Robotics
Helping heavy lifting drones navigate in complex environments
Plextek has partnered with Griff Aviation, to put micro radars and sensors on its innovative heavy lifting drones. Griff is developing UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) designed to carry payloads up to 250kg for a wide range of applications including moving building equipment and materials across harsh terrains including mountainous and forested landscapes.
Robot colleague improves elderly care in nursing homes and hospitals
The rapidly ageing population is bringing new challenges to European society. Care institutions and hospitals are facing serious staffing shortages, as fewer and fewer people choose to become healthcare professionals, while at the same time the number of old (and sick) people is constantly on the rise. Heavy work pressure has proven to be related to poor quality of care and to incidents such as medication errors, which 13.8% of nurses deal with w...
igus’ robotic arm on The Gadget Show
During day to day business at igus UK, it is not unusual to get the odd phone call from customers and potential customers who have a novel idea on a new machine or concept. One Friday morning, a few weeks back, igus received such a call from the producer/director of The Gadget Show, a long-running television series on Channel 5 that focuses on consumer technology.
Anatomically shaped hand for complex tasks
With their ‘SoftHand’, German Robotics has presented an anatomically shaped hand for collaborating robots (Cobots). With its 19 dislocatable, self-healing finger joints, the SoftHand replaces numerous individual grippers and thus is well suited for complex handling tasks.
US-China trade conflict hits industrial robot demand
The World Robotics report presented by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) has shown a new record stock of about 300,000 operational industrial robots in the Republic of Korea in 2018 (+10%). Within five years, the country has doubled its number of industrial robots.
Could robots replace human tennis players?
While steeped in tradition, tennis has embraced technology on multiple fronts: coaching, umpiring and fan experiences. Since the early 2000s, the Sony-owned Hawk-Eye system has been assisting tennis umpires in making close calls. At Wimbledon, IBM’s Watson AI analyses fan and player reactions in real-time video footage from matches to create highlight reels just minutes after the end of a match.
Be in control… with the right robot controller
The current trend of robot control is changing with PLC-based solutions offering different benefits and opportunities over the traditional dedicated robot controllers. So what needs to be considered when selecting the right solution for the application? Here Barry Weller, Product Manager at Mitsubishi Electric, looks at how to determine which robot control option is best.
2020 set to see more businesses hire more robots
Increasing automation in the work place will continue to be a key trend in 2020 according to new research released today, with AI and robots taking on more roles from human employees. From building products to crunching numbers, machines will become ever more present in companies’ workforces.
European Commission rules aim to address drone safety concerns
In December 2018, two unauthorised UAVs sighted near London’s Gatwick Airport forced the authorities there to ground aircraft for 36 hours, causing chaos for more than 140,000 commercial and business passengers, and costing the airport’s partners and stakeholders an estimated £50m. The European Commission (EC) has responded by adopting EU rules to ensure that increasing drone traffic is safe and secure on the ground and in the a...
World’s first ISO approved drone safety standards
The world’s first ISO approved drone standards have been announced by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) following a 12-month period of consultation with drone professionals, academics, businesses and the general public.