A new learning system developed by MIT researchers improves robots’ abilities to mold materials into target shapes and make predictions about interacting with solid objects and liquids. The system, known as a learning-based particle simulator, could give industrial robots a more refined touch – and it may have fun applications in personal robotics, such as…
Cummins invests in binder jetting as it moves to production additive manufacturing
Cummins Inc. is adding to its additive manufacturing capabilities by investing in binder jet. This investment is just the next step in Cummins’ plan to revolutionize its manufacturing processes and accelerate the company’s trajectory toward scaled production in additive technologies. In binder jetting, a print head moves across a bed of powder and selectively deposits […]
Motion control trends to learn about at Robotics Summit & Expo 2019
Motion control is among the enabling technologies for commercial robotics to be discussed at the 2019 Robotics Summit & Expo. Attendees can learn from sessions and workshops, meet component vendors, and learn now new developments can help them.
XJet to showcase soluble support material for ceramic and metal additive manufacturing at RAPID + TCT 2019
Inviting participants to get ‘hands-on’, at this year’s RAPID + TCT 2019 show, XJet will have an on-booth ‘support removal clinic’ where visitors can witness the speed and ease of XJet’s soluble support material removal by performing the process first-hand. “This year our participation is about showing the US market what NanoParticle Jetting technology can […]
Stratasys Direct Manufacturing adds metals capacity with VELO3D’s Sapphire Printer
Stratasys Direct Manufacturing, a subsidiary of Stratasys, Ltd., and one of the largest providers of additive (3D printing) and conventional manufacturing services in North America, is expanding its additive metals offering with the addition of VELO3D’s Sapphire 3D print system and Flow software. The Sapphire laser fusion metal additive manufacturing system can print complex part […]
Shapeways and Etsy use 3D printing to help small businesses launch products
Shapeways, a leading manufacturer of 3D printed goods for small and mid-sized businesses globally, announced the launch of the Etsy E-commerce Integration – a seamless integration for Etsy shop owners to directly manage orders and fulfillment straight from Shapeways. Shapeways’ will be offering the service to new and current customers at no charge with the […]
Affectiva raises $26M for human perception AI
Affectiva, a Boston-based developer of emotional AI and human perception AI, closed $26 million in funding. This brings the company’s total amount of capital funding raised to $53 million. The round was led by Aptiv PLC, Trend Forward Capital, Motley Fool Ventures and CAC. Affectiva says it will use the funding will enable Affectiva to…
April 2019 Issue: Step motors keep it clean
Why should you worry about traceability? Mention traceability to a lot of engineers, and they’ll say that their industry doesn’t require it, and so they don’t get involved with that. And it’s true — a lot of traceability requirements have come from industry or governmental mandate, in areas such as medical, automotive, aerospace, and food…
IAM Robotics upgrades Swift mobile picker
CHICAGO — IAM Robotics this week introduced updates to its Swift product at ProMat 2019 here. The Pittsburgh-based company will show a new Swift robot design that includes conveyor integration and a transport robot that works with Swift to exchange full or empty totes. These innovations in autonomous navigation and material selection and handling can…
Humatics, Vecna Robotics partner to improve logistics robot navigation
WALTHAM, Mass. — Humatics Corp., which makes microlocation products and software, today announced a partnership with logistics systems provider Vecna Robotics. Humatics’ KinetIQ 300 microlocation system will be integrated into Vecna’s self-driving vehicles, enabling them to navigate outdoors and in areas of warehouses that were previously considered difficult, such as loading docks, said the companies.…
Romu wants to build erosion barriers to protect environment
A team of roboticists at Harvard’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering has developed a robot that can autonomously drive interlocking steel sheet piles into soil. The structures that it builds could function as retaining walls or check dams for erosion control. Conventional sheet pile driving processes are extremely energy intensive. Only a fraction of…
Honeywell adds robotic unloader for distribution centers
Honeywell has introduced an automated robotic solution for unloading a wide range of packages from truck trailers and shipping containers at distribution centers. The robotic unloader can operate fully autonomously inside of a trailer to reduce the manual effort required to operate receiving docks. The robotic unloader drives into a trailer or container and uses…
Augean Robotics grows seed funding for agricultural robots
PHILADELPHIA — Augean Robotics, which is developing robots for the agriculture industry, announced last week that it had raised a $1.5 million seed funding round. The round was led by ff Venture Capital with participation from S2G Ventures, Radicle Growth, and several other investors. Augean Robotics said it provides collaborative, robot-enabled systems to the agriculture…
Watch SwRI engineers trick object detection system
New adversarial techniques developed by engineers at Southwest Research Institute can make images “invisible” to object detection systems that use deep-learning algorithms. These techniques can also trick systems into thinking they see another object or can change the location of objects. The technique mitigates the risk for compromise in automated image processing systems. “Deep-learning neural…
Energid to demonstrate Actin 5 SDK for robotic motion control at Automate
CHICAGO — At the Automate 2019 Show and Conference here next week, Energid Technologies Corp. plans to highlight extensive enhancements to its Actin 5 software development kit for real-time, adaptive motion control. In addition, the Cambridge, Mass.-based company, which is owned by Teradyne, will conduct demonstrations in Booth 8925. Meanwhile, Energid CEO Neil Tardella shares motion planning…
Teledyne DALSA adds BOA Spot XL vision sensors for robotic guidance
Teledyne DALSA has introduced its low-cost BOA Spot XL vision sensors for industrial automation and inspection. Designed for error proofing, identification, general inspection and robot guidance, the all-in-one BOA Spot XL comes with integrated LED lighting, lens cover and easy-to-use application software. Robust embedded vision tools include positioning, part locating, pattern matching, measuring, feature or…
XYZ Robotics speeds up putwall, picking operations
For years now, supply chains have sought the ability for robots to rapidly and accurately pick and place a wide range of objects. XYZ Robotics Inc. is one startup that is committed to meeting that challenge with a combination of machine learning and robotic manipulation. Peter Yu, chief technology officer at XYZ Robotics in Allston,…
How to celebrate National Robotics Week in Massachusetts
In celebration of National Robotics Week, April 6-14, 2019, MassRobotics is hosting a series of state-wide open houses at innovative robotics organizations shaping the new Massachusetts technology landscape and the state’s ever-growing robotics cluster. “Massachusetts is a global hub of robot technology development and innovation,” said Tom Ryden, executive director, MassRobotics. “As part of RoboWeek,…
OnScale raises $10M from Intel Capital, Gradient Ventures for cloud-based simulation
OnScale, an emerging leader in cloud-enabled engineering simulation software, announced $10 million in Series A funding led by Intel Capital and Gradient Ventures, Google’s AI-focused venture capital fund. Additional investors include Thornton Tomasetti, Stage 2 Capital, Cultivation Capital, and CampbellKlein. OnScale, which has grown considerably since emerging from stealth in early 2018, will use the…
6 River Systems to debut Mobile Sort at ProMat 2019
WALTHAM, Mass. — 6 River Systems today announced general availability of Mobile Sort, a new system to enable warehouse operators to intelligently generate and fulfill batched orders using its robots, mobile sort stations, and cloud-based software enhanced with machine learning. The company will debut Mobile Sort on April 8 at ProMat 2019. E-commerce and retail…
OnScale raises $10 Million from Intel Capital and Gradient Ventures
OnScale, an emerging leader in Cloud-enabled engineering simulation software, announces $10M in Series A funding led by Intel Capital and Gradient Ventures, Google’s AI-focused venture capital fund. Additional investors include Thornton Tomasetti, Stage 2 Capital, Cultivation Capital, and CampbellKlein. OnScale, which has grown considerably since emerging from stealth in early 2018, will use the new […]
Production software that adds automation to additive manufacturing
3YOURMIND, a leading provider of software for additive manufacturing launched its full version of Agile Manufacturing Execution System (MES). At the AMUG (Additive Manufacturing Users Group) conference in Chicago (March 31 – April 4), the company is showing the applications and streamlined production workflows it has provided to early users. The software adds efficiency to […]
NVIDIA, Amazon AWS, Microsoft, Qualcomm to Highlight Enabling Tech at Robotics Summit
CLEVELAND and BOSTON — At the Robotics Summit & Expo 2019, experts from leading companies will discuss how the next generation of commercial robots will benefit from enabling technologies such as IoT, 5G, and cloud infrastructure. Keynote presenters from Amazon AWS, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Qualcomm will also focus on the vital roles of AI and…
Neural network helps autonomous car learn to handle the unknown
Researchers at Stanford University have developed a new way of controlling autonomous cars that integrates prior driving experiences – a system that will help the cars perform more safely in extreme and unknown circumstances. Tested at the limits of friction on a racetrack using Niki, Stanford’s autonomous Volkswagen GTI, and Shelley, Stanford’s autonomous Audi TTS,…
V3 of shoulderX exoskeleton from suitX includes new features to reduce worker strain
BERKELEY, Calif. — US Bionics Inc., doing business as suitX, this week announced the official launch of shoulderX V3, its third-generation wearable exoskeleton. The company said it is the world’s most advanced shoulder-supporting exoskeleton for use by automotive, construction, and shipbuilding workers. shoulderX augments its wearer by reducing forces at the shoulder complex, substantially reducing…