With this acquisition, Leadec expands its portfolio into parcel automation and strengthens its existing operations in North America.
How a hospital in China automates drug dispensing
As one of the busiest parts of a hospital, the pharmacy has, over the years, relied on technology to streamline its operations. From electronic tablet counters to completely computerized stocking and labeling solutions, technology has had a transformative impact on pharmacies across the world. Challenge Still, factors weighing on the efficiency of drug dispensing are…
DreamVu launches PAL, PAL Mini 360-degree 3D vision systems
Autonomous navigation capabilities of mobile robots are highly dependent on the sensor stack. And with the use of mobile robots expanding across multiple industries, improved perception and navigation enables safer operation. DreamVu, a Philadelphia startup founded in 2017, announced today its PAL and PAL Mini 3D vision systems are now available. Both PAL and PAL…
Kodiak’s autonomous trucks reach highway milestone
Kodiak Robotics, a California-based startup founded in 2018 developing autonomous trucking technology, recently reached an important milestone. The company managed to drive 800-plus miles on I-45 between Dallas and Houston without its system requiring a single intervention from a human safety driver. Kodiak built its first autonomous truck in December 2018, and these real-world, disengagement-free…
Bossa Nova shuts down European robotics division
Bossa Nova Robotics, the Mountain View, Calif.-based developer of inventory control robots for retailers, recently shut down its European business unit. Headquartered in Sheffield, U.K., Bossa Nova Robotics Europe had its funding cut off from the parent company. Bossa Nova Robotics Europe is in the Administration phase, the U.K.’s equivalent to Chapter 11. In November…
maxon building custom drives for rehab robots
maxon Group and Fourier Intelligence today announced they are entering into a global strategic partnership. Fourier Intelligence, a Shanghai-based startup founded in 2015, will use maxon’s precision drive systems for the development of its rehabilitation robotics systems. Fourier already uses maxon’s BLDC motors in its ExoMotus X2 exoskeleton, a powered lower-limb exoskeleton. maxon will now be…
Researchers develop powerful optical neuromorphic processor
Researchers said the optical neuromorphic processor could benefit autonomous vehicles and other data-intensive applications.
Ava Robotics launches UV disinfection robot
Ava Robotics, the iRobot spinout known for its telepresence robots, is expanding its product portfolio with the introduction of an ultraviolet (UV) disinfection robot for corporate offices, warehouses, and other work spaces. The new robot is an evolution of a research project Ava Robotics conducted with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Greater Boston…
DARPA announces finals of SubT Challenge
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced the finals of the DARPA Subterranean (SubT) Challenge will be held at the Louisville Mega Cavern in Louisville, Kentucky on September 21-23, 2021. The DARPA SubT Challenge is designed to test the ability of autonomous robots to perceive, navigate, network, and move in a variety of GPS-denied…
Scallog AGVs coming to U.S. market via Bastian Solutions
Mobile robots for materials handling is already a crowded space. Now another company is set to enter the U.S. market. Scallog, a French developer of goods-to-person robots, signed an integration agreement with Bastian Solutions, a well-known materials handling expert owned by Toyota Industries. Founded in 2013, Scallog’s Boby automated guided vehicles (AGVs) pick up and…
FAA Drone Advisory Committee selects new members
About one week after issuing two rules that could finally open up the commercial drone industry, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has appointed new members to its Drone Advisory Committee (DAC). The committee gives the FAA advice on key drone integration issues by helping to identify challenges and prioritize improvements. The new mmbers are executives…
How AMP Robotics is changing recycling; Festo wins gripper challenge
Welcome to Episode 29 of The Robot Report Podcast, which brings conversations with robotics innovators straight to you. Join us each week for discussions with leading roboticists, innovative robotics companies, and other key members of the robotics community. You can subscribe to The Robot Report Podcast on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, SoundCloud, Spotify and more. Please subscribe to the podcast and leave us a…
Oxbotica raises $47M to scale autonomous vehicle software
Oxbotica’s Selenium platform handles an autonomous vehicle’s navigation, mapping, perception, and machine learning. Oxbotica said Selenium doesn’t need to rely on external infrastructure such as GPS, lane markings or pre-existing HD maps.
maxon’s IDX integrated servo motors feature IP65 protection
maxon’s new IDX compact integrated servo gearmotor + drive combines a powerful, brushless EC-i motor and an EPOS4 positioning controller, which can be complemented with a maxon planetary gearhead when required. This integrated motor features high torque density, high efficiency, maintenance-free components, and a high-quality industrial housing providing IP65 protection. The IDX also features configurable…
Stryker acquires OrthoSensor to enhance Mako surgical robots
Stryker said OrthoSensor’s Verasense intraoperative sensor technology will further boost Mako surgical robots, enhancing workflow through one complete data-driven feedback mechanism.
Teledyne acquiring FLIR for $8B in major merger
Both companies make cameras, sensor systems and unmanned systems, among other products, but there is not much overlap.
Shape-changing robots could create new swarms
Predicting when and how collections of particles, robots, or animals become orderly remains a challenge across science and engineering. In the 19th century, scientists and engineers developed the discipline of statistical mechanics, which predicts how groups of simple particles transition between order and disorder, as when a collection of randomly colliding atoms freezes to form a…
The state of industrial robotics: challenges & opportunities
AMP Robotics raises $55M for recycling robots
The pick-and-place robots can sort materials by color, size, shape, opacity, consumer brand, and more, storing data about each item it perceives.
The Robot Report Podcast: 10 most popular episodes of 2020
Without the ability to gather for in-person events and meetings, our team launched the weekly The Robot Report Podcast to keep the robotics community talking. Over the span of six months and 28 episodes, we’ve spent nearly 35 hours talking to leading roboticists, innovative robotics companies, and other key members of the robotics community. We analyzed…
Top 10 robotics stories of December 2020
What a month it was for robotics. Whether it was Boston Dynamics being acquired by Hyundai for nearly $1 billion or Jürgen von Hollen announcing he is stepping down after four-plus years serving as president of Universal Robots, there was no shortage of robotics stories to cover in December. Here are the Top 10 most popular…
Exoskeleton developer ReWalk Robotics looking to raise $6.2M
ReWalk Robotics, a developer of exoskeletons for people with lower-limb disabilities, is seeking to sell nearly 5.6 million ordinary shares, plus more, worth about $6.2 million. Marlborough, Mass.-based ReWalk is also offering more than 4.5 million ordinary shares which are issuable upon the exercise of outstanding warrants, according to a news release. ReWalk is also…