to build a configurable robotic system for fixtureless and dynamic high mix/low volume (HMLV) manufacturing that identifies/inspects assembly parts, autonomously plans motion and tasks, and optimizes human collaboration with the robotic manufacturing cell. By eliminating fixturing, this project enables rapid cell repurposing and reduces production costs. To reinforce cell agility and throughput, task planners will take in high-level assembly instructions and decompose tasks between humans and robots based…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 15.24
…It has also received funding from strategic investors including Lockheed Martin Ventures and Prosperity7, as well as angel investors including early Uber executives. The Chaparral autonomous VTOL cargo aircraft initially uses a hybrid-electric powertrain. Source: Elroy Air LCI commits to Elroy Air's long-term growth LCI said its investment in Elroy Air's system underpins its long-term commitment to sustainable growth and innovation. Under the terms of the deposit-backed agreement, LCI will initially acquire 20 aircraft with an option for a total of up to 40 units. “We have been impressed with Elroy Air's vision and approach and look forward to working…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 13.59
…company's customers include the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), Lockheed Martin Corp., and Ford Motor Co. It said the DoD alone represents a $20 billion revenue opportunity. In addition to its FlashFuse technology and polymer- and polymer-composite products, Essentium said it is developing metal additive systems to offer unique metallurgies and advanced microstructures for applications with demanding structural integrity. The company added that it expects its investments in metal printing systems and digital manufacturing initiatives to create opportunities in an estimated $318 billion TAM. SPAC looks to advance sustainable additive manufacturing Upon completion of the transaction with special-purpose acquisition company…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 12.45
…robotic assembly and manufacturing environment (FRAME) 2.0 Principal Investigator: Lockheed Martin Project Team: University of Southern California, Carnegie Mellon University, and Yaskawa Motoman Description: This project will build on the outputs from the ARM Institute-funded FRAME project. FRAME is a fixtureless high mix/low volume (HMLV) manufacturing cell with widespread applicability to both defense and commercial manufacturing challenges, highlighted by human-machine interaction and cobot technologies to increase efficiency, reduce downtime, and increase cell yield. FRAME 2.0 will center on addressing a wider range of part sizes and complex assembly scenarios and advancing the project into a functional pilot line. Adaptive robotic…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.43
…former naval officer and worked on energy technology at Lockheed Martin. After working at a few automation startups, once of which AT&T acquired, Williams joined Exyn two years ago, just as it began transitioning from pure research to commercialization. Drones plus AI, minus pilots Can you briefly describe Exyn's approach to autonomy and how it differs from that of other drone inspection providers? Williams: We believe that industries need to find a way to digitize their worlds so they can apply machine learning and artificial intelligence to data. Then they can apply that big data to informed decisions back in…