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Schaeffler acquires precision gearbox maker Melior Motion 

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Schaeffler, a billion-dollar German company which supplies bearings and other components to the automotive and aerospace industries, has signed an agreement to acquire all of the shares of Melior Motion.

The acquisition of this supplier of precision gearboxes for robotics and other applications in automation expands the robotics portfolio of the Schaeffler Group’s industrial division.

As automation of simple, repetitive tasks as well as complex mounting and manufacturing processes is progressing rapidly, Schaeffler’s industrial division is expanding its position as a supplier for robotics components and systems. [Read more…] about Schaeffler acquires precision gearbox maker Melior Motion 

Motion capture is guiding the next generation of extraterrestrial robots

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“How do we build robots that can optimally explore space?” is the core question behind Dr Frances Zhu’s research at the University of Hawai’i. One part of the answer is, “with motion capture”.

“It is my hope that my research contributes to the way extraterrestrial robots move and make decisions on other planets,” explains Zhu (main picture), an assistant researcher and deputy director at the University’s Hawai‘i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology.

That research is in its early stages, but NASA has seen the value in it and awarded Zhu an EPSCoR grant by the name “Autonomous Rover Operations for Planetary Surface Exploration using Machine Learning Algorithms”. [Read more…] about Motion capture is guiding the next generation of extraterrestrial robots

Opinion: Predictions about the surgical robots market

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By Anthony Fernando, CEO and president of Asensus Surgical

Surgery has evolved from open surgery to robotic surgery. Surgical robots can perform complex procedures with geometrical precision, even in anatomical areas that are difficult to reach by human surgeons.

This is resulting in increased demand and adoption of minimally invasive surgeries and is one of the key drivers for the growth of the surgical robotics market.

So here are some predictions that foresee changes in the coming year within the surgical robotics market, telehealth and telesurgery, and augmented intelligence. [Read more…] about Opinion: Predictions about the surgical robots market

Starship Technologies launches robot delivery service at Dallas university

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Starship Technologies has rolled out its robot food delivery service at SMU, a Dallas-based private university.

Starship’s fleet of 16 autonomous, on-demand robots will deliver from 10 campus eateries.

The University’s students, faculty and staff can now use the Starship Food Delivery app (iOS and Android) to order food and drinks from Cinco Taco, Einstein Bros Bagels, Lawyers Inn, Mac’s Place, Panera Bread, Rollin’ & Bowlin’ Acai Bowls, Starbucks, Sushic, and The Market to be delivered anywhere on campus, within minutes. [Read more…] about Starship Technologies launches robot delivery service at Dallas university

Powercast showcases wireless recharging and batteryless system at CES

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Powercast has showcased an array of new, batteryless products that are powered by the company’s signature radio-frequency-based long-range over-the-air wireless power technology at the recent CES.

The company also announced a record year in customer and revenue growth driven by the demand for wireless power – a market expected to reach $25.9 billion by 2027 – and demand for sustainable product designs that keep disposable batteries out of landfills.

Powercast helps its partners create environmentally-friendly electronic devices either with rechargeable batteries that can be recharged by RF, or with no batteries at all that can be directly powered by RF. [Read more…] about Powercast showcases wireless recharging and batteryless system at CES

A universal approach to tailoring soft robots

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By combining two distinct approaches into an integrated workflow, Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) researchers have developed a novel automated process for designing and fabricating customised soft robots.

Their method, published in Advanced Materials Technologies, can be applied to other kinds of soft robots – allowing their mechanical properties to be tailored in an accessible manner.

Though robots are often depicted as stiff, metallic structures, an emerging class of pliable machines known as soft robots is rapidly gaining traction. Inspired by the flexible forms of living organisms, soft robots have wide applications in sensing, movement, object grasping and manipulation, among others. [Read more…] about A universal approach to tailoring soft robots

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Similarity of legs, wheels, tracks suggests target for energy-efficient robots

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A new formula from Army scientists is leading to new insights on how to build an energy-efficient legged teammate for dismounted warfighters. 

In a recent peer-reviewed PLOS One paper, the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, known as DEVCOM, Army Research Laboratory’s Drs Alexander Kott, Sean Gart and Jason Pusey offer new insights on building autonomous military robotic legged platforms to operate as efficiently as any other ground mobile systems.

Its use could lead to potentially important changes to Army vehicle development. Scientists said they may not know exactly why legged, wheeled and tracked systems fit the same curve yet, but they are convinced their findings drive further inquiry. [Read more…] about Similarity of legs, wheels, tracks suggests target for energy-efficient robots

How an elephant’s trunk manipulates air to eat and drink

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New research from the Georgia Institute of Technology finds that elephants dilate their nostrils in order to create more space in their trunks, allowing them to store up to nine liters of water.

They can also suck up three liters per second – a speed 50 times faster than a human sneeze (150 meters per second/330 mph).

The Georgia Tech College of Engineering study sought to better understand the physics of how elephants use their trunks to move and manipulate air, water, food and other objects. They also sought to learn if the mechanics could inspire the creation of more efficient robots that use air motion to hold and move things. [Read more…] about How an elephant’s trunk manipulates air to eat and drink

A helping hand for working robots

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Until now, competing types of robotic hand designs offered a trade-off between strength and durability.

One commonly used design, employing a rigid pin joint that mimics the mechanism in human finger joints, can lift heavy payloads, but is easily damaged in collisions, particularly if hit from the side. Meanwhile, fully compliant hands, typically made of molded silicone, are more flexible, harder to break, and better at grasping objects of various shapes, but they fall short on lifting power.

The DGIST research team investigated the idea that a partially-compliant robot hand, using a rigid link connected to a structure known as a Crossed Flexural Hinge (CFH), could increase the robot’s lifting power while minimizing damage in the event of a collision. Generally, a CFH is made of two strips of metal arranged in an X-shape that can flex or bend in one position while remaining rigid in others, without creating friction. [Read more…] about A helping hand for working robots

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The robot smiled back: Columbia scientists give robot realistic facial expressions

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While our facial expressions play a huge role in building trust, most robots still sport the blank and static visage of a professional poker player.

With the increasing use of robots in locations where robots and humans need to work closely together, from nursing homes to warehouses and factories, the need for a more responsive, facially realistic robot is growing more urgent.

Long interested in the interactions between robots and humans, researchers in the Creative Machines Lab at Columbia Engineering have been working for five years to create EVA, a new autonomous robot with a soft and expressive face that responds to match the expressions of nearby humans. [Read more…] about The robot smiled back: Columbia scientists give robot realistic facial expressions