ROBOTICS AND AUTOMATION NEWS
Issue 29 September 2019
T h e m o n t h l y m a g a z i n e f o r the robotics and automation industr y
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Editorial
Contents Components: A new type of direct-drive motor could profoundly change robots and other machines in the future
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Abdul Montaqim, Editor
t may seem unimaginable to some younger readers – who actually make up the majority of our audience – but back when some of us were young, if you ordered an item through a mail-order catalogue, it would take six weeks to get it delivered. Six weeks. Six weeks? Yes, that was kind of the minimum as well. It’s difficult to say why it took so long, but it’s possible that the item you ordered was not in stock and the mail-order itself had to order it and receive it. Or, maybe, it just took that long to do the paperwork and retrieve the item from the warehouse and ship it to you. Nowadays, of course, we have automated storage and retrieval systems and warehouse robots to speed up the physical process of moving the item, and also, the digitalisation of the supply chain means that there’s not much paper involved in the paperwork – if any at all. The warehouse is a highly dynamic place these days, streamlined in recent years by three types of automation: l system automation – software such as warehouse management systems as well as computer networking; l mechanised automation – conveyors and forklifts, for example, to add machine muscle to human labour; and l robotic automation – where autonomous mobile robots are used to store and retrieve items as well as position themselves in locations within the warehouse depending on how often they are required. These kind of innovations have not reached every warehouse – in fact, the majority of facilities are said to be still manually operated, where the majority of the time is spent walking around. Human picking of orders is done usually at a rate of 60 to 80 items per hour, while automated picking can speed that up to around 300 items an hour – a dramatic difference between the two methods. And while robots are still expensive, an increasing number of warehouse managers are taking advantage of “robotics-as-aservice”, which means they can hire the robots rather than bear the upfront cost of buying them, reducing initial outlay to a minimum. It’s probably no coincidence that Amazon is the largest online retailer in the world – the company bought the only supplier of warehouse robots in 2012, having paid almost $800 billion to buy Kiva Systems. It’s taken a few years for other warehouse operators to catch up because other robot makers needed time to build and supply similar machines. Now, every warehouse can bring in the robots. And with the emergence of autonomous home delivery vehicles, e-commerce will continue to make the old mail-order world prehistoric to say the least.l editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com
Warehouse robots From old mail order catalogues to same-day delivery, warehouse robots are the sign of changing times
Valet Parking: Approval for the world’s first fully automated driverless valet parking service
News: Hanwha Robotics and Wipro team up on Indian cobots News: ABB pilots automation solution for data centres Warehouse robots: Fetch Robotics raises $46 million Aircraft: Lilium jet wins prestigious award
Taxis: Continental advances robo-taxi technologies
Bars: Makr Shakr opens latest robotic bars in Milan and London
Escalators: ThyssenKrupp to provide lifts and escalators to China
Manufacturing: Innovation in industrial processes takes many forms Trucks: Volvo Trucks to provide autonomous port link Investment: More than $4 billion invested in robotics
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Features
News
Recogni launches with $25 million to develop vehicle AI
A US-German startup called Recogni has raised $25 million in Series A funding to make “fully-autonomous vehicles a reality”. Until now, Recogni has been in “stealth mode” while it develops its “highperformance, low-power AI processing for autonomous vehicles”. Recogni says it has designed a visionoriented artificial intelligence platform for autonomous vehicles. The funding round was led by GreatPoint Ventures with participation from: l Toyota AI Ventures; l BMW i Ventures; l Faurecia, an automotive technology company; l Fluxunit, the venture capital arm of lighting and photonics company Osram; l DNS Capital. As the automotive industry is transitioning to autonomous vehicles, a network of computers is needed to drive these vehicles efficiently on a limited energy budget.
Teralytics raises $17.5 million
Switzerland-based Teralytics has raised $17.5 million for what is described as “the world’s first intelligent mobility operating system”. innogy Ventures, the venture capital investment arm of innogy Innovation Hub, has invested in Teralytics as part of a $17.5 million funding round. innogy Ventures and innogy Innovation Hub are backed by innogy SE, a leading German energy company. The round was led by Robert Bosch Venture Capital, the corporate venture capital company of the Bosch Group. Other participants included Deutsche Bahn Digital Ventures, LBBW Venture Capital and Liil Ventures, as well as existing investors Atomico and Lakestar. editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com
India
Hanwha Robotics and Wipro team up on Indian cobots
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anwha Precision Machinery’s Robot Business Division has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Wipro Infrastructure Engineering (WIN) to establish a local sales and operations office in India. The partnership combines the core competencies between the two companies: Hanwha’s cobot manufacturing and development capabilities and WIN’s Automation Solutions business and broad sales network in India. Through this partnership, Hanwha Robotics will be able to sell its factory automation cobots to WIN’s customer base through its sales network. WIN is one of two main businesses of Wipro Enterprises (P) Limited. WIN was established over 40 years ago in hydraulics and has since then expanded into Aerospace, Additive Manufacturing, Automotive Solutions, and Water Treatment. Wipro’s IT outsourcing service business is one of the world’s Top 3 in IT outsourcing
with more than 170,000 employees worldwide. The MOU between Hanwha Robotics and WIN marks the first time a Korean cobot company has partnered with an Indian company to form a mutually beneficial partnership where both parties work together to create new markets and opportunities. In March of 2017, Hanwha Robotics launched Korea’s first cobot: the HCR-5. Soon after, the HCR-3 and HCR-12 were added to extend the product line of cobots.
ew office location in Culver City provides OnRobot opportunity to attract talent and add new products to a portfolio including robotic grippers inspired by lizards and sensors lending a human touch to robot arms OnRobot, a provider of end-of-arm tooling for collaborative robot applications, has opened its first location specifically dedicated to research and development in the USA. Based in Culver City in Los Angeles, California, the new office area boasts 6,000 sq ft for engineers, researchers and local staff to work and develop new products. Last year marked OnRobot’s first foray into the LA area, as it acquired Perception Robotics. With this acquisition, OnRobot brought the award winning Gecko Gripper technology into its product offerings and developed it for commercial launch.
The tactile Gecko Gripper uses millions of micro-scaled fibrillar stalks that adhere to a surface the same way that lizards climb. Originally created to help NASA salvage and repair satellites, the Gecko Gripper’s unique ability to pick up porous and delicate objects has already gained significant traction with OnRobot’s industrial automation customers. With limited square footage in the original Perception Robotics space, there wasn’t enough room for OnRobot to focus on its two important tasks: production and assembly, and continuing its R&D efforts to spawn new ideas for future product development. Enrico Krog Iversen, CEO of OnRobot, says: “As OnRobot continues its aggressive expansion throughout North America, moving to a larger location in Culver City offers multiple benefits.”
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OnRobot opens research facility in Los Angeles
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ABB pilots automation solution for data centres
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colocation data centre provider is piloting ABB's new data centre automation cloud solution, which aims to meet challenges faced by the rapid growth of data centres. Optimisation of data centre performance, increased tenant retention, agile communications between operations and upper management, and reduced costs are some of the benefits claimed for the new ABB offering. With a holistic data centre approach, the solution is said to provide a detailed insight into how multiple data centres and devices are performing. By bringing all the information into one place, it offers a consolidated view of overall data centre performance both locally and globally. The new solution is said to give increased accessibility provided by the state-of-the-art dashboards that display the data in a clear and comprehensive way. The insights result in better operational management providing optimisation of operations and business, says the company. “This is an exciting new ABB Ability Data Center Automation solution and it is a world first,” said Madhav Kalia, global business manager, Data Center Automation of ABB
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Control Technologies. “A leading colocation data centre provider in Singapore was the obvious choice with whom to work not just on the project pilot but also as a partner in development. “Their world vision and leading market position meant that they were able to offer a very valuable, constructive contribution, including helping us to define the minimum viable product (MVP) requirements.” One of the challenges faced by businesses today is how to mitigate the impact of data centres on the environment. ABB’s new solution enables power, cooling and environmental properties of data centres to be viewed and monitored, enabling the identification of opportunities for improvement.
Toyota robots to help at Tokyo 2020 Olympics
oyota Motor Corporation, as a worldwide partner of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, aims to provide mobility solutions that go beyond providing official vehicles for the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020. One way Toyota is doing this is by participating in the Tokyo 2020 Robot Project, led by the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, that brings the government, Tokyo Metropolitan government, as well as Games' partners together with experts in the field of robotics. At Tokyo 2020, the robots to be introduced by Toyota will be used to support the mobility editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com
of people at various locations and venues. Nobuhiko Koga, Chief Officer of Toyota's Frontier Research Center, said: “At Tokyo 2020, we want to capture the imagination of spectators by providing support robots as we do our part to make the Games a success.” To make this the most innovative and technologically advanced Games in history, the Tokyo 2020 and Toyota are working to develop a “mascot robot”. The mascot robot will both allow expressions of arm movements via a remotelocation robot, and share feedback from interactions. Via a camera mounted on its head, the robot can recognise people nearby.
Postmates chooses Ouster lidar for delivery rover
Delivery firm Postmates has selected the Ouster OS1 lidar sensor for use in its Serve autonomous delivery rover, which is being deployed in Los Angeles. The Ouster OS1 lidar enables Serve to navigate pavements, detect pedestrians, and interact with the community. The rover combines Postmates’ Socially-Aware-Navigation system and Ouster’s multi-beam flash lidar architecture to give a new platform for ondemand commerce. “The OS1 lidar’s range, size, durability, and high-resolution are a perfect fit for Serve,” said Ali Kashani, VP of Special Projects at Postmates X. “Over the past few years of development, it has become clear that lidar is an integral component to both detecting and interacting with the world around Serve, and Ouster is bridging that connection.” By using the same complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology used in consumer digital cameras and smartphones, the Ouster OS1 provides Serve with both the manufacturing scale necessary for mass deployment and the advanced perception to safely navigate urban environments.
Freedom Robotics receives $6.6 million
Switzerland-based Teralytics has raised $17.5 million for what is described as “the world’s first intelligent mobility operating system”. innogy Ventures, the venture capital investment arm of innogy Innovation Hub, has invested in Teralytics as part of a $17.5 million funding round. innogy Ventures and innogy Innovation Hub are backed by innogy SE, a leading German energy company. The round was led by Robert Bosch Venture Capital. www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
A robot power revolution Features
Components
Components: It is claimed that a new type of direct-drive motor could profoundly change robots and other machines in the future
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irst unveiled about three years ago, the LiveDrive is a completely new type of direct-drive motor which can provide robots with more power without using as much electricity, lubrication or space – significant savings in each of those areas and perhaps others. Directdrive motors do not use gearboxes, but to date, their limited torque means that they have only been suitable for a limited range of applications. In overly simplistic terms, the LiveDrive is to robots what engines are to cars – it enables machines to move. And critically, it has far greater torque, according to its makers; and can generate this without the need for traditional gears, which have teeth that require lubrication, make a lot of noise, and wear out eventually. LiveDrive uses a patented combination and composition of magnets to achieve what traditional drives and motors achieve by using gears and other mechanisms. The Canadian company behind the LiveDrive formally unveiled its invention at Hannover Messe more than three years ago, and we interviewed the inventor James Klassen and company president Michael Gibney at that time. Now called Genesis Robotics and Motion Technologies, and backed by giant conglomerate Koch, the startup has been looking for established industrial machine builders to work with – people it can have confidence in to fulfill what it sees as the enormous potential of the LiveDrive. For while it believes in its technology, its application is yet to be proven in the real world and will require innovative engineering to bring it to market. editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com
Last week, Genesis announced its first licensing or partnership agreement it had reached with a Swiss company called Demaurex, and invited Robotics and Automation News to be there, and above are a couple of pictures of what we saw at the press conference.
One pioneer to another Although neither company would divulge any financial details of the agreement, what is clear is that Demaurex’s experience in developing entirely new types of robotic machines was a big factor in Genesis’ choice. Demaurex was the first to launch delta robots into the market in 1998, and held a variety of patents in connection with the machines until 2007. Demaurex currently builds robotic work cells which are mainly used in the food packaging industry. A typical cell currently contains three delta robots, but with LiveDrive technology, this number may be increased to six – because of the space-saving and other operational advantages. But many technical and engineering challenges lie ahead for the two teams – the main team from Demaurex, who will be building the new robots, and the support team from Genesis. Frank Souyris, general manager of Demaurex, says the main challenge is the control aspect, which involves the programmable logic controller, or PLC – the special type of computer used for controlling robotics and automated machinery. Demaurex may or may not use Genesis’ prototype www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
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delta robot as its starting point, but it’s unlikely that the prototype will contain enough detailed engineering information to make a production robot, and certainly it will not have been field-tested. However, it’s a foundation on which the two companies can build.
One small step to world domination If Demaurex and Genesis are able to pull this off, the resulting robot or machine could have a massive impact on the global robotics landscape. Having already changed the landscape once with delta robots, Demaurex could perhaps be said to have experience of changing the world, but this time, any successful innovation could have far wider implications. The reason for this is that the Genesis LiveDrive is a component that could be used in more machines than just delta robots and other industrial robotic arms – it could be used in cars, exoskeletons, and practically any machine that involves movement. Genesis has shown a variety of proof-of-concept models, including: l multi-axis robotic arms; l scara robots; l exoskeletons; and of course l delta robots. The changes that LiveDrive may bring about could be quite profound. Imagine not needing lubrication. Until now, robots and cars have always required lubrication for their smooth operation. So much so that actually not editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com
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requiring lubrication seems unimaginable. Genesis makes many other claims for LiveDrive, including that it can deliver more power with the same electricity input, which would obviously make it more environmentally friendly, not to mention cheaper to run. But until someone like Demaurex proves LiveDrive’s application in the real world, these are just claims for now. However, the fact that Demaurex has decided to enter into a partnership to try and develop machines based on the LiveDrive would seem to confirm the validity of the claims. Achieving alpha with delta If it’s true that the LiveDrive is indeed groundbreaking technology that will do away with gearboxes and lubrication and provide more power with less electricity, it would be understandable that the biggest companies in the world would be interested in it. Genesis has admitted that it has received significant interest from a variety of other machine builders – many of which have a global presence and are household names. But at this early stage, the company is unwilling to name them. Chris Di Lello, CEO / VP manufacturing, Genesis, says the company will announce them in due course. “We’ve been investing a lot of time, effort and money in developing these fantastic technologies,” he says. “The agreement with Demaurex is a great step forward in commercialising these technologies into something that will be realised.
An exploded view of “LiveDrive”. It’s covered by a variety of patents and has been described as “revolutionary” because it could – believe it or not – change the world.
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The agreement with Demaurex is a great step forward in commerciali sing these technologies into something that will be realised. Chris Di Lello, Genesis
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“In order to do that, we needed to partner with very special, very experienced people – and that is Demaurex. They are the pioneers of delta robots, we are the pioneers of LiveDrive. “We could not have imagined a better partner.” Genesis has been very careful over the past few years in its development of partnerships. Perhaps the most crucial development has been the acquisition of a controlling share by the Koch company. It is probably this foundation that is now enabling it to finally sign agreements with companies such as Demaurex. Markus Kaufmann, CEO of Rotzinger Group / Demaurex, says the company previously packaged biscuits, chocolates, and similar products. “Now, with robotics, we are able to handle more chaotic patterns with complementary technologies. We have different technology but we have a great idea of how we can mix the different technologies. “This new technology represents a good opportunity for us, and we have a good partnership with Genesis Robotics.” Tech knowledge For Souyris, Demaurex’s general manager and one of the key people who brought the original delta robot to the market, working with the LiveDrive presents an interesting technical and engineering challenge. “I was here at the beginning of the development of delta robots, both technically and professionally,” says Souyris. “The initial idea was developed in partnership with a chocolate factory. “We continued developing the delta robot and acquired a variety of patents relating to it. “But there has been no significant breakthroughs in robotics for a long time. But just looking at the Genesis LiveDrive, you can see what the difference is – it speaks for itself. “In terms of footprint, in terms of capacity and of integrating more robots in a smaller space, you can see what the interest is – it’s going to be a big leap. I’m looking forward to it.” The work that Souyris and his team will do in building machines around LiveDrive technology is likely to have much wider applications across other sectors, as indicated earlier in this article. Klassen, the inventor of LiveDrive, is obviously more aware than anyone else about how the new motor could
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In terms of footprint, in terms of capacity and of integrating more robots in a smaller space, you can see what the interest is – it’s going to be a big leap. I’m looking forward to it. Frank Souyris, Demaurex
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Done deal… executives from the two companies shake hands on the agreement
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Genesis and Demaurex to develop ‘next generation’ robotic systems
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A Demaurex robotic work cell using three delta robots
change machines as we know them. He says: “The industry has known for decades that a direct-drive motor is the goal, and many companies have tried. “But they found out that a traditional or conventional direct-drive motor doesn’t meet the performance threshold that’s necessary to get rid of the gearbox. “So, the LiveDrive has three times the torque of a typical direct-drive motor, and this gets us to the critical threshold where you can now get rid of the gearbox and take advantage of all the benefits of a direct-drive motor. “The LiveDrive enables the elimination of the gearbox, which allows higher speed for higher productivity; it allows for greater reliability because you’ve got a more simplified system; the form factor is much smaller, as you can see, so you can have a higher robot density, which means more robots in a smaller area for higher productivity; and then by eliminating the gearbox, we eliminate the need for lubricating the gearbox. “The industry has known that that is ultimately the goal, and the Genesis team has had the privilege to work on this new technology and bring it to the point where our new partners, who we are extremely excited to work with, can now take that one small piece of the system and turn it into a much more higher-productivity robot with much higher reliability and the elimination of the gearbox.” l editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com
emaurex, a Swiss robotics company and pioneer of high speed pick and place robotics, and Genesis Robotics and Motion Technologies, an innovative start-up robotics company, have signed a joint development agreement to integrate Genesis Robotics’ revolutionary LiveDrive Direct-Drive Motors into Demaurex’s latest generation “delta robot systems”. The JDA was signed at an exclusive signing ceremony at the Lausanne headquarters of Demaurex to begin what both companies hail as a milestone in the development of advanced robotics. Demaurex engineered and industrialized the original Delta robot in 1988, based on a patent of Prof Reymond Clavel of the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne, introducing high speed, vision guided product pick and place systems to the robotics market for the first time. Demaurex and Genesis Robotics’ collaboration to develop this latest generation system represents a significant leap forward in the field of parallel kinematics, as two powerful technologies combine for the first time. Frank Souyris, general manager at Demaurex, says: “Demaurex’s Delta Robotic machines and systems have been the class leader for many years, and with the incorporation of LiveDrive Direct-Drive Motors we will continue to hold that position well into the future. The Genesis LiveDrive on the left, and a traditional equivalent component on the right “The LiveDrive technology offers new levels of simplicity and ease of use, eliminating the need for costly, bulky and unhygienic gearboxes all in a much smaller envelope. This will result in reducing the total cost of ownership and promoting ease of use for our customers.” Genesis Robotics’ revolutionary LiveDrive Direct Drive Motor improves performance, reduces maintenance
On the left, the Genesis LiveDrive, and on the right, an equivalent component typically found inside almost all of today’s robots
and increases uptime. This level of speed, torque and precision has never been available in a such a compact device with such simplicity. James Klassen, inventor of LiveDrive, says: “This collaboration between Demaurex is significant for Genesis because it demonstrates that the power density of the LiveDrive motor can redefine the Delta Robot, taking it to a level that has never been seen before in practical application. “The platform itself is what the industry has been waiting for: a high torque actuator that delivers three times higher torque density, high peak torque capacity, and the highest levels of precision. “Taking advantage of three foundational discoveries – Magnetic Amplification, Advanced Structural Magnetic Architecture, and unparalleled Heat Dissipation – the LiveDrive Direct-Drive motor provides manufacturers with the ability to design simpler, faster and more precise robots and machines.” Chris Di Lello, CEO of Genesis Robotics and Motion Technologies, says: “We are honoured to work with Demaurex SA as we believe that this collaboration demonstrates the powerful outcome that can be achieved when two companies with shared values, an intense desire to improve on the status-quo, and a deep respect for each other work together in true partnership.” l www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
Taking automation to the next level Features
Warehouse robots
Warehouse robots: From old mail order catalogues to same-day delivery, warehouse robots are the quintessential sign of changing times
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ver since Amazon acquired Kiva Systems in 2012 for $775 million and took the startup company’s robots off the market, warehouse managers have been looking for alternative suppliers. At that time, there simply no significantly well-known alternatives or proven solutions, but now, seven years on, there is a relatively large number of companies which build and supply warehouse robots. It’s highly unlikely to be a coincidence that, in the intervening years, Amazon has grown extremely fast to become not only the world’s largest online retailer but also one of the largest logistics companies – not just in
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its native US, but worldwide. All things considered, not least of which is its massive cloud computing offering, Amazon is now a trillion-dollar company. The growth of Amazon in the logistics and supply chain sector, in particular, has been so fast and stealthy that its operation is reported to be making longestablished giants such as FedEx and UPS rethink their own business – not least because they’ve lost about half of Amazon’s shipping business to Amazon itself. Perhaps it’s taken longer than it should have to realise what the secret of its success was, since the Kiva acquisition was so widely reported, but those little robots have Amazon warehouses probably the fastest and most efficient anywhere. So streamlined is Amazon’s operation, in fact, that it is able to offer same-day delivery in many parts of the US, and even delivery within an hour or two in certain places. And if you’re of a certain age, you probably still
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Warehouse robots remember mail-order catalogues which promised delivery of your order sometime in the subsequent six weeks. Unsurprisingly, many of those mail order companies are no longer around. Amazon, founded in 2004, has taken over in some style. And a very strong argument could be made to show that the biggest factor in the company’s success has been its intelligent application of warehouse robotics and automation. Humble and down to earth Arguably the most useful robot in recent years has become known as the “AMR”, short for “autonomous mobile robot”. Looking essentially like a humble, down-to-earth box on wheels, this type of robot, in fact, is one of the most sophisticated machines being built in the industry today. Not only can these robots bring goods to a human worker located at what’s called a “picking station” in a warehouse, they can also take those goods back to their original place. This, of course, saves the human picker – and other human staff in the warehouse – a lot of time and energy. But if that wasn’t clever enough, these robots can also dynamically change where they take the goods back to, depending on how often they are needed by the human picker. For fast-moving, top-selling goods, for example, it may stay within close proximity to the human picker. And vice versa for slow-moving goods. This type of dynamic location is part of what the installed artificial intelligence programs are capable, and in some ways, this is just the beginning.
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Companies like Geek Plus Robotics, which has sold the largest number of warehouse robotics at 7,000 or more, are continually developing new ways of storing, organising and moving goods within facilities – both in terms of hardware and software. The hardware is becoming more sleek, more aesthetically pleasing, smoother in its manoeuvres, and quieter in its operations. And the software is integrating more artificial intelligence which enables it to locate itself in parts of the warehouse where it will be most needed, and work in concert with the other robots. From an observer’s point of view, it looks like the software aspect offers more scope for refinement than the hardware side because, ultimately, most warehouse robots of this type – the robots which move items around – look like boxes on wheels, and there’s not much call for them to look any different. Whereas the software could be loaded with more capabilities, such as “swarm intelligence”, which is a type of robotics programming that enables many robots to work towards a single goal. At the moment, much of the “concerted” action is to do with them avoiding bumping into each other.
An evolving ecosystem Having said that, the robotics ecosystem is continually evolving, so there is the possibility that the hardware of these mover types of robots could be installed with robotic arms which could be used to pick out individual items from shelves rather than take the entire shelf unit to the human picker for him or her to pick out the specific item they need.
Since May 2018, enabled by a customized intelligent order fulfillment solution, Geek Picking System has achieved fast delivery and high order accuracy, which is twothree times higher than traditional manual picking Geek Plus
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Warehouse robots robotic systems currently in operation in warehouses: the accuracy of robotic picking systems are very high, much higher than human-picking processes – “two to three times higher” than human-picking processes, according to a spokesperson for Geek Plus. “One of our case studies is of a Geek Plus Smart Warehouse with an area of 22,000 square meters. We assisted in providing a well-known social e-commerce company, which provides logistic services to its consumers. “Since May 2018, enabled by a customized intelligent order fulfillment solution, Geek Picking System has achieved fast delivery and high order accuracy, which is two-three times higher than traditional manual picking. “The current storage capacity of the warehouse is 1.7 million units. Its daily delivery volume has already exceeded 50,000 pieces, and can be increased to 100,000 pieces during peak seasons.”
This is a type of system – mobile platform plus robotic arm – that is currently being tested by Geek Plus Robotics in partnership with some of its clients. The results so far have been positive, but there is some way to go in terms of machine vision and its associated machine learning algorithms before the camera on the robotic arm is able to correctly identify the item required every time, all the time. Such new and complex robots – in this instance, a hybrid of two completely different types – have a lot to live up to. They have been set a very high standard by the
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It is inevitable that even the warehouses that already have robots will become even more efficient through the application of more automation technologies, but there are so many warehouses that have minimal automation that would benefit... Geek Plus
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Past its prime As well as providing this client with the technologies which have already proven to increase efficiency and productivity in warehouses, Geek Plus is also testing its new driverless forklift. The company’s “Intelligent Automated Forklift” is being rolled out in select operations, including at a facility owned by one of the largest automakers in China, with hopes high that the results will show it to be cost-effective and requiring only a reasonably short time to provide a return on investment. “These new types of technologies will take warehouse automation to the next level,” says the Geek Plus spokesperson. “It is inevitable that even the warehouses that already have robots will become even more efficient through the application of more automation technologies, but there are so many warehouses that have minimal automation that would benefit from what can probably now be considered a robotic starting point.” That starting point could be a small number of mover robots with integrated shelf units acquired through the “robotics as a service” model, where there is no need to buy the machines and incur a large upfront cost, and then simply scale up or down as required. Given that the vast majority of warehouses are mostly manually operated, it could be said that they are operating as though we are still in what could be called the old “mail order catalogue mindset”. And, even though nostalgia can be comforting, with Amazon offering sameday delivery in an increasing number of locations, that mindset probably belongs in a bygone era, because it will probably mean loss of business or worse in this one. l www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
Warehouse robots
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Fetch Robotics raises $46 million
Warehouse automation: The company will use its latest funding for international expansion, to meet accelerating customer demand, and for ongoing research and development
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etch Robotics, a provider of warehouse automation technologies, has raised $46 million in its Series C round of funding. The round was led by Fort Ross Ventures, with additional participation from CEAS Investments, Redwood Technologies, TransLink Capital and Zebra Ventures. All existing investors – O’Reilly AlphaTech Ventures, Shasta Ventures, Softbank Capital and Sway Ventures – also participated in this round. Fetch Robotics has now raised $94 million to date. The company says the funding will be used for “international expansion, to meet accelerating customer demand, and for ongoing research and development”. Melonee Wise, CEO of Fetch Robotics, says: “Customers have responded enthusiastically to our unique cloud robotics solution, and we’re responding by securing the funds we need to continue growing and enhancing our offerings. “The competitive pressures for excellence in logistics have never been greater. Our autonomous mobile robots and cloud platform enables our customers to meet their customers’ demands while meeting their own financial objectives.” While supply chain automation isn’t new to logistics or manufacturing, what is new is the need for speed – to produce, transport, package, ship, deliver and adapt – at a pace never before seen. At the same time, the labor shortages that plague editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com
ecommerce operations are also impacting distribution, fulfillment and manufacturing facilities. In a recent survey, the number one concern among logistics industry leaders was “hiring qualified workers”, and an additional survey reported that manufacturing executives are worried that around sixty percent of current open positions in their businesses are unfilled due to lack of skilled workers. It is, therefore, no wonder that warehouse and manufacturing operators are struggling to find solutions that let them meet the demanding workload, says Fetch. One such company is Universal Logistics Holdings, a full-service provider of customized transportation and logistics solutions. With headquarters in Michigan, Universal provides value-added logistics services for Fortune 500 manufacturers and retailers, including several of the top automotive and transportation original equipment manufacturers. Universal recently deployed the Fetch Cloud Robotics Platform in its 1 million sq ft Smyrna, Tennessee, logistics facility which serves the nearby Nissan Motors plant, the largest auto manufacturing facility in North America. Just outside of Nashville, the greater metropolitan area where Smyrna resides ranks among the lowest overall unemployment rates in the United States at 2.4 percent. This makes it especially difficult to meet the demand for logistics workers and leads to chronic under-staffing situations, says Fetch. As a result, Universal has a pressing need for flexible, reliable and cost-effective automation solutions that can handle low-level tasks – like pushing carts with parts and sub-assemblies over long distances. Jeff Rogers, CEO of Universal, says: “In Smyrna as in many markets we serve, we face chronic labor shortages, at times in excess of ten percent of our required staff, which puts significant pressure on everyone from the workers on the floor to senior management. Solving problems “The Fetch Robotics system provides an answer to our problem. Because the system installs so quickly – we had it fully operational in less than a week – we’re able to boost output and manage our costs. “And our workers like it because the robots take on the less interesting, more laborious tasks. With Fetch, our employees can focus on the revenue-generating tasks that are more fulfilling and more valuable.” In the Smyrna facility, Universal is using 10 Fetch CartConnect robots in conjunction with 40 carts to automate several key processes in the warehouse. This enables them to meet their targets while reducing the near-continuous need to ask associates to work overtime. By opting for the Fetch Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) monthly fee model, Universal has been able to minimize their upfront investment and realize a compelling return on investment. l www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
Features
Aircraft
Lilium jet wins prestigious award
Warehouse automation: Lilium’s all-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft beat 4,200 entires to be selected for a “Best of the Best” award by the Red Dot Design Award organization in its 2019 competition.
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I believe biomimicry has a powerful role to play in design and a great deal of my inspiration came from the manta ray, one of nature’s most majestic creatures. Mathis Cosson, Lilium
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ilium, the Munich-based startup developing an ondemand air taxi service, has been awarded one of the world’s most prestigious design accolades for its work on the Lilium Jet. The Lilium Jet, a five-seater all-electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, was selected for a “Best of the Best” award by the Red Dot Design Award organization in its 2019 “Design Concept” competition. From more than 4,200 entries the international judging panel selected fewer than 1 per cent to receive this award which celebrates the design of novel concepts and products that are not yet in the market. The Lilium Jet was further nominated for the Red Dot: Luminary award, Red Dot’s highest annual accolade, the winner of which will be announced in September from a handful of nominees. The award comes just two months after the five-seater Lilium Jet was revealed to the public for the first time, having completed its maiden flight in the skies over Germany. The aircraft is central to Lilium’s plans to operate an affordable, emissions-free alternative to today’s transport options. A philosophy of clean and simple design runs through everything Lilium does, from physical product through to customer experience. With no tail, no rudder and only one moving part in each engine, the Lilium Jet embodies this principle as well
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as balancing functional engineering requirements with aesthetic beauty. Commenting on the inspiration behind his work, Mathis Cosson, who was just 23 at the time he designed the aircraft, says: “We wanted to break with traditional aerospace design and deliver something the world had never seen before. While it had to fit strict requirements from our engineering team, we also wanted to wow people with its design. “I believe biomimicry has a powerful role to play in design and a great deal of my inspiration came from the manta ray, one of nature’s most majestic creatures. The way it glides almost magically through the water was something we wanted to emulate with the Lilium Jet, delivering a sense of calm elegance and minimalist design. “From my very first hand sketches through to the casting of the final parts for the aircraft, we kept our focus on delivering parts that look as if they have been sculpted by nature rather than by the human hand.” Design range As well as stars of the future like Cosson, Lilium’s design team, led by co-founder Patrick Nathen, is also home to more established stars like Frank Stephenson, who, inspired by the design of the Lilium Jet, joined Lilium in 2018, having led the design of cars such as the new Mini and the McLaren P1. Commenting on the award, Daniel Wiegand, co-founder and CEO, Lilium, says: “While we fell in love with the Lilium Jet before it even left the drawing board, we are humbled to have had its beauty recognized and validated through this award. “We are immensely proud of what Mathis and the wider team have achieved. It just goes to show that you don’t need decades of experience, or a huge company behind you, to do something remarkable. “Our focus is now on delivering our goal of having the Lilium Jet delighting customers in various regions around the world by 2025.” l www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
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Features
Taxis
Continental advances robo-taxi technologies Taxis: Continental’s technology is being featured for the first time in a new French shuttle, but the company’s main aim is to get a range of its technologies marketready for the series production of robo-taxis.
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ontinental’s technology for driverless vehicles will be in production for the first time in French company EasyMile’s EZ10 autonomous shuttle. Continental has held a stake in this driverless vehicle manufacturer since 2017. Driverless robo-taxis will become an important part of mobility in urban centers, helping to reduce traffic congestion and increase efficiency, says the company. Driverless transport systems of this kind are still rare. Small autonomous shuttle buses with room for several passengers – which also qualify as robo-taxis – have driven on short, straightforward public routes during pilot projects and in designated areas at airports, hospitals, universities, and exhibition grounds. “The technological building blocks that enable robotaxis to operate are available in principle and have been tried and tested in practice. However, we now have to intelligently, safely, and efficiently put them together to form an overall picture,” said Andree Hohm, Director of Driverless Mobility at Continental. editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com
The central development platform for this work is the CUbE, a small driverless shuttle based on the EZ10 platform. The aim is not to develop the CUbE into a production vehicle, but to get a range of Continental technologies, such as brake systems and surroundings sensors, marketready so that they can be used in the series production of robo-taxis. Andree Hohm said: “Customers developing driverless mobility systems should be able to draw from a wide array of high-performance products and solutions with Continental. We are setting the course for that. At the same time, our global activities are addressing local particularities.” For a robo-taxi to drive autonomously, it must first detect its surroundings reliably, accurately, and
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Bars completely. It does this using vehicle surroundings sensors such as cameras, radar, and lasers. With the aid of the CUbE, Continental has developed a production-ready radar system especially for driverless vehicles. The vehicle can generate a 360-degree image of its environment by combining the data from different sensor technologies. This, in turn, ensures redundancy and a higher level of accuracy not previously achieved, because radar systems function independent of visibility conditions and can even see through objects such as parked cars and detect the street corner behind them. Continental’s radar sensor, which will be used in the EZ10 autonomous shuttle from EasyMile later this year, detects the vehicle’s environment within a radius of up to 200 metres. The vehicle is equipped with seven radar sensors, as well as laser sensors and cameras. This allows the location to be precisely determined and, at the same time, early detection of obstacles and potentially critical situations. A dual safeguard, at minimum, is not only a necessity for monitoring the surroundings in driverless vehicles, but also for the brake systems.
Technology portfolio Continental’s portfolio includes suitable technologies, such as the MK C1 one-box brake system, which has been in series production since 2016 and combines ABS, ESC, and a brake booster. For use in autonomous vehicles, the one-box brake system is combined with a Hydraulic Brake Extension that can, in conjunction with ABS, safely brake the vehicle in the highly unlikely event of primary brake failure. Full braking functionality is therefore guaranteed. The ABS function represents an additional feature, because robo-taxis have not been equipped with a system of this type until now. In addition, robo-taxis in the form of small buses are typically higher and have a higher center of gravity than conventional cars to allow passengers to enter and exit the vehicle comfortably in an upright position. This is where a predictive driving dynamics system comes into play to ensure safe and stable handling in bends. This, too, is part of the range of innovative and highperformance vehicle control systems from Continental. The development of these and other technologies for driverless vehicles is being advanced by a global network of five Continental centres of excellence in Germany, China, Japan, Singapore, and the U.S. l
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Customers developing driverless mobility systems should be able to draw from a wide array of high-performance products and solutions with Continental. Andree Hohm, Continental
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Features
Makr Shakr opens latest robotic bars
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startup company called Makr Shakr has opened its latest robotic bars in the European cities of Milan and London. Makr Shakr was founded in 2014 by MIT professor Carlo Ratti and claims to be the world’s leading producer of robotic bars. The Milan installation is in the heart of the Italy’s fashion capital, and is said to be the city’s very first robotic bar. Overlooking the iconic cathedral, the bar will be located on the rooftop of luxury hotel TownHouse Duomo and open to the public from 26 July 2019. The latest edition of Makr Shakr is also currently taking up residency at the Barbican, London until 26 August 2019, to coincide with the exhibition AI: More than Human. Modelled on the gestures of Italian dancer and choreographer Marco Pelle from the New York Theatre Ballet, Makr Shakr says the robotic bar is “the most advanced drink-mixing robot ever put on the market”. The system is available for purchase or rent. “Combining the very finest Italian
craftsmanship with high-end technology and elegant finishes, the robotic bar features two mechanical arms that can precisely prepare and serve any drink in seconds – shaking, stirring, and muddling with coordinated, dance-like movements,” says the company in a statement. “It can skillfully manage more than 150 bottles of different spirits hanging from the ceiling of the bar structure, to create an infinite combination of drinks.”
Empowering people Emanuele Rossetti, CEO of Makr Shakr, says: “The View by Makr Shakr shows how technology can empower people. It is not about replacing humans with robots but allowing robots to be extensions of our arms. In short, YOU are the bartender.” Carlo Ratti, founding partner of CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati firm that designed the system, says: “Industrial robots are going to change the global workforce, but many people have never had the opportunity to see them – let alone interact with them. “Our motivation is in creating novel opportunities for people to interact with new technologies.” www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
Features
Valet parking
Green light for first fully automated valet parking service
Valet parking: Bosch and Daimler have obtained approval for the ‘world’s first’ fully automated driverless valet parking service
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osch and Daimler have obtained approval for what they claim is the “world’s first fully automated” driverless parking system, or automated valet service. The two automotive giants say the new system is “a milestone on the way to automated driving”. The two companies obtained approval from the relevant authorities in Baden-Württemberg for their automated parking system in the Mercedes-Benz Museum parking garage in Stuttgart (pictured). The automated valet parking service is accessed via a smartphone app and requires no safety driver. This makes it the world’s first fully automated driverless SAE Level 4 parking function to be officially approved for everyday use. SAE is an international engineering association which has published a list of automation levels for road vehicles, going from 0 for no automation to 5 for full automation, or driverless. Level 4 vehicles are capable of driverless operation, but are intended for human management or cooperation. Dr Markus Heyn, member of the board of management of Bosch, says: “This decision by the authorities shows that innovations like automated valet parking are possible in Germany first. “Driverless driving and parking are important building blocks for tomorrow’s mobility. The automated parking system shows just how far we have already progressed editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com
along this development path.” Dr Michael Hafner, the head of drive technologies and automated driving at Daimler, says: “This approval from the Baden-Württemberg authorities sets a precedent for obtaining approval in the future for the parking service in parking garages around the world. “As a pioneer in automated driving, our project paves the way for automated valet parking to go into mass production in the future.”
Playing it safe: two partners with a common objective From the very beginning, Bosch and Daimler say their top priority for the driverless parking service was safety. Since there is as yet no official approval process for automated driving functions that do not require a driver, the local authorities – the Stuttgart regional administrative authority and the state of BadenWürttemberg’s transportation ministry – oversaw the project along with experts from the German technical inspection service TÜV Rheinland from the outset.
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Driverless driving and parking are important building blocks for tomorrow’s mobility. The automated parking system shows just how far we have already progressed... Dr Markus Heyn, Bosch www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
Valet parking
Features Their aim was to assess the operating safety of the automotive and parking-garage technology. The result is a comprehensive safety concept with appropriate testing and approval criteria that can be applied beyond this pilot project. In the concept, the developers defined how the driverless vehicle detects pedestrians and other cars in its path and reliably comes to a halt when it encounters an obstacle. They also set up secure communications between all system components and took steps to ensure the reliable activation of the parking maneuver.
The technology behind driverless parking Drive in to the parking garage, get out, and send the car to a parking space just by tapping on a smartphone screen – automated valet parking has no need for a driver. Once the driver has left the parking garage to go about their business, the car drives itself to an assigned space and parks. Later, the car returns to the drop-off point in exactly the same way. This process relies on the interplay between the intelligent parking garage infrastructure supplied by Bosch and Mercedes-Benz automotive technology. Bosch sensors in the parking garage monitor the driving corridor and its surroundings and provide the information needed to guide the vehicle. The technology in the car converts the commands from the infrastructure into driving maneuvers. This way, cars can even drive themselves up and down ramps to move between stories in the parking garage. If the infrastructure sensors detect an obstacle, the vehicle stops immediately.
Project milestones Bosch and Daimler started developing fully automated driverless parking in 2015, and in the summer of 2017, their pilot solution in the Mercedes-Benz Museum parking garage in Stuttgart reached an important milestone: automated valet parking in real conditions, with and without drivers at the wheel, was presented to the public for the first time. This premiere was followed by an intensive testing and start-up phase. Starting in 2018, museum visitors could use the parking service live, accompanied by trained safety personnel, and share their experience. One aspect of the pilot project involved testing lighting concepts on the vehicles. Turquoise lighting indicates that a vehicle is in automated driving mode and informs passersby and other road users that the vehicle is driving itself. The insights from these tests are reflected in the recently issued SAE standard 3134. Obtaining final approval from the authorities is a further major milestone for Bosch and Daimler: soon, interested parties will be able to experience the innovative valet parking service live in daily operation in the Mercedes-Benz Museum parking garage without additional supervision from a safety driver. l editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com
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Features
Escalators
Innovation in industrial processes takes many forms, finds Deloitte
ThyssenKrupp to provide lifts and escalators to China
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s the sole lift supplier to China Southern Airlines’ new Beijing airport base, Thyssenkrupp Elevator is to deliver 155 elevators and 22 escalators to Beijing Daxing Airport, which is currently under construction. China Southern Airlines has moved to the new mega airport in the south of Beijing as part of its ‘two-hub’ strategy, alongside its current Guangzhou base. The plans for the airport facilities were designed by architect Sir Norman Foster, while the hexagonal main terminal was designed by Zara Hadid Architects. At approximately 7.5 million sq. feet, it will be the largest terminal in the world. The 62-hectare development is China Southern Airlines’ biggest investment to-date. Beyond the colossal terminal, Daxing Airport will also boast the largest air traffic control centre, aircraft hangar, and airline catering centre in Asia. A project of this scale demands reliable, efficient and comfortable
mobility across the complex. With 177 lift and escalator units, Thyssenkrupp Elevator will ensure this. Despite the tremendous scale of the main terminal, it will take less than eight minutes to travel from security to the furthest gates.
Passenger volumes China Southern Airlines belongs to one of China’s biggest air carriers. In 2018, the state-owned company flew 4.42 million passengers from Guangzhou – an 8.6% increase compared to 2017. This included nearly 1 million international transit passengers. The new airport will support 45 million passengers in the first phase, before increasing to ultimately become the largest airport worldwide by passenger numbers. Together with China Eastern Airlines, the company will be responsible for roughly 40% of the new airport’s traffic flow and will initially base 200 aircraft at the site. l
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Manufacturing: Not all types of innovation are created equal when it comes to the transformation taking place today in the industrial manufacturing sector.
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new report series, Innovation in Industrial Manufacturing, by Deloitte about innovation in industrial manufacturing shows that patent-based innovation – in both business process improvement and new product development – has become a key marker for how industrial companies are leveraging their research and development budgets to remain competitive in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In the report series, Deloitte reviewed the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) filings and citations of 43 Fortune 100 industrial manufacturers, between 20062018, and found important insights into how companies are investing in R&D, how digital technology is developing in the sector – specifically “exponential technologies” such as 3D printing, blockchain, cybersecurity, Iota, and so on – and outlines “winning approaches” to innovation for manufacturers.
Highlights from Deloitte’s USPTO analysis, include: l Patents in exponential technologies have consistently represented the majority share of overall patents filed by industrial manufacturers (59% in 2018). In fact, such patents nearly doubled between 2006-2017. l Industrial companies are frequently combining two or more exponential technologies through their patented innovations, and Iota-related patents are often at the nexus. www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
Manufacturing
l There could be a “sweet spot” for R&D investment that yields the greatest intensity of patent-related innovation for industrial companies.
Pathways to faster innovation for industrial manufacturers: l Focusing on exponential technologies and applying them in different combinations to innovations in both process and product can help industrial companies get an edge over their competitors.
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Patents in exponential technologies have consistently represented the majority share of overall patents filed by industrial manufacturers (59% in 2018). Deloitte
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Features
l Complementing a long-term internal innovation strategy with shorter-term external moves, such as through inorganic growth, for innovation can help manufacturers balance their R&D investments to deliver a continuous cycle of innovation. l Applying a variety of external approaches – ranging from acquisitions, joint ventures, public-private alliances, to technology-based industry consortia – strengthens industrial manufacturing companies’ capabilities quickly and effectively. l Consider the split of patent-driven research that is focused towards product innovation vs process innovation. l The study showed an increasing gap between the patents related to process innovations and products (43 percent in 2018). l This is expected to be increasingly important as industrial companies advance along the digital maturity curve. l www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
Features
Trucks
Volvo Trucks to provide autonomous port link
Trucks: A Volvo Trucks autonomous vehicle is set to link a logistics centre to Gothenburg port
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olvo Trucks’ electric, connected and autonomous vehicle Vera will form part of an integrated solution to transport goods from a logistics centre to a port terminal in Gothenburg, Sweden. The assignment is a result of a new collaboration between Volvo Trucks and the ferry and logistics company, DFDS. The purpose of the collaboration is to use Vera in a real application, enabling a connected system for a continuous flow of goods, from a DFDS’ logistics centre to an APM Terminals port facility in Gothenburg, for distribution across the world. In 2018, Volvo Trucks presented its first electric, connected and autonomous solution, designed for repetitive assignments in logistics centres, factories and ports. Vera is suited for short distances, transporting large volumes of goods with high precision. “Now we have the opportunity to implement Vera in an ideal setting and further develop her potential for other similar operations,” says Mikael Karlsson, Vice President Autonomous Solutions at Volvo Trucks. The aim is to implement a connected system consisting of several Vera vehicles monitored by a control tower. The purpose is to enable a seamless and constant flow responsive to demands on greater efficiency, flexibility and sustainability. The collaboration with DFDS is a first step towards implementing Vera in a real transport assignment on predefined public roads in an industrial area. editorial@roboticsandautomationnews.com
“We want to be at the forefront of connected, autonomous transportation. This collaboration will help us develop an efficient, flexible and sustainable long-term solution for receiving autonomous vehicles arriving at our gates, benefitting our customers, the environment and our business” says Torben Carlsen, CEO of DFDS. The autonomous transport solution will be further developed in terms of technology, operations management and infrastructure adaptations, before it can be fully operational. Moreover, necessary safety precautions will be taken to meet societal requirements for a safe path towards autonomous transports. As Volvo Trucks gains more experience, Vera has the potential to be used in similar applications as a complement to today’s transport solutions. “Autonomous transports with low noise levels and zero exhaust emissions have an important role to play in the future of logistics, and will benefit both business and society,” adds Mikael Karlsson. "We see this collaboration as an important start and want to drive progress in this area. Vera may have a speed limit, but we don’t. Testing has already started and we intend to implement the solution within the coming years." l The assignment is to move containers from the DFDS logistics centre in Gothenburg to an APM terminals container terminal according to needed capacity. l The autonomous system is monitored by an operator in a control tower who is also responsible for the transport. l The solution is suited for repetitive flows with a maximum speed of 40 km/h. l Infrastructure adaptations are part of the scope in the implementation of the total transport system, including automated gates at the terminals. l Volvo Trucks and DFDS are main partners but several actors are involved in implementing Vera’s first assignment. l DFDS provides ferry and transport services in Europe and Turkey, generating annual revenues of around DKK 17bn. l The 8.000 employees are located on ships and in offices across 20 countries. DFDS is headquartered in Copenhagen, and listed on NASDAQ Copenhagen. l APM Terminals is a port service and container terminal solution provider, operating a network of 76 ports globally. l APM Terminals is a part of A.P. Moller – Maersk, an integrated container logistics company working to connect and simplify its customer’s supply chains, operating in 130 countries and employs roughly 70.000 employees. l The initiative is carried out with support from the Swedish Innovation Agency Vinnova, the Swedish Transport Administration and the Swedish Energy Agency through the Strategic vehicle research and innovation programme FFI. l www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
Investment
More than $4 billion invested in robotics
Investment: ABB Research has highlighted 15 key hot tech innovators leading in their respective markets
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We see a strong growth application of mobile robotics outside of traditional markets, an example being Singaporean Oderberg use of these robots for security. Rina Whitson, ABB Research
obotics continues to attract more and more attention within the world of venture capital and private finance, with over $4 billion invested in robotics companies in 2018 alone. But some companies are standing out more than others in innovation that will advance the entire robotics industry. Global tech market advisory firm, ABB Research, has released a report highlighting the 15 key hot tech innovators currently leading in their respective markets through novel technology solutions. Rina Whitton, senior analyst at ABI Research, says: “Not only are these Hot Tech Innovators propelling the robotics industry forward but also, by looking at their innovations, we can deduce several trends that will have a ripple effect across the board.” There has been a proliferation of platform-agnostic autonomy solution providers who can make any vehicle autonomous. They are represented by PerceptIn, Sevensense, and Nuro, who have all leased out their technology stacks and navigation software to original equipment manufacturers and other robotic developers. These companies are joining a growing array of mobile robotics providers that see themselves less as robot product manufacturers, and more platform-agnostic solution providers that can develop across different markets and through various form factors. Whitton says: “We see a strong growth application of mobile robotics outside of traditional markets, an example being Singaporean Oneberry’s use of these robots for security.” One of the great drivers of this development is Amazon, which has acquired some mobile robot providers to automate their mobile supply-chain. Buying Canvas Technology gives Amazon access to advanced visual simultaneous localization and mapping (vSLAM) technology, while the acquisition of Scout gives the e-commerce giant access to last-mile delivery robotic solutions.
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Features At the same time, material handling innovators like MiR and Otto Motors are delivering more flexible robotic solutions for the manufacturing space. Previously, the deployment of multiple mobile robots, either indoors or outdoors, required a heavily controlled environment with either costly machine vision solutions or major external infrastructure in the form of fiducial markers or magnetic tape. Whitton says: “Now, we see the development of advanced location technologies and connectivity to further improve the accuracy, mobility, and coverage of robotics.” Companies like Boston-based Humatics are creating scalable and effective navigation solutions that will significantly lower the barriers of adoption across industries. Meanwhile, industrial robotics players are diversifying their portfolios in the face of tightening revenue growth and concerns about overreliance on the mainstay of robotics up to this point – the automotive manufacturing sector. This change of heart is exemplified by Comau, which has developed a new IoT analytics platform called Ingrid, as well as a passive exoskeleton, educational robots, and a high payload cobot designed for lifting large vehicles. In the same vein, UbTech, originally known for consumer robot toys, is increasingly expanding its portfolio into education and service robots. Safety-assured robots Mechatronic advances are also crucial in making collaborative robotics superior, as evidenced by Precise Automation’s line of safety-assured robots that can run at similar speeds of traditional industrial robots. Precise’s work stands out in a saturated market with relatively little hardware innovation. Meanwhile, quadrupedal robotics developer AnyBotics combines a novel robot platform, advanced SLAM, and sophisticated drives to develop dexterous mobile systems that are already being tested for industrial inspection. Hardware advances continue to propel robots into new directions. For unmanned underwater use-cases, Houston Mechatronics is developing advanced mobile manipulation. This is mirroring mobile picking solutions in e-commerce fulfillment with companies like IAM Robotics continuing to grow their funds. Meanwhile, developers are increasingly getting easy access to develop novel mobile solutions, with Ubiquity Robotics and other open-source platform providers helping to accelerate the market. Whitton says: “Overall, many of the most innovative and impressive companies entering the robotics space are tailored toward mobile robotics. “With mobile robot manufacturers like MiR, Comau and autonomy solution providers like Sevensense, PerceptIn, and Nuro making the list, it is clear the near-term future of robotics is about scaling up to fleets and automating mobility across industry and commercial spaces.” l www.roboticsandautomationnews.com
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