Robot Roundup Volume 5

Here is your weekly round up of the latest headlines in the world of robotics!

OSARO and FANUC collaborate

E-commerce growth is booming and it's changing how warehouses operate. To keep up with demand, many companies are turning to robots for picking and placing tasks. To improve these automated solutions, machine learning specialist OSARO has joined forces with robotics leader FANUC America Corporation .

This partnership is all about combining expertise. FANUC will provide their reliable robots, while OSARO contributes their machine-learning powered vision software called SightWorks. SightWorks helps robots "see" and understand their surroundings, allowing them to grasp and handle objects for tasks previously done by humans.

The collaboration doesn't stop there. OSARO's software is available to FANUC's network of integrators who can build custom applications for specific warehouse needs. This lets them handle any object a robot might encounter, from incoming inventory to outgoing orders.

Both OSARO and FANUC see this as a win-win. OSARO's CEO, Derik Pridmore , believes this partnership will create the industry's most advanced robotic solutions for e-commerce fulfilment. FANUC's James Cooper agrees, highlighting the growing need for automation in warehouses.

Overall, this collaboration between OSARO and FANUC promises to significantly improve robotic picking and placing in warehouses. By combining expertise and fostering collaboration, they aim to deliver a new level of automation for the booming e-commerce sector.

Veolia implements AI driven robotic arm

Veolia , a leading waste management company, has partnered with Recycleye , a specialist in AI-powered robotics for waste sorting. Together, they've deployed a cutting-edge robotic arm at Veolia's Southwark facility. This innovative technology boasts AI that rivals human vision for accuracy.

The robot tackles a specific challenge: separating paper, cardboard, mixed plastics, and beverage cartons (often containing aluminium) from a conveyor belt dedicated to pure aluminium. This ensures proper aluminium recycling and minimizes contamination.

This initiative aligns with Veolia's GreenUP strategy, which prioritizes environmental sustainability. The data collected by the robot helps Veolia optimize facility operations, understand seasonal variations in waste composition, and ultimately accelerate progress towards a greener future through AI and innovation.

Victor Dewulf , CEO of Recycleye, emphasizes the established role of robotics in enhancing recycling efficiency. He expresses pride in collaborating with Veolia to integrate their AI-powered sorting robot at Southwark. This project highlights the effectiveness of AI in sorting complex materials like beverage cartons, which have traditionally posed difficulties for existing technology. Ultimately, this robot exemplifies the potential of intelligent technology to revolutionize waste sorting, leading to increased recycling and reduced environmental impact.

The robotic solution comprises a camera, a six-jointed arm, a compressed air system, and a processing unit. The robot utilizes compressed air and a silicone gripper to "pick" items, then rotates them towards the appropriate bin before utilizing air pressure to deposit them. This advanced technology streamlines aluminium sorting and minimizes misplaced materials. The robot's impressive speed, picking 35-50 items per minute, significantly aids human workers in maximizing recovered materials. Additionally, all scanned data is uploaded to the cloud and visualized on user-friendly dashboards for comprehensive analysis.

Lincoln Electric Bolsters Welding Automation with Inrotech Acquisition

Lincoln Electric , a leading manufacturer of welding equipment, has acquired Inrotech A/S , a Danish automation system integrator specialising in automated welding systems. Notably, Inrotech has developed proprietary adaptive intelligence software and computer vision technology. This vision-based system guides and optimises the welding process without the need for traditional programming or CAD files.

Lincoln Electric intends to leverage this technology in the shipbuilding, energy, and heavy industrial sectors, where complex geometries can pose challenges for conventional automated welding systems.

The financial details of the acquisition remain undisclosed.

ABB Unveils Next-Generation Robotics Control Platform: OmniCore

ABB Robotics has launched its latest innovation, the OmniCore automation platform. This platform represents the culmination of a significant investment exceeding $170 million, aimed at propelling robotics into the next generation. OmniCore boasts a modular control architecture designed to seamlessly integrate AI, sensor data, cloud computing, and edge computing systems. This facilitates the creation of highly advanced and autonomous robotic applications.

The platform's exceptional motion performance delivers robot path accuracy exceeding 0.6mm, even with multiple robots operating at speeds of up to 1,600mm per second. This opens doors for automation in precision-critical tasks such as arc welding, mobile phone display assembly, gluing, and laser cutting.

Overall, OmniCore offers significant performance improvements, enabling robots to operate up to 25% faster and consume 20% less energy compared to its predecessor, the ABB Robotics IRC5 controller, which will be phased out by June 2026.

Mitsubishi Electric Deepens Investment in Realtime Robotics

As reported a couple of weeks ago, Realtime Robotics, Inc. has secured a strategic investment led by Mitsubishi Electric .

This investment spearheads Realtime Robotics' recently launched Series B funding round. Notably, Mitsubishi Electric also participated in the company's Series A round and will now appoint a senior representative to Realtime's Board of Directors.

The acquired funds will be directed towards refining and scaling the company's solutions for robot work cell optimisation and runtime management. Realtime Robotics' core technology offers collision-free path planning solutions applicable throughout the lifecycle of robotic work cells. During iterative design stages, their multi-robot optimisation software expedites the analysis of hundreds of thousands of potential solutions, identifying the scenario that achieves the shortest cycle time.

By strengthening its stake, Mitsubishi Electric aims to integrate Realtime's motion planning technology further. This includes incorporating it into 3D simulators and other software for optimising manufacturing through the power of digital twins. Additionally, Mitsubishi Electric plans to integrate the technology into factory automation control system devices such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs), servo motors, and computer numerical controllers (CNCs).

Thanks all for reading into Volume 5!

After the success of our feature last week with ForwardX Robotics and Steve Mefford , I am looking to speak to more industry leaders for a feature on the newsletter!

If you want to feature or talk about hiring needs reach out!

Please don't hesitate to get in touch on any other topics at: ruairidh.barr@jacksonhogg.com