An individual has been arrested and charged with entering robotic medtech firm Medrobotics‘ headquarters in an attempt to steal trade secrets, according to court documents from the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts filed this week. Court documents identify the suspect as 44-year old Dong Liu, who “appears to be a dual citizen…
10 Reasons You Need to Attend RoboBusiness
RoboBusiness 2017 will be convening in Santa Clara, Calif. on Sept. 27-28, discussing how organizations like yours can successfully build and use robotics. We’re working hard to make sure we share the best of how to advance business with automation. Why attend? Here are some reasons.
Top 10 Reasons to Attend RoboBusiness 2017
RoboBusiness 2017 is not only the best place to meet with the entire robotics and AI ecosystem; it’s also the conference that can help you maximize automation for your business. Our refocused session tracks, elite speakers, and networking opportunities are worth making plans for Sept. 27 and 28 in Santa Clara, Calif.
This exoskeleton could eliminate crouch gait
The first robotic exoskeleton that is designed to treat crouch gait in children who have cerebral palsy, has been created by The National Institute of Health. Crouch gait occurs when there is an excessive bending of the knees while walking. It is a common condition in children with cerebral palsy. The NIH reports that even with…
Medtronic puts another $40m into Mazor Robotics
Mazor Robotics (NSDQ:MZOR) said today that it’s accelerating a deal with Medtronic (NYSE:MDT), which is due to put another $40 million into Mazor and take on exclusive global distribution rights for the Mazor X robot-assisted surgery device. It’s the third investment in the Israeli surgical robotics concern for Fridley, Minn.-based Medtronic, taking its total investment to $72 million and…
It’s in our DNA: How Intuitive Surgical CEO Guthart plans to stay on top of the surgical robotics market
Intuitive Surgical (NSDQ:ISRG) has spent more than a decade dominating the robot-assisted surgery market, and longtime CEO Gary Guthart has no plans to cede that position, he tells MassDevice.com Executive Editor Brad Perriello in this special podcast. Guthart said Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Intuitive stays focused on one criterion: “Where can we make a difference in outcomes?” Robotic surgery…
Industrial robots in China up, up and away!
China has rapidly become a global leader in robotics and automation. 2016 annual sales of industrial robots reached the highest level ever for any single country: 87,000 units (up 27% from 2015) and China’s stock of industrial robots is now, at 340,000 units, also the highest total in the world. while Chinese robot manufacturers increased…
OptoForce: New models and enhancements to main robot sensors
Robotics technology provider of multi-axis force and torque sensors OptoForce has renamed its HEX-70-XE-200N and HEX-70-XH-200N end-of-arm robot sensors. Both also include several new enhancements — though the sensors’ prices will remain the same. The HEX-70-XE-is now the HEX-E. The HEX-70-XH-200N is now the HEX-H. Both models are part of OptoForce’s 6 axis F/T sensor family, which…
Titan Medical closes $2m deal with Chinese investor
Titan Medical (TSX:TMD) said today that it closed a deal with Longtai Medical to convert a $2.0 million distributorship deposit to equity. The move makes Longtai the robotic surgical company’s largest shareholder. In May of 2015, Titan Medical and Longtai, a subsidiary of Chinese medical device distributor Ningbo Long Hengtai International Trade Co., inked a deal to…
Automation Market Still Booming in North America, Says A3
The industrial automation market in North America grew at a strong rate in the first half of 2017, said the Association for Advancing Automation. While much of was in automotive manufacturing, A3 noted that robotics is paralleling employment and help the U.S. economy.
Autonomous picking robot streamlines logistics operations
The Swift, a fully autonomous mobile picking robot from IAM Robotics, is designed for supply chain and warehouse logistics operations. The robot is a key part of a complete order fulfillment solution, which includes IAM Flash, a 3D item scanner, and SwiftLink fleet management software. “Properly executed robotic picking is a game changing technology for…
High resolution optical encoder offers 400 and 500 cycles per revolution
US Digital’s E4T line of miniature optical encoders is available with 400 and 500 cycles per revolution (CPR) resolutions. Specifically designed for robotics, medical and other industrial automation applications, the E4Ts deliver position and velocity feedback, while fitting National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) motors as small as size eight. Using state-of-the-art transmissive optical sensing technology,…
Fellow Robots’ NAVii autonomous retail robot helps Lowe’s improve service
Last fall, Fellow Robots’ NAVii autonomous retail service robot debuted in 11 Lowe’s stores in the San Francisco area, marking its entrance into a major retail chain. The national home improvement store rolled out its LoweBot to meet the needs of customers and employees. LoweBot was developed through a partnership between Lowe’s Innovation Labs and…
Soft, water-powered robot makes endoscopic surgery easier
Harvard researchers have created a rigid-soft robotic arm for endoscopes that can sense, flex and has multiple degrees of freedom. Flexible endoscopes fit through narrow passages to reach difficult parts of the body. Once they reach their target, the devices need rigid surgical tools to be able to manipulate or remove tissues. Researchers from Harvard’s…
Titan Medical adds French hospital site to future Sport feasibility & validation study
Titan Medical (TSX:TMD) said today it inked a deal with the French Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire de Strasbourg to participate in feasibility and validation studies of its Sport robotic surgical system as the company seeks regulatory clearance for the platform. Toronto-based Titan Medical said it expects to initiate studies of its Sport system in the 4th quarter of this…
Quiet inroads in robotics: practical applications for service robots
The service robotics industry has been growing exponentially for the past 10 years and many are out in the field performing a wide and diverse range of useful tasks. Consider Savioke, Reis & Irvy, and ECOVACS. These three companies are providing unique, new uses for service robots and are indicative of the growth of service robotics in…
ROBO, the first Robotics and Automation ETF, hits $1 billion in AUM
[stock_market_widget type=”inline” symbol=”ROBO” template=”basic” color=”default” refresh_frequency=”0″] surpassed $1 billion in assets under management (AUM) less than 4 years from launch. The Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) tracks the ROBO Global Robotics & Automation Index, which is the brainchild of a team deeply entrenched in the robotics industry. The Index and subsequent ETF offer investors access to…
Sex robots: Facts, hype, and legal and ethical considerations
The world’s first robot brothel is in Barcelona; a sex doll maker is taking pre-orders for animatronic heads attached to sex-providing bodies; one maker is offering a resistant persona which ethicists are equating to rape mode. Lots of headlines and titillating photos. What is really going on? It’s true that sex robots will someday happen,…
Globus Medical jumps on FDA nod for Excelsius GPS robot-assisted surgery platform
Globus Medical (NYSE:GMED) said today that it won 510(k) clearance from the FDA for its long-awaited Excelsius robot-assisted surgery platform, which is designed to integrate intra-operative CT and fluoroscopic imaging technologies. Audubon, Pa.-based Globus said the clearance covers minimally invasive and open orthopedic and neurosurgical surgeries, including screw placement in spinal and orthopedic procedures. The system won CE…
IotaMotion raises $2m for robotic cochlear implant system
Medical robotics start-up IotaMotion said today it raised $2 million in a seed financing round to support the development of its Iota-Soft novel robotic cochlear implantation platform. The Iowa City-based company, spun out from the University of Iowa’s Otolaryngology Department, is developing a robotic-assisted insertion device designed to aid surgeons in advancing cochlear implant electrodes.…
ST Engineering Expands Robotics Portfolio by Acquiring Aethon
Singapore-based ST Engineering has acquired Pittsburgh-based Aethon, which makes mobile robots for materials handling in warehouses, hospitals, and more.
Study: Esophageal surgeries with robotic platforms safe and effective
Transchiatal esophagectomy procedures utilizing robotic platforms are “effective and safe” for carefully selected patients, according to a new study from Allina Health hospitals. The robotic technology platforms can provide operating surgeons with better views during surgery and allow lymph nodes to be removed without additional incisions, according to the study. Results from the study, which…