All professors are teachers, but some are also entrepreneurs. Three of note are mechanical engineering professors Stephen L. Dickerson, Wayne Book and Nader Sadegh, who together founded CAMotion Inc. in 1997 while working at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
In the world of assembly, ABB is known primarily for its leading-edge industrial robots. But, there’s much more to this multinational corporation, which operates 300 manufacturing plants in 100 countries, has nearly 150,000 employees, and reported global revenue of $42 billion in 2013.
ANN ARBOR, MI—Rodney Brooks, Ph.D., the founder, chairman and chief technology officer of Rethink Robotics Inc., is one of three robotics pioneers who won 2014 Engelberger Robotics Awards from the Robotics Industries Association. The awards were presented today at the 45th International Symposium on Robotics in Munich, Germany.
BIRMINGHAM, UK—A way of teaching robots to pick up unfamiliar objects without dropping or breaking them has been developed by researchers at the University of Birmingham. The research paves the way for robots to be used in more flexible ways and in more complex environments.
ANN ARBOR, MI—The robotics market in North America posted its second-highest quarter ever in terms of robots ordered in first quarter 2014, according to new statistics from the Robotic Industries Association. A total of 5,938 robots valued at $338 million were ordered by companies in North America in the first quarter 2014, coming in just shy of the all-time record of 6,235 robots valued at $385 million in fourth quarter 2012.
MUNICH, Germany—Researchers in Germany have developed a novel, snake-like robot capable of tightening bolts in even the most difficult-to-access cavities of an aircraft’s wing structure.
BERLIN—Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Factory Operation and Automation have developed a mobile robot that can move along with aerospace workers and assist them as they assemble and test parts.
EVERETT, WA—Boeing plans to deploy robotic assembly technology on the 777X that will dramatically change how the plane’s metal hull is built. The investment will enable Boeing to increase the production rate of the 777 beyond the current 100 jets per year.
TOKYO—Toyota has long been an avid promoter of manufacturing automation, but now the automaker is seeking to revive the concept of human craftsmanship at its factories.
Once found mostly in high-volume manufacturing environments, robots are now being used in smaller organizations, and in a wider variety of applications.
RSS
