Clearpath Robotics’ CEO Matt Rendall has been selected to join the Board of Directors for Robotic Industries Association (RIA) as one of four at-large directors. “I am honored to take on the position of Director at-Large within RIA,” Rendall said. “RIA is an indispensable resource for the robotics industry, an industry that is entering a hyper-growth phase. I’m hoping to bring a fresh perspective on emerging technologies like self-driving vehicles and mobile manipulation, as well as start-ups and venture capital.” The Director At-Large positions were announced at RIA’s Annual General Meeting on February 2, 2016 in Orlando, Fla. The RIA…
Many transportation/logistic organizations are applying a new wave of robotic process automation (RPA), a “no coding” approach that integrates and automates data-driven activities. And since RPA sits on top of your organization’s existing technology, it’s both complementary to core systems and non-disruptive for day-to-day business. In short, robotic process automation solves problems that were previously unsolvable. Get your copy of “Complete the Productivity Picture” and learn how to maximize growth and profits by integrating processes across the supply chain ecosystem.
On Saturday, 9 January, FIRST, a not-for-profit public charity designed to inspire young people’s interest and participation in science and technology, officially announced the rules and game-playing details for its 2016 FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC). This year’s FRC, titled FIRST STRONGHOLD (watch video of game rules), is expected to involve nearly 80,000 high school students on more than 3,100 participating teams throughout the world. Working with adult mentors, students have six weeks to design, build, program, and test their robots to meet the season’s engineering challenge. Saturday’s kickoff event, held in Manchester, N.H., was broadcast live to the participating teams…
Hyster-Yale Group has entered into a preferred vendor cooperation agreement with robotics specialist Balyo to market self-guided trucks in North America. Through this agreement, Hyster-Yale Group, the manufacturer of Hyster and Yale lift trucks, will broaden its capabilities by offering robotic high-productivity solutions for the materials handling industry, while Balyo aims to accelerate adoption of its robotic solutions. The Balyo technology enables trucks to navigate without the help of any reflectors, wires or magnets. Instead the technology selects structural elements of the facility to build a map. Once the map is created, each self-guided truck compares, in real time, what…
Located outside Nashville in Fairview, Tenn., Scott Fetzer Electrical Group (SFEG) is a manufacturer of a range of electrical motors and components. As a high-mix, low-volume producer, the company was challenged to automate lines that are not always running. As an alternative to more costly, fixed industrial robots, the company deployed a fleet of collaborative mobile robots to automate monotonous and repetitive tasks. “We wanted to build a mobile, flexible robot workforce,” says Matthew Bush, director of operations at SFEG. “The only way we would accomplish this was with a collaborative robot. It’s got the speed and precision of a…
Continued consolidation, rapid technological advancements and labor challenges point toward an ambitious new year. Here’s a look back at the biggest materials handling newsmakers in 2015. Mergers and acquisitions Swisslog acquires warehouse automation provider FORTE Industries in the United States FORTE plans, designs and implements material handling automation systems with warehouse execution software (WES) as the core of each solution. Click here for analysis from Bob Trebilcock, Modern’s executive editor. Dematic announces agreement to acquire Reddwerks Leading global supplier of integrated automated technology to acquire leading provider of warehouse execution software. Click here for analysis from Bob Trebilcock, Modern’s executive…
The Raymond Corporation contributed to 75 nonprofit organizations in 2015, as well as concentrated its efforts on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. In 2015, Raymond collaborated with high schools, trade schools, colleges and universities to stress the critical role STEM plays in manufacturing and the material handling industry. Through financial contributions, facility tours, mentoring, a cooperative and other programs, Raymond encouraged students to see manufacturing, engineering and related fields as viable choices for future careers. Here are a few highlights from the year: National Manufacturing Day: In October, more than 250 students from 12 Southern Tier of New…
Market research and consulting firm IDC has released its annual list of manufacturing supply chain predictions, which highlight the growing urgency to innovate. The IDC FutureScape provides IDC Manufacturing Insights’ top 10 predictions for global supply chains for 2016. The document reflects ongoing conversations between IDC analysts and technology vendors, consultants, and IT buyers about what the coming years will hold for companies in the manufacturing industry. Among them is a prediction that by the end of 2016 one-third of all manufacturers will be actively integrating their “traditional” supply chain processes with product and network design, manufacturing, and service. “The…
RoboUniverse, produced by Mecklermedia, is making its west coast debut in San Diego this month. Like most Mecklermedia events (which include shows focused on 3D printing, virtual reality, and Bitcoin), RoboUniverse is on a “world tour” that includes the following stops: Shanghai: December 8-10, 2015 San Diego: December 14-16, 2015 Singapore: January 26-27, 2016 New York: April 10-12, 2016 Dubai: April 20-21, 2016 Mexico City: May 31-June 2, 2016 Seoul: June 22-24, 2016 Launched at the Javits Convention Center in New York City in May of this year, RoboUniverse is a conference with multiple tracks that address the use of…
