A research team from five different universities developed robotic grippers inspired by insects that are able to handle delicate objects.
Stanford researchers create gecko inspired robotic hand
FarmHand’s four, multi-jointed fingers resemble human hands, but the ends of the fingers are covered in gecko-inspired adhesives
ATI releases standard tool changer for smaller robots
ATI’s QC-29 Robotic Tool Changer is designed for robots in the 25 – 35 kg payload class. It’s the first standard ATI Tool Changer designed with a rectangular body that mounts directly to 40mm and 50mm robot wrists.
MIT teaches robotic hands to reorient 2,000 objects in one hand
MIT’s researchers have taught a simulated robotic hand to manipulate objects with one hand facing upwards and downwards.
Wavemaker Labs acquires IP from agtech startup Abundant Robotics
Wavemaker portfolio company Future Acres is exploring how to leverage some of the IP to enhance its Carry mobile robot.
Show Guide for the 2021 ATX West event
The ATX West show is next week. Check out our show guide with a curated list of robotic vendors to visit while at the show.
Novanta acquisition a win-win for ATI employees
ATI Industrial Automation established an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) plan in 2012. The federally-qualified ERISA benefit plan makes employees owners in the company.
Watch a soft robotic hand play Super Mario Bros.
Guided by a set program that autonomously switched between off, low, medium, and high pressures, the robotic hand was able to press the buttons on the controller to successfully complete the first level of Super Mario Bros. in less than 90 seconds.
OpenAI abandons robotics research
OpenAI disbands its robotics research team due to lack of large enough data sets to effectively generate reinforcement models.
Novanta acquiring ATI Industrial Automation for $172M
ATI is a leading developer of end-of-arm tooling, including robotic changing systems, force/torque sensors, and collision sensors for industrial, collaborative, and medical robotic applications.
MIT’s Digger Finger senses shapes of buried objects
The technology uses tactile sensing to identify objects underground and might one day help disarm land mines or inspect cables.
TRI shares design of Soft Bubble Gripper to advance technology
The Soft Bubble Gripper uses visuo-tactile sensing techniques that allow a robot to recognize objects by shape, track their orientation in its grasp and sense forces as it interacts with the world.
Soft Robotics adds JMP Solutions to integrator program
Soft Robotics has added JMP Solutions to its Preferred System Integrator program. This partnership will help expand robotic adoption in the food sector enabled by Soft Robotics food-grade soft gripping, 3D vision, and AI technologies. Soft Robotics Preferred System Integrator Program is an initiative to help integrators win more business with its industry-leading technologies, including…
Root AI acquired by AppHarvest for $60M
Root AI, a Somerville, Mass.-based startup developing the Virgo harvesting robot for indoor farms, was acquired by AppHarvest for $60 million. AppHarvest is investing approximately $10 million in cash and the remaining balance in AppHarvest common shares to acquire Root AI. Founded in 2018, Root AI’s 19 full-time employees are expected to join AppHarvest’s technology…
Piab launches piSAFE program for end of arm tooling
Piab, a leading end-of-arm tooling developer, has introduced its piSAFE program that enables new benefits in applications where safety, flexibility, speed and performance are key. The solutions in the piSAFE program are developed to provide configurable and low-weight products that can be adapted to a customer’s specific needs. While maintaining leading vacuum performance through Piab’s…
Using tactile-based reinforcement learning for insertion tasks
Researchers studied how reinforcement learning enabled a robot arm equipped with a parallel jaw gripper and tactile sensors to insert unknown objects into a hole.
Destaco launches TC1 manual tool changer for cobots
The TC1 has four integrated pass-through air ports plus optional electrical passthrough modules that connect directly to cobots from Universal Robots.
OnRobot MG10 electric magnetic gripper designed for collaborative applications
OnRobot CEO Enrico Krog Iversen alluded to a series of upcoming product announcements during his appearance on last week’s episode of The Robot Report Podcast. The 2020 RBR50 company has released the first of those products, the MG10 electric magnetic gripper. It is designed for material handling, assembly and machine tending applications in manufacturing, automotive…
Juan Aparicio, Enrico Krog Iversen on robotics ease of use
Welcome to Episode 37 of The Robot Report Podcast, which brings conversations with robotics innovators straight to you. Join us each week for discussions with leading roboticists, innovative robotics companies, and other key members of the robotics community. You can subscribe to The Robot Report Podcast on Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts, Google Play, SoundCloud, Spotify and more. Please subscribe to the podcast and leave us…
OnRobot VGP20 electric vacuum gripper targets heavy-duty palletizing
After a busy year product-wise in 2020, OnRobot today released its first new end-of-arm tool (EOAT) for 2021. The VGP20 is an electric vacuum gripper that can handle payloads of 20kg (44.09lbs). OnRobot said the VGP20 is “compatible with all leading robot brands” and is designed primarily for heavy-duty palletizing applications, but it can be…
Robot arm opens new doors for Spot
Boston Dynamics today released several updates to its Spot product line. The goal is to enhance the quadruped’s ability to autonomously monitor job sites. To do so, the RBR50 company introduced a new version of the robot, Spot Enterprise, the Scout web-based teleoperation platform and its long-awaited Spot Arm. None of these products is more…
TripleA robotics launches WINGMAN tool changer for cobots
TripleA robotics’ WINGMAN Tool Changer for collaborative robots. | Credit: TripleA robotics Last month, Denmark-based TripleA robotics left the Odense Robotics StartUp Hub and launched its first product, the WINGMAN Tool Changer System for collaborative robots. After 18 months in the robotics incubator at the Danish Technological Institute, TripleA robotics exits the hub with a…