Just visited the Renewable Energy World Conference. Lots of really interesting topics to consider. Lots of companies making progress in so many areas, it’s hard to sort everything out. Solar Power, tracking systems, Wind Power, engineering companies, geothermal systems. All trying to define their role in the new energy economy. Several companies, notably including Honeywell, […]
B&L Designs Shaftless Press Which Cuts Time In Half
Located in Effingham, Ill., B&L Machine & Design specializes in the remanufacturing of various printing presses and ancillary equipment. Its particular expertise is on the Harris M-1000 and M-110 series presses, as well as splicers, infeeds, chillers and folders. By redesigning all the electrical and mechanical components and subsystems, B&L exceeds customer expectations for the […]
New Medical Classifications Suggested for Service Robotic Companies
Recent FDA Workshop on Medical Care Robots attempts to standardize and classify emerging robotic medical care devices and products. Emerging technologies included micro surgery, surgery assistance, personal care and therapy robots, telepresence robots, smart devices such as an artificial pancreas, NOTES and single port surgery (which uses natural orifices and internal incisions to navigate to…
More on Motor & Drive integration
The motor and drive combination is a basic building block of motion control. Each component is useless without the other. So it’s pretty important to come up with a good definition for what the “system” performance needs are to make sure that you end up where you need to be in your design. Generally, we […]
Artemis joins Adam as scientific robot
Syngenta has launched an agriculture chemical formulation robot. The robot can make almost any liquid agrochemical formulation in small amounts, and perform a basic series of tests to see if those formulations are of interest for further research. Named Artemis after the Greek Goddess of the hunt, Artemis is also an acronym for Automated Robot…
Hexapod Robot Gives 10lbs Of Force For Medical Applications
The miniature hexapod system provides more than 10 lbs of force and motion in all six degrees of freedom. It can be used for manufacturing and placing of parts requiring very high precision, for microscopy applications or laser and optical alignment After two decades of experience with the design and production of hexapod robots, PI’s […]
Personal Robots in the News
Fifteen personal robots on the horizon are detailed in Everything-Robotic – important because they are all well-funded and intend to be commercialized and adapted into worldwide service before 2020.
Tips for Improving Mechatronic Collaboration
By Leslie Langnau, Managing Editor The use of mechatronics principles should make new product/device design faster, easier, and deliver fabulous and inexpensive products. But many engineering groups grapple with this design approach. Why do some groups work while others struggle? We’ve heard about the promise of mechatronics for many years. Off-the-record, we hear comments about […]
Custom Transfer System Adds Value by the Millisecond
Services and products from hydraulics, pneumatics, electrics, and linear technology were linked by Rexroth engineers to produce a custom engineering concept for Swiss company Mikron Machining Technology. “The fact that Rexroth offers coordinated components from pneumatic, hydraulic and electric drive technology right through to high speed control enabled us to select the most suitable characteristics […]
Motor and Drive Combinations
There is a subtle premise that often escapes us as we talk about motors and the controls that run them. It is that the motor and controller operate as a package. In most situations, a customer specification is for input voltage and output torque and speed. That’s all that is important. How you get there […]
Maxon Announces Strategic Collaboration with National Instruments
Maxon Precision Motors is pleased to announce a strategic collaboration with National Instruments (Austin, TX). The initiative will look to highlight mutual areas of interest in the field of robotics. An informal relationship between the two companies was initiated as early as 2006, with the inclusion of NI LabVIEW VIs in Maxon’s EPOS family of […]
NASA Reveals Robot Astronaut: Robonaut 2
NASA is turning to robotics to help their astronauts while in space. NASA scientists have developed a new dexterous humanoid robot which can work side by side with humans Robonaut2, or R2, is the next generation dexterous robot that uses the same tools as humans, allowing it to work safely along with people, a necessity […]
IMRIS acquires U of Calgary’s NeuroArm
IMRIS, the Canadian provider of image guided therapy solutions has acquired a spin-off from the U of Calgary, NeuroArm. NeuroArm is a neurosurgical robot that is MRI compatible. IMRIS plans to commercialize the product working with MacDonald Dettwiler, a Canadian information solutions provider.
Wind Energy Equipment Testing
Some friends were discussing the recent visit of Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chiu to Clemson University to deliver a check for $45 million to start a test facility for horizontal wind turbine gearboxes. It seems that there have been a number of gearbox failures in recent years that suggest a wider problem that will […]
Scientists Create First-Ever Circuit Powered By Light
For the first time, scientists have created a circuit that can power itself, as long as it’s left in a beam of sunshine. Created by scientists from the University of Pennsylvania, the world’s first photovoltaic circuit could eventually power a new line of consumer devices or even model the human brain. Right now the creators […]
Predictions for Robotic Businesses in 2010 and this decade
Sector by sector review in Everything-Robotic blog. Mature non-defense service applications doing well in 2010 and are generating longer term growth. Two examples: (1) Kiva Systems doubled customers, distribution centers and corporate growth during 2009. (2) Many companies are finding good response to new launches and existing quality products, e.g.: OC Robotics snake arm line…
B&R Industrial Automation Launches Packaging Expert Group for North America
In 2010 B&R Industrial Automation has formed a new team of packaging experts to work closely with the packaging industry community. John Kowal, Tom Jensen, Joe Krogman and Marcel Voigt joined B&R in January as part of the strategic market development group. This team of automation experts will expand B&R’s activities in the North American […]
Robots documentary shown at Sundance
6-minute video addresses preconceptions and fears and shows Honda’s efforts to make their Asimo robot appealing rather than creepy. Psychological phenomena: if a robot behaves and moves in ways that enhance trust and engagement, you think it’s alive. Premise detailed in Erik Sofke’s Popular Mechanics article “Can Robots be Trusted?“ In same article, Sofke also…
Once Again Porn Industry Leads the Way – This Time in Robotics
UPDATE: 4,000 pre-orders and 20,000 queries as of February 1st, says CNN. Watch an interview with Douglas Hines describing Roxxxy, TrueCompanion’s new full-size, full function, $7-9,000 sex robot. She has five personalities and the system enables you to design your own personality profiles and share them online. One would think she could look prettier for…