|
From the Editor
There’s Hope for C-3PO Yet in the Future
I’m taking a break from talking about robots in warehouses to make a note about two recent news items around humanoid robots. First, the upcoming CES 2022 trade show in January will feature a humanoid robot known as Ameca that features advances in movement, natural gestures, and AI and adaptive learning. Some have already said that some of these robots, made by U.K.-based Engineered Arts, are a little too creepy, but I’d like this company to succeed to see how they bridge the line between useful and weird. Second, a healthcare practice for elders is experimenting with a teleoperated robot named Beomni, courtesy of the company Beyond Imagination. Using virtual reality gear, a doctor or other medical professional can control the Beomni robot to perform different tasks, and I’ve seen images of the robot checking the throat with a tongue depressor, or potentially even giving a shot (not so sure, there). If you go to their website, you can also see other videos of what the robot can do, along with photos of the robot dancing with people. The Beomni robot is interesting because it’s a combination of a humanoid robot torso combined with a mobile robot base, so it can move around easier than if it just had legs. Some say robots should be more like R2-D2, in that it looks like an appliance or mobile cart without any human-like features. Others say that robots that look like humans can do more interesting tasks that humans can also do, more like C-3PO. I like to think that we can have both, especially if we need to deliver the rebel’s stolen plans for the Death Star, or if we run into Ewoks.
- Keith Shaw, Managing Editor. |
|
|
|
CML Unveils Ultra-Slim, High-Precision Rotary Actuator
Cambridge Mechatronics Ltd. (CML), which develops shape memory alloy (SMA) actuators, has announced a new ultra-slim, high-precision rotary actuator. The new actuator includes a lightweight design, 2,000 step positions per revolution, and is completely non-magnetic so it can operate in areas of high magnetic flux that might otherwise exclude conventional motor technologies. With a low profile of around 1 mm, the new actuator can be used in most space-constrained applications. The company said its design is based on CML’s proprietary, patented SMA actuator platform technology, which has already shipped in tens of millions of cameras in smartphones and other consumer electronics products. This is the first of a series of new products being developed to bring the benefits of SMA into new markets and applications, including miniature robotics and drones. |
|
|
|
New ADLINK SMARC Module Aimed at Robots, Low-Powered Drones
ADLINK Technology, which develops edge computing and artificial intelligence hardware and software, has announced a new high-performance module that allows on-device AI and 5G connectivity capabilities for consumer, enterprise, and industrial robots. The LEC-RB5 SMARC module is the first SMARC AI-on-module based on the Qualcomm QRB5165 processor. Designed for robotics and drone applications, the module integrates several IoT technologies in a single solution, including on-device artificial intelligence capabilities, support for up to six cameras, and low power consumption. The module can power robots and drones in consumer, enterprise, defense, industrial and logistics sectors. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sony Opens Preorders for Airspeak S1 Professional Drone
Sony Electronics has announced the availability of the company’s first-ever professional drone. The Airpeak S1 is the “world’s smallest drone” that can be equipped with a full-size mirrorless interchangeable-lens Alpha camera, and is designed for cinematographers and other visual storytelling professionals. Sony said presale ordering is now available, with an expected customer ship date of Dec. 24, 2021. Announced earlier this year, the Airpeak S1 drone is compatible with several of Sony’s camera bodies, including the Alpha 1, Alpha 7S series, Alpha 7R series, Alpha 9 series, FX3 and others. The drone integrates proprietary technology to deliver smooth maneuverability at high speeds with highly stable wind resistance, enabling better quality aerial images and video content. |
|
|
|
Coco Updates Remotely-piloted Delivery Robot
Robot-based delivery service Coco has announced the launch of COCO 1, a larger, more advanced version of its signature pink robot. The COCO 1 is the first robot designed and manufactured in partnership with micro-mobility hardware manufacturer Segway. The company said it will deploy thousands of COCO 1 robots to serve local merchants in multiple cities over the next few months. The increased carrying capacity aims to deliver larger orders for merchants, eliminating the need for car-based delivery. Compared to its current model, the COCO 1 offers new features, including a more efficient drivetrain and a larger battery capacity that increases the delivery radius of up to three miles, nearly double the original model’s radius. The COCO 1 also includes multiple cameras and sensors to assist remote pilots in safely navigating around traffic and obstructions and to efficiently plan delivery routes. |
|
|
|
|
|
Cincoze Launches New Power-saving Rugged Industrial Computer
Taiwan’s Cincoze, which develops rugged embedded computers, has announced the DI-1100 series within its DIAMOND product line. Equipped with Intel Core Whiskey Lake-U CPUs, the new computers provide high-performance and ultra-low power consumption (15W TDP). The company said the series is ideal for space-limited applications and those with limited power availability, including autonomous robots, in-vehicle usages, environmental monitoring and more. The compact design and flexible expansions, several installation options, 9 to 48 VDC input voltage support and a wide temperature range of -40 degrees Celsius to 70 degrees Celsius are additional drivers for adoption of the DI-1100. |
|
|
ACEINNA Launches High Power Current Sensor
ACEINNA has announced a new current sensor designed for wideband gap (WBG) applications, which can include industrial robots and manufacturing systems, as well as home automation, appliances, motor control and DC fast charging, among others. The ±65 Amp MCx1101 Current Sensor is available in 3.3- and 5-volt versions, and units are now available for sampling and volume discounts. THe MCx11-1’s fast response and high bandwidth is ideal for fast switching SiC and GaN-based power stages, and enables power system designers to make use of the higher speeds and smaller components enabled by WBG switches, ACEINNA said. The sensor also provides an integrated over current detection flag to help implement the Over Current Detection (OCD) required in modern power systems. Over current detection response time is 0.2us. |
|
|
|
|
|
In Case You Missed It
Argo AI, Bicyclists Group Establish Safe Guidelines for AV Interactions
Argo AI has announced the release of technical guidelines it applies to ensure safe interactions between autonomous vehicles and cyclists. The guidelines were created in collaboration with the League of American Bicyclists, a national advocacy group, and are intended as a foundation for further innovation and improvement among companies developing self-driving technology. To understand the concerns among cyclists when sharing the road, Argo said it collaborated and engaged with the cycling community. The League of American Bicyclists consulted with the company to give them common cyclist behaviors and typical interactions with vehicles. Together, the group outlined six technical guidelines for the manner in which a self-driving system should accurately detect cyclists, predict their behavior, and drive in a consistent way to effectively and safely share the road. Read More |
|
|
Featured Article
The 3 Big Market Forces Driving Investments in AMRs
Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are quickly becoming a must-have technology for warehouses, especially those that perform e-commerce fulfillment operations. Research firm Interact Analysis predicts that by 2025, 2.1 million mobile robots will have been shipped worldwide. Beyond the number of robots, it is important to consider the number of sites where the technology is deployed. “At the end of 2020, mobile robots had been deployed in just over 9,000 separate customer sites, mainly warehouses and factories,” writes Ash Sharma, managing director of Interact Analysis. “By the end of 2025, this will have increased to over 53,000 deployments, and that will still be far from the point of market saturation.” This represents a compound annual growth rate of over 42% between 2020 and 2025 in terms of sites leveraging AMRs. Many that assume this growth is being driven by the ever-present desire to reduce operational costs are often overlooking other drivers. While operational cost reduction is important and measurable, there are far more impactful issues driving the investments of AMR technologies today. Read More |
|
|
News for Robot Makers
- Serve Robotics Raises Additional $13M to Expand Sidewalk Delivery Robots
Serve Robotics, which develops autonomous sidewalk delivery robots, has announced closing $13 million in an expanded seed funding round. The new capital will be used to accelerate commercialization and scaling, drive fleet expansion, grow new markets and continue to develop the product. Founded in 2017 as the robotics division of Postmates, Serve is now an independent company looking to make delivery more affordable, sustainable and accessible for everyone. The company said its self-driving robots have completed tens of thousands of contactless deliveries in major U.S. cities.
- Nuro, 7-Eleven Launch Self-Driving Delivery For California City
7-Eleven and Nuro have announced a pilot program for autonomous delivery in the state of California. Residents in Mountain View, Calif., can order products through the 7NOW delivery app and have them delivered by a self-driving vehicle. The company said customers can download the 7NOW app through Google Play, the Apple app store, or visit the 7NOW website. Available items on the app include pizza, chips, beverage, and household items. Autonomous vehicle deliveries are available daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. PT, with no additional charge for Mountain View customers. The delivery app sends updates as the order is processed, and will arrive in approximately 30 minutes, where users can meet the vehicle to get their order.
- Flexiv Earns CE and ETL approval for Rizon 4 Robot
Flexiv, which develops general-purpose robots, has announced it received CE and ETL approval for its Rizon 4 robot, awarded by testing, inspection and certification and assurance provider Intertek. Flexiv said this was the first-ever seven-axis force-controlled adaptive robot that achieved both certifications at the same time. Accepted in the EU and North America, Flexiv said this enables the company to distribute the Rizon 4 in the European Union, Canada and the U.S. The company added that the Rizon 4 was subjected to hundreds of individual tests, evaluations and assessments that focused on machinery safety, electrical safety, functional safety, environmental reliability, electromagnetic compatibility and collision detection.
- Presto, Ottonomy Team Up to Offer Autonomous Delivery for Curbside Orders
Presto, which develops productivity technologies for restaurants, has announced a partnership with Ottonomy that would allow Presto customers to use autonomous delivery vehicles for contactless curbside and parking lot deliveries. Guests will be able to order and pay using Presto’s touch or voice products, and receive food delivered by an Ottonomy vehicle. The Ottonomy delivery vehicles allow Presto’s customers to deliver food items to guests at the curbside, parking lot, or beyond. The technology allows delivery vehicles to navigate in both indoor and outdoor environments, through the use of 3D lidar and multiple-camera mapping, with no human assistance. Decentralized vehicle-to-vehicle communication with situational awareness allows the vehicles to navigate crowded environments, the company said.
Study on Restaurant Operators
|
|
|
Humanoid Robots
U.K. Company to Showcase Ameca Humanoid Robot at CES 2022
U.K.-based Engineered Arts, which creates “memorable interactive character experiences,” has announced its latest humanoid robot, Ameca, will be on display at next month’s CES 2022 in Las Vegas. Through 20 years of increasing robotics innovation, the Ameca robot features ground-breaking advances in movement and natural gestures, intelligent interaction, and a future-proof software system designed to embrace artificial intelligence and computer vision with adaptive learning, the company said. These advances give users an API customization pathway that was not available before. The robot will be located at the Great Britain and Northern Ireland pavilion in Tech West Hall G – the lower level of the Venetian Expo Center (booth 62502 and 62524). Read More |
|
Doctors Test Humanoid Robot for Use in Elder Care
Beyond Imagination, which develops general-purpose robotics systems, has announced a collaboration with Dr. David Wensel at the TRU PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) Center in Lafayette, Colorado to conduct real-world tests of its newly completed, fully functional Version 1.0 of the robot known as Beomni. The company said this is the first public trail of Beomni, an advanced humanoid robot, that includes an evolving AI brain that aims to take tele-medicine to the next level. The pilot study, which ran from Nov. 9 to 12, consisted of Beomni interacting with medical personnel and clients at the center. The purpose of the pilot was to leverage capabilities of the robot to perform tasks relevant to medical care scenarios, specifically for those related to assisted living facilities, the company said. The robot utilizes augmented and virtual reality equipment for operators to teleoperate the Beomni robot in a different location. Read More |
|
|
Partnerships
MiR, Logitrans Partner to Build Autonomous Pallet Jacks
Denmark’s Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR), which develops autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), and Logitrans A/S, which manufactures material handling equipment, have announced a strategic collaboration to build autonomous pallet jacks. Designed to safely, efficiently and autonomously lift pallets directly from the ground, the autonomous pallet jack will combine MiR’s autonomous navigation and software capabilities with the functionality of electric pallet jacks developed by Logitrans. The companies said the new autonomous pallet jacks will supplement MiR’s current heavy-payload mobile robots, which can transport pallets and goods smoothly and safely among people and other transport equipment in dynamic surroundings. Read More |
|
OTSAW, Swisslog Form Joint Venture for AGVs in Healthcare
To help expand the market for automated guided vehicles (AGVs) in the healthcare environment, OTSAW Technology Solutions and Swisslog Healthcare, a division of KUKA, have agreed to form a joint venture. OTSAW Swisslog Healthcare Robotics will develop the next generation of AGVs for clinical and non-clinical material handling. Swisslog is an established partner for this market, with 580 installed systems and comprehensive service and implementation offerings in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), as well as the Asia-Pacific (APAC) markets. Swisslog Healthcare will provide the joint venture with its knowledge of healthcare facilities in various markets, in addition to its realization and service strength in AGV equipment to make sure systems are professionally installed, and that new and existing systems are well maintained. Read More |
|
Sponsored Content
Robots Handle Large Axial, Radial and Moment Loads Simultaneously with Crossed Roller Bearings
Crossed Roller Bearings enable complex motion and effective load handling making it possible for robots and cobots to move, position or rotate heavy objects. The Crossed Roller design allows the bearing to handle heavy or complex loads from any direction at the same time and delivers precise, repeatable motion that can handle large axial, radial and moment loads simultaneously. Read White Paper.. |
|
|
|
About Us Unsubscribe Privacy Policy |
This email was sent to @. |
|