Foxconn reaches 40,000 robots of original 1 million robot automation goal

From Next Big Future:  In 2011, Foxconn had announced a plan to replace 500,000 mainland Chinese workers with 1 million robots over the next 3-5 years.  Foxconn is the company that builds Apple's iPhone and iPad hardware and many of the android smartphones as well. Foxconn, has so far installed 40,000 production robots across China as it looks to minimize the number of people it employs. With the exception of some components like servo motors and speed reducers, the robots are being built entirely in-house, Foxconn's Dai Chia-peng told Taiwan's Central News Agency, as quoted by DigiTimes. It's unclear how many of the so-called "Foxbots" are being used to manufacture Apple products. The machines are, however, said to be operating an industrial facility in Zhengzhou, a tablet plant in Chengdu, and computer/peripherals plants in Kunshan and Jiashan.    Cont'd...

The 10 Coolest Drones at the World's Biggest Robot War Games

David Hambling for Popular Mechanics:  Unmanned Warrior is the world's biggest robot war game, currently taking place for two weeks off the coast of Scotland. It was proposed by First Sea Lord Admiral George Zambellas to give airborne, surface, and underwater drones from various suppliers a chance to show off their prowess. Unmanned Warrior is part of Joint Warrior, an exercise involving 30 warships and submarines from 18 nations. But for the newly inaugurated robot portion, the U.S. is a strong presence, with teams from the Office of Naval Research (ONR). As robots continue packing increased capability in smaller, lower-cost packages, these exercises are a glimpse into the future of naval warfare. Of course, none of these drones are armed for these exercises. These Unmanned Warriors are not trusted to carry weapons—at least not yet. The first-ever Unmanned Warrior will wrap up on October 20.   Cont'd...

Mobile Cobots are Coming

A mobile cobot (mobile collaborative robot) is an intelligent, transportable robot that will assist humans in a shared workspace.

As China Invests in Robotics, iRobot and Other Companies Eye Deals

Jeff Engel for Xconomy:  China emerged as a manufacturing powerhouse over the past few decades, thanks in large part to a deep pool of cheap labor. Now, the country is investing heavily in factory automation, and Boston-area robotics companies and their allies smell opportunity. Executives from 11 New England robotics firms will travel to several cities in China later this month on a trade mission aimed at sparking business deals and more technology collaboration between the U.S. and China. The trip is being organized by InTeahouse, along with local nonprofit robotics support group MassRobotics.    Cont'd... Full Press Release:

A Drone Just Might Save Your Life Someday

In times of emergency, a drone is often the cheapest and most efficient way to find a missing person, deliver needed medicine, or survey a disaster scene.

The Robotics Industry Must Overcome the Awareness Gap

We must educate and evangelize to bust the myths and show what automated business processes can do. The technology is ready - now we have to show the world its value.

This Robot Can Do More Push-Ups Because It Sweats

Evan Ackerman for IEEE Spectrum:  When we use our muscles, they produce heat as a byproduct. When we use them a lot, we need to actively cool them, which is why we sweat. By sweating, we pump water out of our bodies, and as that water evaporates, it cools us down. Robots, especially dynamic robots like humanoids that place near-constant high torque demands on their motors, generate enough heat that it regularly becomes a major constraint on their performance. One of the reasons that SCHAFT did so well at the DRC Trials, for example, was their fancy liquid-cooled motors that could put out lots of torque over an extended period of time without overheating. Engineers solve this heat-generating problem in most mechanical systems by using fans, heat sinks, and radiators, which means that you’ve got all of this dedicated cooling infrastructure that takes up space and adds mass. At the IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) this week, Japanese researchers presented a novel idea of how to cool humanoid robots in a much more efficient way: Design them to be able to sweat water straight out of their bones.   Cont'd...

What Leading AI, Machine Learning And Robotics Scientists Say About The Future

Jason Lim for Forbes:  Every year there is a new hot topic in tech. Today, it’s all about artificial intelligence, machine learning, virtual reality and autonomous vehicles. The difference between now and the past is that everything is becoming interconnected at a faster rate. We are entering an extremely critical time in history where society will change dramatically – how we work, live and play. Science fiction is morphing into reality. Flying cars exist, cars that drive themselves are on the road, and artificial intelligence that automates our lives is here. To make all of this amazing science and technology happen, it takes some extremely intelligent and curious people. In many ways, scientists are still at the helm of discovering breakthroughs through research.    Cont'd...

Special Tradeshow Coverage for FABTECH

FABTECH will be held from November 16th - 18th in Las Vegas, Nevada. This RoboticsTomorrow.com Special Tradeshow report aims to bring you news, articles and products from this years event.

The Real Cost of Robotics

Realize that the arm is but a tiny part in the long list of equipment that had to be provisioned, installed, and configured in the name of your automation project.

Japanese Robotics Giant Gives Its Arms Some Brains

Will Knight for MIT Technology Review:  The big, dumb, monotonous industrial robots found in many factories could soon be quite a bit smarter, thanks to the introduction of machine-learning skills that are moving out of research labs at a fast pace. Fanuc, one of the world’s largest makers of industrial robots, announced that it will work with Nvidia, a Silicon Valley chipmaker that specializes in artificial intelligence, to add learning capabilities to its products. The deal is important because it shows how recent advances in AI are poised to overhaul the manufacturing industry. Today’s industrial bots are typically programmed to do a single job very precisely and accurately. But each time a production run changes, the robots then need to be reprogrammed from scratch, which takes time and technical expertise.   Cont'd...

Our Concept of an Open-Source Online Platform for Makers and Educators to Share Their Projects in the Robotics Makers Community

This is an outline plan to create and develop an open-source robotics community. If you have some ideas and want to share them, please let me know.

Japan Robot Week 2016 Gearing up to Welcome Visitors from October 19th to 21st

This years event features The 7th Robot Award ceremony and exhibition, joint exhibitions from universities and laboratories, and other fascinating programs related to service robots.

A Look at a Danish Robotics Cluster

Clusters don't just happen by accident. They need knowledge sharing, community spirit and participation by all of the stakeholders.

Google Canceled the Launch of a Robotic Arm After it Failed the 'Toothbrush Test'

Mark Bergen for Bloomberg:  Google published research this week detailing how its software enables robots to learn from one another. To demonstrate, the company’s scientists showed videos featuring robotic arms whirling inside its labs. Google’s robotics group built those machines and wanted to sell them to manufacturers, warehouse operators and others. However, executives at Google parent Alphabet Inc. nixed the plan because it failed Chief Executive Officer Larry Page’s "toothbrush test," a requirement that the company only ship products used daily by billions of people, according to people familiar with the situation.   Cont'd...

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The piCOBOT Electric vacuum generator

The piCOBOT Electric vacuum generator

Fully electric, slim design and absence of air-tubing and cabling. The new piCOBOT® Electric heads towards another success for Piab's piCOBOT® program. A secondary effect of these achievements is the absence of entangling air tubing and cabling. It simplifies the installation, and as the new piCOBOT® Electric only needs a single connection on the cobot arm, the clean set-up allows a completely unrestricted movement. The new piCOBOT® Electric package will contain plug & play software to fit UR e-series cobots, but many other useful adaptations will be introduced in the coming year