MIT researchers have developed a robot that uses radio waves, which can pass through walls, to sense occluded objects. The robot, called RF-Grasp, combines this powerful sensing with more traditional computer vision to locate and grasp items that might otherwise be blocked from view. The advance could one day streamline e-commerce fulfillment in warehouses or…
Ambi Robotics, formerly Ambidextrous, raises $6.1M for picking robots
Ambi Robotics, formerly known as Ambidextrous Laboratories, raised $6.1 million in seed funding for its picking robots and operating system that are based on simulation-to-reality artificial intelligence (AI). Co-founded by the great Ken Goldberg, a professor at UC Berkeley, Ambi Robotics said it is exiting stealth mode, although its work on improving robotic grasping hasn’t…
Cartesian robots: simple yet sophisticated packaging automation
Packaging operations continue to embrace automation as a way to reduce labor costs and workplace injuries while improving the efficiency and quality of packaged goods. But the use of automation isn’t evenly distributed, with large consumer packaged goods producers running with more automation than smaller packaging firms. One area ripe for increased automation are operations…
Yaskawa launches new PL190 and PL320 palletizing robots
The new Yaskawa PL190 and PL320 robots expand the payload range of the PL mobile product line | Image credit – Yaskawa Yaskawa announces the availability of two new 4-axis palletizing robots that extend the range of payloads for the Yaskawa PL (palletizing) product line. The Yaskawa PL190 has a 190 kg payload capacity and…
Nimble Robotics closes $50M Series A financing
Nimble Robotics, Inc., a robotics and e-commerce fulfillment technology company, announced a $50 million Series A financing round led by DNS Capital and GSR Ventures with participation from Accel and Reinvent Capital among others. The company plans to accelerate hiring, product and technology development, and continue the scaling of robot deployments for its customer’s fulfillment…
Universal Robots’ ActiNav handles challenging bin-picking task
Founded in 1958, Allied Moulded is a full-service molding operation manufacturing non-metallic electrical boxes and enclosures for residential, commercial and industrial markets. Facing significant challenges due to labor shortages, the Ohio-based company chose Universal Robots’ new ActiNav system to automate an important bin-picking application. The deployment enabled Allied Moulded to reduce overtime expenses, move existing…
Yaskawa taps Realtime Robotics’ motion planning expertise
Yaskawa is tapping Realtime Robotics’ motion planning technology to improve a variety of materials handling and fulfillment applications, including piece picking and mixed case palletizing. Yaskawa said using Realtime’s technology enables its robot cells to be deployed and used more efficiently. The first of these mixed pallet robot cells will soon start being installed at…
Mech-Mind Robotics raises Series B+ funding for smarter industrial robots
Mech-Mind Robotics, which combines 3D vision, deep learning, and motion planning to make industrial automation more intelligent, has raised nearly $15 million to accelerate development and marketing.
Picking With Purpose uses Berkshire Grey robots to help feed families in need
As Thanksgiving approaches, Berkshire Grey has partnered with City Harvest and the Greater Boston Food Bank for the Picking With Purpose initiative, which uses robots to pack meals in the fight against hunger.
FedEx’s Aaron Prather on AMR standards, Boston Dynamics sale rumors; looking at AV fundings
In the latest episode of The Robot Report Podcast, we speak with Aaron Prather, senior advisor for technology, research, and planning at FedEx, about robotics opportunities in logistics, as well as about recent autonomous vehicle deals.
OSARO provides INNOTECH with machine learning software for mobile piece picking robot
OSARO is working to combine its AI software for piece picking with INNOTECH’s product expertise in a mobile robot to serve supply chains and manufacturing.
Robots can now grab six-packs without damage using new Piab vacuum system
8 new manufacturing automation projects picked by ARM Institute for $7.5M in funding
The Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing, or ARM, Institute has selected eight new projects focusing on high-value ways to empower U.S. manufacturers using robotics and automation.
ABB adds Codian Robotics’ delta robots for food handling to pick and place menu
ABB said its strategic purchase of Netherlands-based Codian Robotics builds on its global food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and logistics portfolio.
RV-8CRL designed by Mitsubishi Electric to be an affordable industrial robot arm
Mitsubishi Electric Automation said its new RV-8CRL is a vertically articulated industrial robot arm designed to be a high-quality, low-cost system for a wide variety of applications.
Robotics investments recap: August 2020
In August 2020, autonomous vehicles, industrial automation for manufacturing and supply chains, and healthcare robotics continued to receive funding.
The Gripper Company opens online store with configurable soft gripper
The Gripper Company opened its online shop for business with its first offering — a configurable soft gripper to meet demand for handling diverse objects while trying to keep costs down.
XYZ Robotics closes Series A+ funding to scale AI-driven piece picking
XYZ Robotics has raised close to $20 million in an oversubscribed Series A+ round as it continues developing and deploying vision-guided robots for logistics applications.
Eyes vision system update reflects OnRobot application focused strategy
OnRobot said its updated Eyes vision software will make it easier for customers to develop applications for mobile robots and pick-and-place operations.
RightPick2 from RightHand Robotics uses RealSense for flexible piece picking
E-commerce order fulfillment needs speed and accuracy. RightHand Robotics chose Intel’s RealSense D415 depth cameras to collect robust data for its RightPick2 system for piece picking.
How singulation and sorting of parcels can benefit from AI-powered robots
Automated singulation and sorting of parcels poses opportunities and challenges for logistics providers, both during holiday rushes and the current pandemic, write Photoneo executives.
Dexterity Inc. emerges from stealth with $56M in funding for full stack robotic picking
Dexterity Inc., which has raised $56.2 million so far, has developed robotics hardware and software for picking, collaboration, and packing.