In 2020, Mory Gharib and Alireza Ramezani, two California Institute of Technology researchers, conceptualized a transforming robot. Caltech today announced the Multi-Modality Mobility Morphobot, or M4, which now could be part of future NASA Mars Rover missions. The M4 Morphobot is powered by the NVIDIA Jetson platform for artificial intelligence at the edge and robotics. The institute called the robot the M4 because it can fly, drive, walk, and do eight permutations of motion through a combination of its skills. “It grew in the number of functions that we wanted to do,” said Gharib, a professor of aeronautics and bioinspired…
PACK EXPO 2023 will provide opportunities for the packaging industry to see technologies that can address its unique concerns as well as labor challenges. Epson America Inc. today said it plans to showcase its automation and printing systems “designed to boost efficiency, reduce costs, and elevate overall production processes.” “More businesses are seeing the need to increase packaging and labeling speed,” stated Mark Middendorf, product manager for label printers at Epson America. “Both Epson's robotics and color labeling solutions can be used to help businesses add efficiency and cost savings to operations with innovative, flexible systems.” “This show provides a…
Hirebotics today announced that it will be showing its new products and capabilities for welding and cutting with collaborative robot arms at FABTECH 2023, which will be from Sept. 11 to 14 in Chicago. “We are excited to unveil our new products and capabilities at FABTECH,” said Rob Goldiez, CEO of Hirebotics. “We are proud to offer the most advanced and user-friendly robotic welding and cutting solutions on the market. These game-changing tools and flexible solutions will enable our customers to more quickly and easily integrate our cobot welders to their manufacturing facilities.” Nashville, Tenn.-based Hirebotics said in a release…
While automation adoption has not increased unemployment, a slow U.S. economy and high interest rates have resulted in a decline in North American robot orders for the second quarter in a row after record purchases in 2021 and 2022. Companies ordered 7,697 robots valued at $457 million from April to July 2023, a 37% decline in robot orders and 20% drop in value over the same period in 2022, according to the latest report from the Association for Advancing Automation (A3). When combined with first-quarter results, the robotics market in North America is down 29% in comparison with the first…
Runner Group, a manufacturer of kitchenware and sanitaryware, needed more efficient internal transportation to respond to changing consumer demand. The Xiamen, China-based company decided to build a smart factory and add automation in the form of 12 autonomous mobile robots, or AMRs, from Mobile Industrial Robots ApS. “The implementation of automatic logistics processes empowers us to take a leading position in the sector,” stated Weyland Fambu, director of intelligent operation development platform and intelligent manufacturing at Runner. “Furthermore, the capability of automated logistics processes serves as a key indicator of Runner's long-term competitive edge in manufacturing.” Runner modernizes production, logistics…
Meltio, which described itself as a leader in wire-laser metal deposition additive manufacturing, today announced the Meltio Space software. The company said Meltio Space is a toolpath generator designed to accelerate adoption of its technology and help users benefit from robotic 3D printing without requiring expertise in robotics or programming. “Meltio Space makes it possible to design very reliable parts as quickly as possible and with a wider range of possibilities for our industrial customers,” stated Alejandro Nieto, Meltio Engine product manager. “This is thanks to a very user-friendly interface of the Meltio Engine Robot Integration.” “The learning curve of…
ABB Robotics yesterday announced that it will highlight next-generation collaborative robot technologies to enable metal fabricators “to efficiently weld and cut parts with unmatched simplicity and precision” at FABTECH 2023. The company said it will show its GoFa 12 cobot, which is designed for small to midsize enterprises, fabrication job shops, and first-time users of robotic welding equipment. ”With an emphasis on flexibility, accuracy and ease of use, ABB’s mission is to provide the benefits of the automation industry’s most comprehensive and integrated portfolio of industrial and collaborative robots to metal fabricators of all levels of technical sophistication,” stated John…
As in many sectors, agriculture is suffering a shortage of skilled labor, so farmers are increasingly turning to automation. Apex.AI today announced a project with Bernard KRONE Holding SE & Co. KG and Lemken GmbH to jointly develop commercial-ready autonomous farming systems. Their 'Combined Powers' concept vehicle can autonomously plow, cultivate, sow, mow, turn, and swath. The companies said they are transitioning the carrier vehicle from prototype to series production with Apex.AI's software development kit (SDK), which consists of Apex.Grace and Apex.Ida. During the prototype stage, the functional models did not use any middleware, said Michael Nienhaus, a developer at…
Attendees of PACK EXPO 2023 will see plenty of technologies in Las Vegas, but knowing where to start with automation can be a challenge. Universal Robots offers evaluation advice, a justification calculator, and demonstrations to help. Before you head to PACK EXPO, the collaborative robot leader recommends doing the following three things to assess your packaging and palletizing needs: Take a look at your Top 10 categories of top- and bottom-line improvement. Where does your business stand? What method of measurement are you using to justify your investment in automation? Are you effectively using your internal resources to provide you…
Stray particles can be destructive in electronics production, so robots and the components that support them must minimize contamination. igus yesterday launched the Clean SCARA Cable Solution, which it said is made of high-performance plastics and works almost particle-free, according to ISO Class 2, even in high-speed applications. Microscopic debris can ruin electronic components, semiconductors, and displays, noted igus. Machines moving at high speeds, such as SCARA robots that move along four axes in less than a second, can release particles from corrugated hoses and tubes. “Finding a way to guide cables and hoses on a SCARA robot in a…
