6 River Systems, a Waltham, Mass.-based warehouse automation startup best known for its Chuck autonomous mobile robot (AMR), was acquired by Shopify for $450 million. Shopify, the Canadian e-commerce giant, paid 60% in cash and 40% in shares for the deal, which is slated to close in Q4 2019. Shopify launched in June 2019 its…
Robotics investments recap: August 2019
Automation transactions in August 2019 included a major surgical robotics acquisitions, as well as funding for welding robots, cleaning drones, AI, and autonomous trucks.
Attabotics brings vision of ant-like efficiency to supply chains
Attabotics, which recently raised Series B funding, applies biologically inspired models to AS/RS for modern commerce fulfillment.
Robotics investments recap: June 2019
Reported robotics investments in June 2019 focused on transportation, AI and software, manufacturing, and healthcare.
Rutgers develops system to optimize automated packing
Rutgers computer scientists used artificial intelligence to control a robotic arm that provides a more efficient way to pack boxes, saving businesses time and money. “We can achieve low-cost, automated solutions that are easily deployable. The key is to make minimal but effective hardware choices and focus on robust algorithms and software,” said the study’s…
inVia Robotics’ Picker, cloud management system built for autonomy, ease of deployment
inVia Robotics’ robotics as a service offerings are different from the competition in requiring less overhead and maximizing efficiency, says CEO Lior Elazary.
Güdel gantry robots add gentle touch to bakery automation
In the U.S., about 50 million people a day eat at fast-food restaurants — and about 60,000 of those establishments sell hamburgers. That requires epic volumes of fresh buns every day … and only commercial bakeries with automated operations can output sufficient production volumes. Workhorse Automation Inc. (based in Oxford, Pa.) supplies machines to this […]
Electric motors, sensors, other motion components in off-highway and mobile robotics
Automated mobile equipment, which transports items in warehouses and freight centers as well as assembly operations, continues to boost demand for power-transmission and motion control systems. In fact, the worldwide mobile-robot market will reach nearly $15 billion by 2026, according to researchandmarkets.com. Almost all run off electric-motor drivetrains that are relatively expensive upfront but with […]
Locus Robotics partners with RightHand robotics for warehouse automation
Massachusetts-based RightHand Robotics and Locus Robotics are working to offer Locus’ multi-robot model for piece handling integrated with RHR’s autonomous work cell for warehouse operations.
Hank robot from Cambridge Consultants offers sensitive grip to industrial challenges
The Hank robot from Cambridge Consultants combines a soft grip with sensors to approach the dexterity of the human hand, which has been a “grand challenge” for the warehouse and agriculture industries.
ADVANCED Motion Controls debuts FlexPro digital servo drives
The FE060-25-EM is the first servo drive of the new FlexPro digital drive family from ADVANCED Motion Controls (AMC). Designed with compact form and power density in mind, the micro-sized FE060-25-EM can outperform larger-sized digital servo drives and still be integrated into tight spaces. At just 1.5 x 1 x 0.6 in. (38 x 25…
Basics of cam followers (including those for linear motion)
Cam followers are power-transmission devices with a rotary bearing core that bears load while serving as the interface between independently moving machine sections. Applications include those on rotary indexing tables and turntable conveyors, long-stroke robot transfer units (RTUs), and an array of highly customized machinery. The outer diameter (OD) of the cam-follower bearing assembly is […]
From the archives: HIWIN’s Datorker at Automate and the Robotic Summit
Robots aren’t all humanoid and SCARA; some take the form of linear-motion arrangements. In fact, we’ve covered how Cartesian arrangements in particular offer better energy efficiency and price points than more stereotypical robotic arrangements. You’ll get copious amount of information on such linear designs and technologies at the 2019 Robotics Summit (on commercial-robotics design, development, […]
Robotics investments recap: April 2019
Despite a few high-profile failures, robotics investments kept going strong in April 2019, with funding flowing to companies working on self-driving cars, supply chain automation, and robots in healthcare.
Ava Robotics raises $2.9M as demand grows for telepresence robots
Ava Robotics, which is building autonomy and high-definition teleconferencing into its telepresence robots, has raised funds as analysts expect the market to grow.
Locus Robotics raises $26M for warehouse robots, partners with Zebra
Locus Robotics plans to use its latest funding to expand its sales and distribution worldwide and further scale up production.
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…
Motion Trends: Customization tops gearmotor design trends
Wider industry trends towards more customized offerings from component manufacturers are also driving gearmotor designs. Manufacturers are offering designers more customized solutions via more in-house engineering resources, simplifying the design process. More custom solutions also mean greater integration with other components in a design, better connectivity and fewer compatibility issues. For example, Gabriel Venzin, President […]
Cannabis cultivation leverages modular automation stations
By Michael G. Giunta • National sales manager | Macron Dynamics Uninitiated laymen might assume today’s cannabis is grown through traditional farming — over horizontal outdoor spaces in natural environments managed by Mother Nature. But large-scale cannabis farming is typically indoors and highly automated. That’s for a couple reasons: • Security is a major concern […]
5G Robotics Challenge winners named by MassTLC, Verizon, Ericsson
BOSTON — The Mass Technology Leadership Council (MassTLC) today announced the winners of the 5G Robotics Challenge, sponsored by Verizon and Ericsson. This first-of-its-kind challenge asks teams to develop 5G-powered robotics technologies that will transform modern industry. The winners include teams from Northeastern University and University of Massachusetts, Lowell, as well as five start-ups: 6 River Systems Inc.,…
5G Robotics Challenge launches in Boston
The robotics industry is poised to be a major beneficiary of 5G, the fifth generation of wireless communication. If 5G meets its advertised median speeds of 1 Gbps, 5G will have a speed 20 times faster than 4G. Combine that increased speed with lower latency (about 1ms) and next-generation, 5G-powered robots should be more reliable…
Robotics investments recap: October 2018
Robotics investments in October 2018 totaled at least $1.24 billion worldwide with a total of 22 verified investments. Unverifiable robotics investments, including several in China, have been excluded from this analysis. There are several robotics investments in which the amounts and/or rounds were not disclosed. If we verify those amounts and/or rounds, we will update…
GreyOrange warehouse robots are coming to United States
The US warehouse robotics market is expected to surpass $20 billion by 2024, according to a recent study by Global Market Insights. And GreyOrange warehouse robots are joining the mix. GreyOrange, a leading warehouse automation company based in Singapore, is opening its US headquarters in Atlanta, an R&D office in Boston, and a US-based manufacturing…
inVia Robotics raises $20M Series B round for Picker warehouse robots
inVia Robotics, a Los Angeles-based maker of warehouse robots for e-commerce fulfillment centers, raised $20 million in Series B funding. The round was led by Point72 Ventures along with ongoing investments from Upfront and Embark Ventures. inVia Robotics raised a $9 million Series A round in February 2018, bringing its total funding to date to $29 million.…
Warehousing, fulfillment and DC transformation trends
E-commerce sales for 2017 were $453.5 billion in the U.S. and $1.1 trillion in China, an increase of 16.0% and 32.6% respectively over 2016. This upward trend is projected to continue for the next many years. Consequently flexibility and an ability to handle an ever-increasing number of parcels is of concern to warehousing, fulfillment and…