GM engineers working on testing and validation for the medical mask assembly line. | Credit: JR Automation JR Automation has partnered with General Motors (GM) to produce face masks to help combat the shortage of protective personal equipment that has been caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The partnership is capable of producing 50,000 masks a […]

In most cases, “collaborative robots” refers to cobot arms or autonomous mobile robots that are designed to operate safely around humans. A number of projects have been developing other robots that are designed to work closely with people, including the European Union’s SecondHands humanoid service robot project. The post SecondHands consortium announces progress in proactive […]

Restaurant operator Cali Group has announced that it is expanding its use of certain technologies in an effort to minimize employee and customer exposure to COVID-19. These technologies include kitchen automation from Miso Robotics Inc., entry-screening systems, and contactless ordering and payment. It will demonstrate them at a CaliBurger site that reopens here today. The […]

For many in the robotics ecosystem, the COVID-19 pandemic is the best of times and the worst of times. On one hand, the robotics industry is seeing huge interest as the world comes to appreciate the power and potential of robotics in overcoming current and emerging challenges. On the other hand, the economic slow-down, the […]

Robotics researchers at ETH Zurich designed this tactile sensor prototype. | Credit: ETH Zurich Robotics researchers at ETH Zurich have now developed a tactile sensor that could come in handy in just such an instance – and marks what they see as a significant step towards “robotic skin.” The sensor’s extremely simple design makes it […]

Giving and taking objects to and from humans are fundamental capabilities for collaborative robots in a variety of applications. NVIDIA researchers are hoping to improve these human-to-robot handovers by thinking about them as a hand grasp classification problem. In a paper called “Human Grasp Classification for Reactive Human-to-Robot Handovers“, researchers at NVIDIA’s Seattle AI Robotics […]

RE2 Robotics, a Carnegie Mellon spinoff and developer of robotic mobile manipulator arms, is making face shields for healthcare workers on the front line against the COVID-19 fight. RE2 is working with PPE Connect PGH and its coalition of local universities and manufacturers. The post RE2 Robotics 3D printing face shields during COVID-19 crisis appeared […]

Designing for ease of use has long been a mantra of the robotics industry. It is key to getting new industries and companies to adopt automation. And due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ease of use is perhaps more important than ever for robotics companies. The post Universal Robots’ ActiNav aims to democratize autonomous bin picking […]

The Intelligent Surgical Unit uses artificial intelligence to enable the system’s camera to automatically move for a surgeon during a procedure. It can respond to commands and recognize certain objects and locations in the surgical field. Research Triangle Park, N.C.-based TransEnterix secured the clearance only two months after filing. The post Intelligent Surgical Unit machine […]

A perfect storm of disruptions to supply, demand and workplace practices has turned the world of manufacturing and supply chains upside down. Social distancing and isolation are the order of the day, and manual tasks normally undertaken by humans are suddenly out of reach or unsafe. Undertaking these tasks without human-to-human contact is exactly where […]