Sony is launching a refreshed version of its Aibo robot dog in 2018. The new Aibo will feature artificial intelligence (AI), internet connectivity, voice control, and the ability to control connected devices throughout its environment.
Tend launches in.view robot performance management software
Tend has launched in.view, a cloud-based monitoring and analysis application for both industrial and collaborative robots, at the RoboBusiness show in Santa Clara, Calif. The in.view (“intelligent view”) software allows users to remotely monitor and analyze the performance of their production robots in real time from any location, through a secure, cloud-based application on their…
Brooklyn manufacturer triples 3D printing production with collaborative robots
The robot arm gently places a plate with an orange Pokémon figure on a conveyor, picks up a new blank plate from a hopper, places it back in the 3D printer, and queues the system to start a new build. Toys are serious business here at Voodoo Manufacturing, a Brooklyn-based startup that has created a…
Everything’s bigger in Texas China
Recent news about growth of Chinese robotics and related AI indicate just how massive their investments are and how well they are paying off. For example, 90% of the personal robots on display at the IFA consumer electronics trade show held in Berlin in September were developed and manufactured by Chinese companies.
22 research reports forecast sustained robotics industry growth
The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) has just released their two annual World Robotics 2017 reports covering 2016 results. The reports rigorously examine industrial, professional service and personal service robot sales and units sold. As the robotics industry grows, so too do the number of research reports from other sources. Twenty of those research reports…
Disney and robotics proves to be a magical combination
The so-called “imagineers” who work at Walt Disney World and Disneyland have long been at the forefront using robotics to replicate humanlike movement—as well as creature-like movement, I suppose, given their vast catalog of characters. At the recent RoboBusiness event in Santa Clara, Calif., Martin Buehler, Executive R&D Imagineer, Walt Disney Imagineering, discussed what the…
Experimental UK robotic farm completes 1st autonomous harvest
The Hands Free Hectare experimental robotic farm has completed its 1st autonomous harvest without any human labor, according to a LiveScience report. The farm, which is run by researchers at Harper Adams University, harvested approximately 5 tons of spring barley. Every step in the process, including sowing, fertilizing, collecting samples and harvesting, was completed by…
Nano robot that detects molecules developed by Univ of Manchester
Researchers at the University of Manchester have created a nanorobot designed to completed basic chemical tasks including building molecules, according to a Mancunion report. The robot is a millionth of a millimeter in size, according to a report, and operates through the use of a tiny robotic arm which can be programmed to carry out…
UnitDoseOne Wins RoboBusiness Pitchfire Startup Competition
Meet UnitDoseOne, maker of a robotic pharmacy that won the Pitchfire startup competition at RoboBusiness 2017.
OptoForce applications for KUKA Industrial Robots
Robotics and multi-axis force and torque sensor maker OptoForce now offers three new applications for KUKA industrial robots. The new applications are hand guiding, presence detection, and center pointing — all useful to end users and systems integrators. (Videos at the manufacturer’s website demonstrate how the applications work.) More after the jump. Hand Guiding: With OptoForce’s Hand Guiding…
BioRobotics spin-off Iuvo to develop intelligent wearable robotic exoskeleton tech
The BioRobotics Institute spin-off Iuvo has received an undisclosed joint investment from automation company Comau and orthopedics group Össur to support the development of wearable intelligent robotic exoskeletons. The spin-off, founded in 2015, looks to focus initially on research and development and an eventual launch of new wearable robotic technologies, according to a release from…
Penn State engineering faculty to strengthen robotics research in agriculture
Two new faculty members in the Penn State Engineering Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering will advance research and academics in agricultural engineering and technologies. The addition of Daeun Choi and Long He fulfills a priority of the department to strengthen research that supports mechatronics, robotics, automation, precision agriculture and unmanned aerial vehicles, according to…
September 2017 fundings, acquisitions and IPOs
26 different startups were funded to the tune of $507 million in September, up from $369 million in August. Six acquisitions were reported during the month including Deere’s acquisition of California Blue River Technology for $305 million. And Restoration Robotics’ IPO will start being listed on NASDAQ early in October.
Global robot growth causing shortages in critical components
At a cocktail party hosted by Harmonic Drive Systems at the annual RoboBusiness conference and expo held September 27-28 in Santa Clara, CA, CEOs from Harmonic Drive US and Japan gave short speeches about Harmonic and their 4X expansion program to handle increasing global demand for Harmonic Drive gears and other critical components involved in the manufacture…