|
From the Editor
Multi-purpose, Multi-Task Robots Gain Momentum
There were a ton of robots seen at last week’s CES 2023 event in Las Vegas, so much so that we will present more news from the show in next week’s digest. What impressed me a lot was the Aeolus Robotics aeo robot, a mobile robot with dual arms designed to be able to perform multiple tasks. The robot can move, open and close doors, and perform tasks like disinfect a room, all from the same robot. In the past, robots could basically perform just one, maybe two tasks. In order for a separate task to occur, you would need to get a new robot, which makes little to no sense in terms of any return on investment. With aeo, an organization can use the robot to patrol rooms (with security monitoring via the robot’s cameras), disinfect them, open doors and close them to check on patients, for example, and retrieve items in cabinets or refrigerators. This goes above and beyond what we’ve seen before, and it should be interesting to see whether the company can deploy these in beneficial locations, such as eldercare facilities where the robots can provide multiple tasks to assist human workers. – Keith Shaw, Managing Editor. |
|
|
|
Aeolus Launches Dual-Arm Humanoid Mobile Robot for Multiple Tasks
|
|
At CES 2023 in Las Vegas, Aeolus Robotics has introduced aeo, a dual-arm humanoid robot that can perform several service tasks, including delivery, security, eldercare, kiosk operation and ultraviolet germicidal disinfection. The company said its hands-on approach to service, operated by aeo, combines mobility with advanced functionality to perform tasks such as opening doors, picking up objects, and riding elevators. The company said aero is available as a robot-as-a-service (RaaS), and features plug-and-play attachments and integration with third-party developers, such as Asratech of Japan and Malibu AI in Taiwan. The dual arms have seven degrees-of-freedom (DOF), which allow aeo to perform tasks such as delivery or disinfection with one arm, while the other arm is free for mobility tasks such as operating elevators or opening doors. |
|
|
|
Ottonomy.IO Unveils Ottobot Yeti for Unattended Deliveries
|
|
Ottonomy.IO has unveiled Ottobot Yeti, an autonomous unattended delivery robot designed for curbside, first-mile and last-mile deliveries, locker integration and automating the return process for retailers. Ottobot 2.0, introduced in Q3 2022, is a fully customizable and modular robot that features interchangeable cabins and specializations based on the needs of retail, restaurants, and curbside deliveries. Designed with accessibility and directional mobility in mind, the Ottobot 2.0 utilizes Ottonomy’s proprietary contextual mobility navigation to autonomously navigate through crowded and unpredictable environments. In 2022, Ottonomy demonstrated autonomous deliveries across a range of terrain and in varying inclement weather conditions, to show sustainable solutions for automating deliveries for multiple use cases at scale. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dandy Technology Unveils Weed-Killing Lawn Robots
|
|
Dandy Technology, a Boston technology company making robots that simplify daily tasks, has unveiled the first robots of its forthcoming line of lawncare products: the Dandy DT-01 and Dandy DT-01XL for home lawns. Dandy consumer lawn care robots are designed to eliminate weeds, save time and money, and limit the impact of herbicides on the environment with its spot treatment method. Dandy said it uses AI and visual processing to locate common broadleaf weeds among the grass (with more than 95% accuracy) before spraying them directly with a small dose of herbicide – without human intervention. |
|
|
|
Cepton Launches Vista-X120 Plus Slim Lidar
|
|
Cepton, which develops high-performance lidar solutions, has announced its new lidar, the Vista-X120 Plus. The slim, software definable top-end automotive lidar aims to provide real-time adaptive 3D perception. Cepton said it will showcase the technology this week at CES 2023 in Las Vegas. Expanding on Cepton’s commercially scalable Vista-X90 lidar, the X120 Plus version offers higher performance and embeddability – a 500% increase in data rate, a 30-degree wider field of view, and more than 20% reduction in size and 50% reduction in height, the company said. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
LG Innotek to Show Camera Modules for Autonomous Driving at CES 2023
|
|
LG Innotek said it will introduce its ‘High-magnification Optical Telephoto Zoom Camera Module’ at CES 2023. The High-magnification Optical Telephoto Zoom Camera Module has received the CES 2023 Innovation Award and will be revealed to the public for the first time.
Visitors to the ‘Automotive Solution Zone’, will see LG’s electronic components for autonomous driving. These will include the high-tech camera module designed to “recognize the driving situation,” a lidar module that scans the surrounding environment of the vehicle through 360-degree omni-directional sensing, and the Radar module that detects the direction, speed and distance of objects inside and outside the vehicle. |
|
|
|
SOSLAB to Show 3D Solid-State Lidar in Automotive Lamps at CES
|
|
SOSLab has announced the release of its next-generation 3D solid-state lidar for automotive lamps. The ML-X lidar will be demonstrated at the CES 2023 event. The ML-X minimizes size while enhancing range performance and resolution by more than double compared to its previous version, SOSLAB said. The ML-X tripled angular resolution (0.5 degrees to 0.208 degrees at 120-degree field of view), and also reduced its overall size and weight to 9.5 cm by 5 cm by 10.2 cm and 860 grams by adopting an exclusive system on chip for laser control in the transmission unit. The company said it also expects the ML-X to maximize the convenience of users, as it does not require an additional external module for the operation of lidar. |
|
|
|
|
|
In Case You Missed It
Supernal Teams with Microsoft’s Project AirSim to Advance Autonomous Flight
Supernal announced a collaboration with Microsoft to advance autonomy, digital operations and cloud integration technologies for the aviation industry by running Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) on the Microsoft cloud platform. During the initial phase of the collaboration, Microsoft will provide Supernal early access to Project AirSim, an artificial intelligence (AI)-first simulation platform, to safely build, test, train and validate autonomous patterns. Project AirSim provides libraries of pretrained AI models and planet-scale 3D environments representing urban and rural landscapes, as well as a partner ecosystem offering synthetic data generation to help accelerate development of aerial autonomy aircraft through simulation. Project AirSim uses Azure to generate significant amounts of environment and sensory data to train machine learning models that simulate all phases of flight and variable weather. Read More |
|
SPONSORED VIDEO
Oriental Motor's AZ Series mini Driver
The AZ Series mini Driver from Oriental Motor works with a variety of AlphaStep AZ Series, DC input products. This driver can be controlled using EtherCAT or RS-485 communication and daisy chained to maximize design, space and improve installation time. The mini Driver is also designed to be close to the motor, making it ideal for robotic applications. The elimination of switches and I/O connectors allows for a compact and lightweight design. Utilizes the MEXE02 Support Software, available for free download. Watch the video HERE. |
|
|
|
|
Featured Article
Feature: How IR Cameras Enable Machine Vision Capabilities
Simply put, machine vision is the ability of an electronic system to see. Advanced processing systems analyze images to make a decision or classification. Automated product inspection, face recognition, and collision avoidance technology are possible thanks to machine vision technology. Machine vision cameras must operate with total reliability all day, every day, for many years, even in tough environments where there might be constant vibrations. Read More |
|
|
Industry News
- Pudu Robotics to Expand Sales of Multifunctional, Multi-Location Service Robots
Shenzhen-based and founded in 2016, Pudu Robotics is a tech-focused commercial service robot manufacturer dedicated to the R&D, production and sales of commercial service robots that enhance human productivity and quality of life. As of the end of 2022, PUDU said it was exporting robots to over 60 countries, serving customers in more than 600 cities. PUDU reportedly shipped more than 53,000 devices in 2022, and plans to expand its service robots business in 2023. Pudu said it has partnered with a number of world-known brands and companies, including McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Carrefour, Marriott, Hilton, Shell, MediaMarkt and Accenture. In addition to catering businesses, Pudu said its obots have been deployed at hotels, shopping malls, convenience stores and office buildings. A major focus for Pudu is after-sale customer services.
- Davinci Motor Launching Futuristic Electric Motorcycle at CES 2023
Davinci Motor, a Chinese manufacturer of high-performance robotic electric motorcycles, said it will showcase its futuristic DC100 electric motorcycle at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). It will be the first time that the company’s products will have been shown in the U.S. market. The new DC100 motorcycle is designed to rival traditional 1,000 cc motorcycles in terms of performance. Davinci said its engineers have sought to strike a balance between acceleration, speed, and range. The DC100 is reportedly capable of accelerating from 0-60 mph (0-100 km/h) in 3 seconds before topping out at 124 mph (200 km/h). At the same time, it boasts a range in excess of 249 mi (400 km). A full charge takes half an hour using level 3 DC fast-charging stations.
- Ouster, Cyngn Team to Deliver Lidar-Powered Autonomy for Industrial Vehicles
High-resolution lidar provider Ouster said it has signed a strategic customer agreement with Cyngn, which develops autonomous driving systems for industrial and commercial use cases. The agreement will add Ouster’s new REV7 digital lidar sensors to Cyngn’s DriveMod platform, which delivers autonomous solutions for existing and new material handling vehicles. Ouster said it will showcase the DriveMod platform outfitted with a REV7 sensor on a Columbia Stockchaser cargo vehicle at its booth at CES 2023 this week in Las Vegas.
- Addverb, VelocitI Alliance Team Up to Automate Convenience and Grocery Intralogistics
Automation solutions provider Addverb has announced a partnership with Velociti Alliance to bring new warehouse automation and robotics applications to the convenience store and grocery supply chain space. Addverb’s portfolio of mobile robots, automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS), picking technologies and software will be integrated with Velociti Alliance’s solutions to enable wholesale distribution centers and warehouses to increase their storage capacity and pick throughput. Systems such as Addverb’s Quadron Carton Shuttle, the Medius Multi-Level Shuttle, along with goods-to-person stations powered by Concinity (Addverb’s warehouse execution software) aim to improve efficiency by up to three times more than conventional mechanized and manually operated warehouses, the company said.
|
|
|
Autonomous Vehicles
Continental to Present Sensor Solution for Autonomous Trucks at CES
Continental has announced a new sensor solution designed for commercial vehicles, which it will demonstrate at CES 2023 later this week in Las Vegas. The Continental Sensor Array provides an answer to the growing number of intelligent and automated driving systems in commercial vehicles, as its multi-sensor system can be mounted above modern vehicle windshields to provide a compact, integrated solution to manage new complex environments for commercial vehicles. Higher levels of automation, such as L4, will require a larger number of different sensors that can be installed intelligently, quickly, and safely, Continental said. WIth the Sensor Array solution, all integrated sensors – including lidar, radars and cameras – are pre-calibrated and coordinate with each other. Read More |
|
BENTELER Group to Debut HOLON Electric Passenger Mover at CES 2023
HOLON, a BENTELER Group brand, said it will debut its autonomous, electric mover for at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2023 in Las Vegas. The vehicle is built to automotive standards “safety, ride comfort, and production quality.” The HOLON mover operates autonomously with a maximum speed of 60 km/h (37mph). It has a range of about 290 kilometers (180 miles). Applications include on-demand services, such as ride pooling and ride hailing, but also normal scheduled services. A pilot project has been announced in Germany with Hamburg’s Hochbahn, the country’s second-largest mass transit company. Read More |
|
Space Robotics
Intuitive Machines Adds Dymon’s Yaoki Commercial Lunar Rover to its Second Mission
Intuitive Machines, which develops space exploration and infrastructure systems, and Japan-based robotics company, Dymon Co., have signed an agreement to fly Dymon’s Yaoki rover on Intuitive Machines’ second mission to the Moon. Yaoki is expected to be flown to the lunar south pole on board Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lunar lander in the second half of 2023. After landing, Yaoki is expected to deploy from Nova-C to demonstrate Dymon’s lunar mobility technology designed by its founder and CEO, Shin-ichiro Nakajima. The agreement leverages Intuitive’s Lunar Access Services and Lunar Data Services to land the Yaoki rover on the Moon and control it via secure lunar communications, the companies said. Read More |
|
GITAI USA Launches Space Robotics Operations in the U.S.
GITAI, founded in 2016 by Sho Nakanose, is a leading provider of space robots in Japan. GITAI is developing space exploration robots to help build and maintain satellites, space stations, lunar bases, and even cities on Mars. The company’s planned expansion to the U.S. marks a notable step in its growth and potentially brings its innovative space robots to a wider market. Operating in the U.S. from its Los Angeles-based office, GITAI said it will initially focus on the commercial space station support. The company reportedly plans to hire more than 50 new employees in the U.S. in 2023. Read More |
|
About Us Unsubscribe Privacy Policy |
This email was sent to @. |
|