Industrial Automation, Robots and Unmanned Vehicles General Newsletter - Jun 2015

Qualcomm Announces 10 Companies Selected to Participate in the Qualcomm Robotics Accelerator, Powered by Techstars

Qualcomm is Jumpstarting the Next Wave of Innovation in Robotics with its Accelerator program.

Unmanned Systems Markets: Present & Future

Overall, the reports that I surveyed were upbeat, predicting exponential growth for all unmanned vehicles.

MIT Cheetah Robot Lands the Running Jump

In a leap for robotic development, the MIT researchers who built a robotic cheetah have now trained it to see and jump over hurdles as it runs - making this the first four-legged robot to run and jump over obstacles autonomously...

Interview with Mark G. Knebusch of Softing: Mainstreaming The Internet of Things

The idea of many connected devices helping better control the factory floor is not new. IoT in one sense is merely a shift to internet addressable devices versus those either addressed by proprietary means or just "dumb".

DARPA Fast Track Program Invites Non-Traditional Roboticists to Help Bolster National Security

Robotics Fast Track foresees cost-effective development of new capabilities by engaging cutting-edge groups and individuals who traditionally have not worked with the federal government

Simulating Clearpath Robots In Maplesim

If your robotics research depends on accurate models, you may want to consider looking at MapleSim® 2015 - a high performance physical modeling and simulation tool developed by Maplesoft™.

Amazon Picking Challenge aimed at improving warehouse robotics

By David Szondy for Gizmag:  One of the biggest events at the recent 2015 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) in Seattle was the first Amazon Picking Challenge, in which 31 teams from around the world competed for US$26,000 in prizes. The challenge set entrants with the real-world task of building a robot that can do the same job as an Amazon stock picker.

CLEARPATH ROBOTICS ANNOUNCES MOBILITY SOLUTION FOR RETHINK ROBOTICS' BAXTER ROBOT

Clearpath Robotics announced the newest member of its robot fleet: an omnidirectional development platform called Ridgeback. The mobile robot is designed to carry heavy payloads and easily integrate with a variety of manipulators and sensors. Ridgeback was unveiled as a mobile base for Rethink Robotics' Baxter research platform at ICRA 2015 in Seattle, Washington. 

Titan Robotics announces new high-quality large-scale 3D printer called The Atlas

Founded by mechanical engineer Clay Guillory, who calls himself “a mechanical engineer by day, and a mechanical engineer by night,” Titan Robotics focuses on doing one thing and one thing very well: designing large 3D printers that are designed to last a lifetime.  Among other applications that Clay has used his 3D printing know-how towards include prosthetic hands - which started as a request from a mother whose 8-year old boy was in need of a low-cost solution.

Paralyzed man can now use his mind to shake hands, drink beer using robotic arm

A man paralyzed by gunshot more than a decade ago can shake hands, drink beer and play "rock, paper, scissors" by controlling a robotic arm with his thoughts, researchers reported.

SCHUNK's New Safety Gripping System EGN

With the SLS, SOS, and STO functionalities, the SCHUNK EGN gripping system certified in accordance with DIN EN ISO 13849 enables safe human/machine collaboration. If the production process is interrupted by an emergency shut-off, the SCHUNK EGN goes into either a safely limited speed mode or a safe stop mode depending on the activated protection zone. In contrast to other solutions available on the market, the SCHUNK safety gripping system is continuously powered even in the safe operating stop so that the gripped parts are reliably held even without mechanical maintenance of gripping force. As soon as the protection zone is released, the gripper immediately switches back to the regular operating mode without the system having to be restarted.

Learn More About SCHUNK

Bishop-Wisecarver Group

A WBENC certified woman-owned family of companies who work with manufacturers to engineer, manufacture, and build custom complex assemblies, linear motion solutions and optimal embedded intelligence systems. Through the integration of mechanical, electrical, software, control and systems design engineering expertise, 62+ years of experience and 20,000+ unique clients, we are a single point of service that results in custom designs, increased efficiencies and accelerated time to market.

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