Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.19
General-purpose robots are still the stuff of science fiction, but there's no doubt that automation is becoming part of our daily lives, from vacuum cleaners to fast fulfillment of e-commerce orders. How close are adaptable robots to reality? Apptronik Inc. is developing humanoid models and is watching how the rest of the robotics industry is advancing. “We're really at an exciting inflection point where robots are becoming more and more useful and expanding the number of people who can gain value,” said Jeff Cardenas, CEO of Apptronik. “They're becoming easier to use and more accessible, doing more and costing less…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.18
Factories and fulfillment centers are huge, complex, and constantly changing. Whenever a new vehicle rolls off an assembly line or an e-commerce order arrives within hours, robots and artificial intelligence can enable greater efficiency. NVIDIA Corp. today introduced its Isaac AMR platform, which extends the company's toolkit for building and deploying robotics applications, bringing mapping, site analytics, and fleet optimization onto NVIDIA EGX servers. “Isaac AMR is built on NVIDIA AI and Isaac Sim on Omniverse and is deployed with Fleet Command,” said Richard Kerris, vice president of Omniverse at NVIDIA. Omniverse is the Santa Clara, Calif.-based company's scalable reference…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.16
The combination of robots and other equipment promises to help supply chains achieve new levels of efficiency. Bespoke Manufacturing Co. has chosen S&H Systems Inc. and Zebra Techologies Corp.'s automation to improve visibility and productivity, announced Zebra today. The Phoenix-based apparel manufacturer will use autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) from Zebra unit Fetch Robotics, as well as Zebra's fixed industrial scanners. Zebra said its technologies will free front-line workers at Bespoke Manufacturing Co. (BMC) from repetitive tasks to focus on higher-value assignments. “With Zebra’s unique solution, we are able to realize significant savings in labor time while retaining an ability to…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.14
ABB Robotics today announced that it will display next-generation robotics intended to enable manufacturers to efficiently adapt production to variable market demands at Automate 2023. The company will exhibit at Booth 5623 in the Huntington Place Convention Center in Detroit from May 22 to 25. Auburn Hills, Mich.-based ABB Robotics said its industrial automation, collaborative robots, and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) provide flexibility and simplicity to businesses at all levels of technical sophistication. “We see a huge demand for automation in the U.S. as companies look to address issues such as labor shortages, consumer demand for personalized products, and the…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.08
To hear John Santagate tell it, in the not-too-distant future we’ll see warehouse dock workers wearing robotic exoskeleton suits and lifting 200-pound boxes in Ironman-esque fashion with no other assistance. With very little exertion, and without the typical ergonomic problems associated with the continuous lifting and moving of heavy items, these futuristic “exosuits” will help ensure higher safety levels—and a speedier process overall—in an area of the warehouse where hefting heavy loads is the norm. This is just one example of how the convergence of humans and robots could play out in the warehouse and distribution center (DC) of the…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.05
LAS VEGAS—The Manifest 2023 conference here last month featured panel discussions and exhibits around many of the latest supply chain technologies, from autonomous trucks and mobile robots to automated storage and software. With post-COVID-19 e-commerce shifts, ongoing labor shortages, and recessionary fears as a given, most of the speakers, exhibitors, and attendees at this year's Manifest were still bullish on automation. They acknowledged the challenges of identifying the best robots for a particular job, as well as the growing needs for interoperability and easy ways to collect, analyze, and present data. Manifest attendance doubles in second year More than 3,000…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.05
Tasked with supporting the fulfillment across a growing number of distribution channels, warehouses and distribution centers (DCs) are increasingly looked upon as strategic business assets versus cost centers. Where in the past a warehouse or DC was simply a storage facility for goods or a place to put “stuff” as it made its way through the supply chain, the modern-day facility must be agile and capable enough to support brick-and-mortar, e-commerce, B2B, home deliveries and parcel shipments—to name just a few. Achieving this balance requires one of two things: a whole lot of labor and real estate, or advanced technology…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.04
Unique customer demands and market pressures continue to prompt companies to seek innovative ways to effectively manage their processing and packaging operations, noted Yaskawa Motoman. Robots promise to save energy, reduce waste, optimize workflows, and assist a more resilient workforce, said the Miamisburg, Ohio-based company. Attendees of PACK EXPO from Sept. 11 to 13 will be able to meet with Yaskawa's industry experts at Booth C-4044 in the Las Vegas Convention Center. “This year’s show will host nearly 30,000 attendees and highlight the latest in packaging and logistics technology – including Yaskawa’s high-performance robotic solutions,” said Chris Caldwell, product manager…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.04
The convergence of emerging market trends and recent technological advances has opened the door for autonomous mobile robots, or AMRs, to take on more tasks in manufacturing and supply chain operations. The changes don't stop there, however. Today, adopters of AMRs have begun to shift into high gear, transitioning from pilot projects involving small numbers of robots to “fleet-size” implementations. For example, Zebra Technologies' roller-top AMRs are making inroads into factories, warehouses, and distribution centers (see image, above right). These robots, built on Fetch Robotics' Freight 100 bases, are taking on more and more collaborative roles. This is thanks to…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.03
Robotics manufacturer FANUC America recently announced it will demonstrate a range of its robots at the Automate 2022 trade show in Detroit. That includes the company’s first stainless steel food grade delta robot for picking and packing primary food products, the DR-3ib/6 STAINLESS delta robot. The new DR-3iB/6 STAINLESS delta robot, using a Soft Robotics gripper, will pick bakery, dairy, and meat products from the middle section of the demonstration’s work area and place them in specified zones. Stainless-steel design for food packing environment The DR-3iB/6 STAINLESS features a fully enclosed stainless-steel body that is resistant to the chemicals and…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.02
How do you design a warehouse to support sales of €1 billion ($1.16 billion U.S.) per year? That warehouse will have to support multiple business channels, including regional business-to-business customers as well as a global distribution network. That was the question put to the logistics team at HARTING Technology Group in 2012. “After 20 years, the software running our existing European distribution center was unstable, and we needed more space and throughput capacity,” recalled Achim Meyer, managing director of logistics at HARTING Technology Group. The German company is the logistics arm of HARTING, one of the world’s largest suppliers of…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.02
WiBotic Inc., which provides wireless charging hardware and software, yesterday announced that two of its systems have received CE Mark approval. Products must meet strict European Economic Area safety, health, and environmental regulations to get CE Marks. The Seattle-based company noted that the approvals build on its prior certifications under similar U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirements. “There are growing certifications not just in wireless charging, but also across robotics,” said Ben Waters, co-founder and CEO of WiBotic. “For instance, the importance of energy efficiency has elevated as electrification has grown as an industry. We want to make sure our…