Touch Bionics Debuts Bionic Finger 
The company continues its upper-body market lead with ProDigits, the world’s first bionic fingers.
End of the Beginning for Intuitive Surgical in Japan
The company receives the long-awaited approval to market the da Vinci system, giving it a foothold in the world’s second largest medical devices market.
Robotics Trends' Dan Kara/CES
Robotic Tech Zone Wrap-Up
Posted January 19, 2010
More RBR and Robotics Trends video
Green is the Color of Money, So Get Over It
Green has joined the holy trinity of increased productivity, revenue generation, and cost savings as a primary selection criterion for products and services, including robotics products and services.
KMT Robotic Solutions Inc. and Fanuc Robotics America Inc. last week announced a multi-year extension of their decade long exclusive relationship agreement. This agreement continues to provide KMT Robotic Solutions with the exclusive responsibility to apply Fanuc robots in waterjet and routing-drilling applications for customers manufacturing plastic, composite and soft-trim products in the Americas.
Schilling Robotics, LLC, experts in subsea systems, announced today the addition of Alan Newlands as ROV product manager and Gavin Duncan as project manager, who will both be based in Schilling’s North Sea Regional Office.
CyPhy Works has been awarded $2.4M by the U.S. Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology, under the Technology Innovation Program, to develop technologies for small, hovering, Unmanned Air Vehicles to be used for the inspection and monitoring of large-scale civil infrastructure elements such as bridges and dams.
AAI Corp. was awarded a $23,698,842 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for Shadow Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System performance based logistics incremental funding. Work is to be performed in Hunt Valley, Md., with an estimated completion date of Oct. 31, 2010. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aviation & Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-10-C-0006).
Peratech Limited announced that YFM Group managed Partnership Investment Finance has invested £1.1 million ($1.7M) into the company. This will be used for further research and development into Peratech’s patented Quantum Tunnelling Composite (QTC) technology for touch technology solutions for phones, robotics and many other devices, as well as growing the company’s highly successful sales into overseas markets.
Microchip Technology Incorporated, a provider of microcontrollers and analog semiconductors, announced that it entered into a second amendment to its February 2, 2010 definitive agreement to acquire Silicon Storage Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: SSTI). Under the revised terms, SST shareholders would be entitled to receive $3.05 per share in cash compared to $3.00 per share prior to the second amendment. This second amendment was in response to an offer made by another party to SST’s Strategic Committee on March 2, 2010. The original announcement can be read HERE.
Opportunities in Autonomy
[ Read excerpt ]
Posted Feb 18, 2010
The addition of autonomous behavior to robotic systems presents opportunities for solution providers and investors serving many different markets. But it is the overall inevitability and pervasiveness of autonomy, in both robotic and nonrobotic systems, that make autonomy a truly transformational capability.
The addition of autonomous behavior to robotic systems presents opportunities for solution providers and investors serving many different markets. But it is the overall inevitability and pervasiveness of autonomy, in both robotic and nonrobotic systems, that make autonomy a truly transformational capability.
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Why Surgical Robotics Is Unstoppable
[ Read excerpt ]
Posted Feb 10, 2010
Studies focused on the medical benefits of robotically assisted surgery abound. The sheer number of such articles, as well as the benefits that these studies highlight and quantify, portend a strong and growing market. However, other indicators, equally valid, also speak to a surgical robotics market poised for exceptional growth.
Studies focused on the medical benefits of robotically assisted surgery abound. The sheer number of such articles, as well as the benefits that these studies highlight and quantify, portend a strong and growing market. However, other indicators, equally valid, also speak to a surgical robotics market poised for exceptional growth.
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Neato Robotics Joins Consumer Robotics Fray
[ Read excerpt ]
Posted Mar 3, 2010
in consumer robotics
Neato Robotics’ XV-11 is possibly the first direct competitor to iRobot’s Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner. Unlike the Roomba, however, the XV-11 offers SLAM support through an inexpensive laser range finder. That’s not the only difference between Neato and other consumer robotics product providers.
Neato Robotics’ XV-11 is possibly the first direct competitor to iRobot’s Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner. Unlike the Roomba, however, the XV-11 offers SLAM support through an inexpensive laser range finder. That’s not the only difference between Neato and other consumer robotics product providers.
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UAV Market Possible Swing Vote in EaglePicher Technologies Acquisition
[ Read excerpt ]
Posted Mar 3, 2010
in security & defense robotics
The acquisition of EaglePicher Technologies comes not without a downside for seller EaglePicher, nor risk for buyer OM Group. The UAV market helped tilt the decision for the sale.
The acquisition of EaglePicher Technologies comes not without a downside for seller EaglePicher, nor risk for buyer OM Group. The UAV market helped tilt the decision for the sale.
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Vecna Throws Hat into Robotics Ring
[ Read excerpt ]
Posted Feb 17, 2010
Vecna has made inroads into the defense robotics market, but its QC Bot hospital courier and a repurposed medical version of its BEAR battlefield extraction and rescue robot have the best chance for commercial success in the near term.
Vecna has made inroads into the defense robotics market, but its QC Bot hospital courier and a repurposed medical version of its BEAR battlefield extraction and rescue robot have the best chance for commercial success in the near term.
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