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From the Editor
Partnerships With Traditional Vendors Help Robot Companies Expand Reach
One of the best ways for a robot company to move beyond the startup stage and expand their business is through partnerships with traditional companies in the market sector they are trying to address. We saw that this week with Gatik, which develops autonomous truck solutions for medium-sized trucks that handle middle-mile logistics for Walmart and other companies. The company partnered up with Cummins to integrate the Cummins powertrain technology into Gatik’s automated driving systems. Gatik also has partnered with Ryder and Goodyear on other integrations, showing that it wants to work with companies that have been around for a long time to help bring autonomy into their industry. It seems like a win-win for both parties – the robotics company earns legitimacy by partnering with an established company, and the established company can now say they are working on innovative technologies. Nothing like a win-win, right? – Keith Shaw, Managing Editor |
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Dobot Expands Lineup of Non-Contact Cobots
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Dobot and its U.S.-based distributor DB Cobots, has announced the addition of its 3 kg and 10 kg cobots to the existing 5 kg version of the Safe Skin models, to enable more industries and companies to use collaborative robots (aka cobots) with the safest technology available. Dobot’s standard line of industrial cobots are inherently safe by stopping when the arm makes contact with an object, the company said. The Safe Skin add-on, a silicone-buffered wearable collision-detecting product customized by Dobot, offers an additional layer of safety by allowing the robot arm to sense and object and stop before the arm touches the object. When the object is removed, the robot arm continues along its original path. |
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AiM Medical Robots Unveils MRI-Compatible Robot Prototype
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AiM Medical Robotics, which is developing MRI-compatible intraoperative robotics for neurosurgery, has announced a prototype of its robotics platform, as well as funding from the Sontag Innovation Fund, one of the largest private funders of brain cancer research in the U.S. The new investment comes subsequent to the close of AiM’s seed financing round, which was announced in March 2022. The Worcester, Mass.-based company’s robotic platform is currently focused on a MRI-compatible system that is precision-focused, portable, and able to be used with any diagnostic MRI scanner. |
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LAPP Introduces New Extreme Temperature Cables
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LAPP North America, which manufactures cables, connectors, glands and other industrial communication solutions for factory automation, has announced the ÖLFLEX HEAT 260 SC heat-resistant single-core industrial cable now carries UL AWM certification /cRU AWM A/B. Designed for applications that are subject to extreme temperatures, the ÖLFLEX HEAT 260 SC cable features polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) insulation to provide exceptional resistance to acids, alkalis, solvents, oils, other chemicals and UV exposure. Rugged construction allows ÖLFLEX HEAT 260 SC to resist cracks during frequent ambient temperature fluctuations while exhibiting a wide temperature range of -190°C to +260°C, with a UL/CSA rating of up to 200°C. |
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Cellula Robotics Demonstrates Hydrogen-Powered AUV Missions
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Canada-based Cellula Robotics has announced the successful completion of several demonstration missions of a hydrogen fuel-cell powered autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), the Solus-LR. The missions were performed in Vancouver’s Indian Arm inlet on July 15, 2022. In the mission, a micro-AUV was launched from Solus-LR while it was submerged in the water. Following the launch, the micro-AUV surfaced and transmitted a status message to Solus-LR’s command and control center via Iridium satellite. Cellula said the operation was the first of its kind, and demonstrated near real-time, over-the-horizon communications from a submerged AUV. |
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China’s LSLiDAR Launches 1550nm Lidar for Automotive OEMs
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Shenzhen, China-based LSLiDAR, which develops 3D sensing solutions, has announced the launch of its LS series 1550nm fiber laser automotive-grade lidar, designed to meet long-range and high-resolution sensing requirements for advanced driving and assistance (ADAS) Level 3+ applications. Equipped with an in-house fiber laser design, the LS series aims to deliver unrivaled performance and achieve best-in-class affordability in a compact form factor, the company said. |
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Mezli Rolls Out Autonomous Restaurant to Bay Area Customers
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KitchenTown, a San Francisco Bay Area innovation center that helps entrepreneurs create the future of food, has announced that Mezli, a fully autonomous restaurant, has rolled out from its 30,000-square-foot San Mateo campus and is now parked at Mission Bay’s Spark Social to be open to the public. The Mezli technology has robots that are able to create custom-plating Mediterranean-style bowls for each order, provide final heating and cooking steps, apply garnishes, sauces and toppings to the bowls, and serve the bowls, side orders and drinks through smart lockers. |
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In Case You Missed It
FAA Awards $2.7M for Drone Research for Emergency, Disaster Response
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has awarded $2.7 million to support research on how drones can assist in disaster preparedness and in emergency situations. The research aims to explore the use of drones in providing effective and efficient responses to different natural and human-made disasters, the FAA said. It will address coordination procedures among drone operators from federal agencies, as well as state and local disaster and emergency response organizations. Read More |
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Sponsored Content
BLV Series R Type Brushless DC Motors
The new BLV Series R motors feature high power with reduced size and weight and are designed for battery-powered input type applications, such as automated guided vehicles, autonomous mobile robots and conveyors. Read More. |
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Featured Article
How Robots are Rebooting Sorting Processes at Distribution Centers
In the e-commerce sector, the COVID-19 pandemic caused exponential growth, leading to a world of consumers with an insatiable demand to conveniently shop online for the most basic and most necessary items. For companies tasked with sorting and delivering these orders, the rise of volume has caused many challenges, including labor shortages. These factors have accelerated the adoption of robotics and automation. According to an MHI report on the supply chain in 2020, the adoption rate for robotics and automation increased more than any other supply chain technology between 2019 and 2020. The adoption rate of robotics clocked in at 32%, and adoption of automation at 39%. Read More. |
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Robotics News
- Percepto Drones Help Monitor Hydro-Floating Solar Farm
Percepto, which develops autonomous inspection through industrial robotics, has announced the successful completion of a proof-of-concept (POC) with the Electric Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) for the monitoring of a 250-acre floating solar farm, one of the largest of this type in the world. At the size of 70 soccer fields, and located 350 meters from the nearest shoreline, the solar farm is on the Sirindhorn dam basin in Southeastern Thailand, and consists of seven sections floating on buoys. Partnering with Top Engineering Corp., a Thai drone consultancy and equipment provider, Perceptio’s AIM software and Air drone-in-a-box will enable autonomous routine inspections of panels and other equipment to ensure proper operation and detect anomalies before they become bigger issues.
- AeroVironment Acquires Planck Aerosystems to Advance Unmanned Aircraft
AeroVironment, which develops intelligent, multi-domain robotic systems, has announced it acquired Planck Aerosystems, which develops advanced unmanned aircraft navigation solutions. The acquisition aims to accelerate AeroVironment's development of advanced autonomy capabilities, the company said. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded in 2014, San Diego-based Planck has worked closely with customers from the U.S. Department of Defense, security agencies, allied governments and offshore industries to develop customer-centric unmanned aircraft solutions. Planck’s products include embedded technologies and fully integrated unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), as well as providing technical expertise in UAS guidance and navigation, autonomy and artificial intelligence.
- U.S. Navy Orders VideoRay’s Defender ROVs for Underwater Missions
VideoRay LLC, which develops remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) for underwater tasks, has announced that the U.S. Navy has placed a large and diverse order for its Defender ROVs. The Navy is standardizing on VideoRay Defender Mission Specialist systems due to its capabilities, flexibility and upgradability of several systems deployed since 2019, the company said. Recent new capabilities for Defender systems are evolving rapidly due to close cooperation testing and development between VideoRay, its component manufacturers and several units of the Navy. These include the ability to autonomously identify and defeat underwater mines and perform other tasks with minimal or no active user input. Defender units now can go deeper, can be equipped with batteries and lightweight splash-proof controllers and communicate without tethers over long distances underwater.
- Sabanto Raises $17M to Advance Agriculture Autonomy
Sabanto, which develops technology to add autonomy to existing agricultural equipment, has announced raising $17 million in Series A funding. Funding will be used to increase its farming-as-a-service operations to more farms, on more crops, across more states. The company said it has been able to automate a variety of row crop field operations over significant acres throughout the Midwest. Leveraging a fleet of smaller 60 and 90 HP tractors, Sabanto has autonomously tilled, planted, seeded, weeded, applied and mowed across Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Texas. The company’s mission control platform can deploy multiple systems for multiple days of non-stop operation. For example, the company once was able to plant more than 750 acres of corn and soybeans in one season with a single 60 HP tractor.
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Partnerships
Dematic, Dexterity Team up to Advance Supply Chain Automation
Dematic has announced a strategic partnership with Dexterity, which provides warehouse robotics, to offer full-task robotics as part of Dematic’s intelligent automation solutions. The relationship will see Dematic selling and deploying Dexterity robotics globally and facilitate Dexterity’s entry into the European market. Through the combination of advanced supply chain solutions with robotics, the partnership aims to provide fully integrated, autonomous, and scalable solutions to the market – from specific subsystems to complete operations, Dematic said. The company aims to deploy robotic systems already contracted with Dexterity’s consumer goods manufacturing, retail and parcel customers, as well as sell and deploy Dexterity solutions within its own warehouse, distribution and order fulfillment customers over the next several years. Read More |
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Gatik, Cummins to Collaborate on Engine-Autonomy Integration
Gatik, which develops autonomous middle-mile logistics transportation solutions, has announced a collaboration with Cummins, Inc. The two companies will integrate Gatik’s autonomous driving system with Cummins’ advanced powertrain solution in Gatik’s fleet of medium-duty trucks. The Cummins powertrain solutions provide performance and fuel economy through the integration of hardware and software. Under the collaboration, Cummins will utilize its suite of advanced software features to integrate its powertrain solution to enable Drive-by-wire (DbW) for Gatik’s medium-duty (class 6) Isuzu FTR fleet with the Cummins B6.7 engine. Read More |
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Aerial Robot News
U.S. Army Picks AeroVironment JUMP for Unmanned Aircraft Tests
AeroVironment has announced it received an Other Transaction Agreement award from the U.S. Army for Increment 1 of the Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System (FTUAS). The contract includes the purchase, testing and delivery of one JUMP 20 medium unmanned aircraft system (MUAS) to a selected Army Brigade Combat Team (BCT) and associated services, training and support. The JUMP 20 is the fixed-wing unmanned aircraft system (UAS) capable of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) to be deployed extensively in support of U.S. military forces, AeroVironment said. Ideal for multi-mission operations, JUMP 20 delivers more than 14 hours of endurance, a standard operational range of 115 miles (185 km), and is runway-independent. Read More |
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Reliable Robotics Earns FAA G-1 Paper for Cessna 208
Reliable Robotics, which is developing autonomous aircraft systems, has announced the certification basis of its advanced navigation and autoflight system has been accepted by the FAA. The final G-1 issue paper defines the certification basis for the company’s Supplemental Type Certification (STC) on the Cessna 208 Caravan, a cargo aircraft. Reliable Robotics said the STC will enhance safety by enabling continuous autopilot engagement through all phases of aircraft operation, including taxi, takeoff, cruise, landing, braking and rollout, with a single pilot on board for abnormal procedures. Read More |
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