Daily Archives: January 27, 2020

Soft Robotics, a company that develops enterprise level soft robotic grippers for a variety of materials handling and pick and place applications, is on a roll. After securing a high level strategic partnership in 2019, the company has announced an oversubscribed Series B worth $23M.

Back in December, Soft Robotics rolled out an innovative adaptable gripper system designed especially to work with FANUC robots via a new controller. The combined product debuted at IREX in Tokyo in December. Unlike robotic end effectors made of rigid materials that only flex via built-in joints, soft end effectors conform to the objects they pick up, allowing for a wider variety of applications with a single unit.

"Variability is the kryptonite of the robotics industry," says Carl Vause, CEO of Soft Robotics. "By offering a system that is able to grasp and manipulate items that vary in size, shape, and weight, we are able to solve the problem of high variability in both products and processes."

When I ran into Vause at a robotics conference a couple years back, he impressed me with a story of his end effectors picking up Peeps, the soft candy birds, directly off the line without deforming them, something unthinkable with rigid end effectors.

Read also:Robot builds an Ikea chair. Everyone goes nuts.

As I wrote in 2018 following Soft Robotics' Series A, building a better gripper is now akin to the age-old quest to build a better mousetrap. As use cases for robots proliferate and the demand for automation explodes thanks to fast fulfillment and grocery delivery, one of the big challenges is confronting variability in packaging. Soft Robotics' proprietary grasping technology, machine vision, and software solutions address these issues for large and meaningful industries such as food and beverage, consumer goods and cosmetics manufacturing, e-commerce supply chains, and more.

Additional use cases include handling item returns. According to Soft Robotics, UPS alone recently processed nearly two million returns on a single day. According to some sources, holiday returns could add up to as much as $90 to $95 billion worth of merchandise this year.

"Creating or accelerating a direct-to-customer channel is a strong cross-sector trend that has moved beyond markets such as food packaging and consumer goods manufacturing and more," says Remy Glaisner, Research Director WW Robotics at IDC. "At the order management level, it also means establishing highly dynamic 'reverse supply chains.' However, the general labor scarcity for use-cases related to order management is a critical roadblock. In that context, the role of nimble gripper solutions adaptable to both the inbound and outbound workflows become of strategic importance."

The gripper problem is being solved by companies like Soft Robotics and labs specializing in soft systems at research institutions likeCarnegie Mellon UniversityandUC Berkeley.

The venture arms of robotics giants ABB and Yamaha Motor Co., invested in Soft Robotics' last round. Calibrate Ventures and Material Impact participated in the latest round, along with additional existing investors Honeywell, Hyperplane, Scale, Tekfen Ventures, and Yamaha.

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Soft robotic hands may soon have a firm grip on the industry - ZDNet

Robot valet service helps regional French airport reduce carbon footprint, reduce hassle of airport parking.

By RBR Staff | January 22, 2020

LYON, France Following a successful one-year trial involving 500 parking spaces at the Lyon Airport, Stanley Robotics and VINCI Airports announced this week they agreed to expand the program to more than 2,000 spaces by summer 2020.

The innovative outdoor car park is entirely managed by robots, in which seven autonomous robots work simultaneously to deliver cars to the parking lot from 28 cabins that are available for customers to drop off or pick up their vehicles. The companies said that the project, initially started in 2017, ultimately aims to offer more than 6,000 parking spaces.

The Stanley Robotics robotic car valet. Image: ESoudan via Stanley Robotics

The robot valet service frees up time for passengers looking for free spaces or trying to locate their vehicle in a traditional parking lot or garage. After booking a space through the Lyon Airport website, passengers can drop off their vehicle in one of the dedicated cabins, and travel to the airport using a shuttle bus. The robot then takes care of the car, parking it within the secure car park area. When a passenger returns, they can pick up their vehicle in one of the cabins.

Clement Boussard, Stanley Robotics

This agreement represents a major development stage for our benchmark project on the Lyon Airport site, and for our service, said Clement Boussard, CEO of Stanley Robotics. The opening of 2,000 spaces illustrates how far we have come in terms of maturity, with a product that is increasingly professional. It represents a significant leap forward in the history of our young company, and boosts are confidence in our plan to conquer the airport market and get other projects up and running right now.

The robotic valet service allows cars to be parked more closely than a traditional parking. Image: ESoudan, courtesy of Stanley Robotics

The project aligns with the airport companys sustainable development approach, the company said. The robot valet service provided by Stanley Robotics and developed in Lyon meets the strategic objectives of Lyon Airport, namely, to enhance customer experience and reduce the environmental impact of the airports activities, said Tanguy Bertolus, CEO of Lyon Airport. The companies said the project:

The companies released the following statistics regarding usage of the 500 spaces during the trial period:

The Lyon Airport served 11.7 million passengers in 2019, offering 130 direct destinations and 52 new routes in the last three years. It is managed by VINCI Airports, the leading private airport operator in the world, managing 46 airports in France, Portugal, the U.K., Sweden, the U.S., and other countries. Stanley Robotics is a venture-backed company that offers a smart and high-density car storage solution for airports and other car logistics industries. The full-stack solution comprises of fully autonomous robots and intelligent storage management software.

Excerpt from:

Stanley Robotics, Lyon Airport to expand robotic parking service - Robotics Business Review

Proving once again that truth is oftenstranger than fiction, a Swiss researcher has recently developed an astonishing new type of robotic hand that can actually lift small items via invisible sound waves. While it might appear to be a cleverconjuror's trick, it's really employing an old invention called ultrasonic levitation, whereby objects are captured and levitated using the sorcery of science.

Researcher Marcel Schuck of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich is utilizing a strange phenomenon whose history dates back 80 years, but fusing the technology into modern robotics applications. Schuck's initial touchless gripper resembles a halved gourd attached to a network of wires and containing dozens of miniature loudspeakers.

The finished prototype is comprised of two semi-spheres resembling a pair of children's stereo headphones, both connected to a circuit board fitted with microchips and attached to a standard robot arm. By controlling the sound waves emitted from the tiny speakers via customized software, researchers are able to levitate and direct a small object between the two halves of the sphere without ever touching it.

Acoustic levitation is an effect that takes advantage of the physical properties of sound to cause solids, liquids, and heavy gases to float. As sound waves travel they naturally push and pull molecules around them.

This explains why, in the absence of this molecular movement, as in the vacuum of space, there's no one there to hear you scream. Acoustic levitation utilizes the method of intense sound traveling through a fluid (usually a gas) to create an equilibrium in the natural forces of gravity, causing objects to magically float unsupported in midair via the sonic disruption.

Shuck's No-Touch Robotics project has many potential practical applications in the medical, computer science, and aerospace fields where the gripping of very small, fragile parts is essential. And being based in Switzerland and its long legacy of fine precision watchmaking, the "light touch" invention could be especially beneficial.

Toothed gearwheels, for example, are first coated with lubricant, and then the thickness of this lubricant layer is measured, Shuck said in a press release. Even the faintest touch could damage the thin film of lubricant.

His visionaryteam at ETH Zurich plans to move the invention beyond the lab and develop the prototype further into a more refined, real-world product. They're currently creating a development kit for potential clients, application partners, and interested investors containing a robot gripper, control software, and instruction manual to be distributed sometime in 2021.

Interested parties can contact Marcel Schuck and his crew at ETH Zurich HERE.

See the article here:

Swiss researcher develops unreal robot hand that levitates objects - SYFY WIRE

If youre suffering from knee pain or stiffness, you may already have looked into knee replacement surgery as a way to return to a pain-free daily life.

While the long-term prognosis for patients undergoing this type of surgery varies from one patient to the next, new robotic technology available right here on the Olympic Peninsula has surgeons excited about the potential for better, longer-lasting results for all patients.

The Orthopedic Program at Jefferson Healthcare in Port Townsend is well established, with approximately 120 joint replacements knees and hips performed each year. But as orthopedic surgeon Dr. Paul Naumann says, the addition of robotics in planning and carrying out surgeries takes their program to the next level.

The robotic assist helps us plan the placement of the prosthesis before surgery. Its another tool in increasing accuracy, he says. I think it improves the outcome for patients. It improves their range of motion and the longevity of the implanted device.

Multiple uses for robotic assist

While some patients level of joint degeneration requires a resurfacing of all elements of the knee and implantation of prostheses, the assistance of robotics allows surgeons to do partial knee replacements, which hasnt been an option in the past at Jefferson Healthcare.

Its a bridging surgery in which we can replace any of the three individual compartments in the knee the medial, lateral and patello-femoral, Dr. Naumann says.

Younger patients now have options

With partial replacements now an alternative to more extensive surgeries, its expected that younger, more active patients will have the procedure done, allowing for a return to the activities you love, from sports to walking or hiking, and more. And given the increased surgical precision with using the robotic equipment, patients recovery time can be reduced, Dr. Naumann says some surgeries require only an overnight hospital stay rather than the typical two to three days.

Doctors well prepared for new age of surgery

Dr. Naumann, Medical Director for the Orthopedic Program at Jefferson Healthcare, and fellow surgeon Dr. Edward Eissmann undertook significant training on the Navio robotic system in advance of performing the first surgery Jan. 6. While the centers comprehensive orthopedic program has provided relief for thousands of people, Dr. Naumann believes the use of robotics at Jefferson Healthcare will soon become the standard of care.

To learn more about your options for knee replacement surgery, call to book a consultation at 360-344-0400 or visit jeffersonhealthcare.org.

Read more from the original source:

Robotics take knee surgery to the next level - Peninsula Daily News

The First Robotics Club at Lynn Camp High School is ready to make a run. The group recently received the goals their new bot needs to achieve in competition. They will have six weeks to design and build a robot capable of climbing, accurately turning a table, and picking up and shooting a ball.

Natalie Hosman-Collopy, a senior in the club since freshman year, described the competition simply as working together to solve a goal. The production begins with deigning 3-D models and digital sketches before beginning construction. Parts for the robot are sourced from different places and 3-D printed in the engineering department. Although she plans to major in education, Natalie hopes to mentor future club members.

Lynn Camp is set to compete in March in Memphis. The competition will feature about 60 schools and a strong enough finish could send them to the world competition. Junior Rodney Alcorn is one club member whos already experienced the worlds stage. He described robotics as the best thing about high school to me, although he also has a fondness for football.

First Robotics is poised to carry on a strong team in the future with students like freshman Adrianna Hamilton. She acts as an understudy to one of the seniors and enjoys learning the ins and outs of programing. Like many she discovered the club through engineering class. Fellow freshman Bryson Riffe brings experience from the Lynn Camp Elementary Lego Robotics Team with him. Riffe wishes to enter into the engineering field in college and is helping develop a ball loading system for the robot.

Coach Hank Gevedon described the club as a sports team given the long hours they put in after school. Gevedon is in his first year as coach after being an assistant last year. Hes very proud of his club and of Lynn Camp itself. Gevedon gives his students plenty of credit and encouragement along the way. He placed Natalie in charge of conducting the interview for this article with a grade attached. She certainly received an A+.

Continued here:

Lynn Camp First Robotics Club gears up for season The News Journal - The News Journal

The global market for surgical robots market is being driven by ongoing technological advancements in the sector as well as the increasing purchasing power of hospitals.

This is according to the latest market intelligence study by Transparency Market Research, entitled Surgical Robots Market.

The global surgical robots market was valued at approximately $4.2 billion in 2018 and is projected to expand at an annual growth of 13 per cent from 2019 to 2027.

Key segments

In terms of method, the minimally invasive segment is anticipated to account for over 60 percent share of the market.

Technological advancements allow surgeons to perform less invasive surgical procedures and increase in purchasing power of hospitals and other healthcare settings are expected to propel the minimally invasive segment during the forecast period.

Demand for robots for minimally invasive surgical procedures is likely to increase during the forecast period.

Efficiency of such robots is speeding up the recovery time, shorter hospital stays, increasing the accuracy and safety of surgical procedures, and less intra-operative radiation exposure to patients & healthcare providers.

Easy performance mapping and therapy customization are the major factors projected to drive demand for such robots across the globe.

Research and development in the technology, design, efficiency, and safety of spine surgical robots is anticipated to present significant opportunities in the segment in the near future.

Based on application, the gynecological and urological surgery segments accounted for major shares of the surgical robots market in terms of revenue in 2018.

The segment is expected to expand at a moderate annual growth during the forecast period.

Robotic surgery has developed rapidly, and its use in gynecological conditions as well.

Robot-assisted surgery was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 1999 for urologic and cardiac procedures and in 2005 for gynecological surgery.

In 2018, robot technology was applied widely in gynecological surgeries such as for hysterectomy, sacrocolpopexy, myomectomy, adnexal surgery, and malignancy staging.

In terms of end user, the hospitals segment is likely to grow at a rapid pace during the forecast period, due to benefits associated with the use of surgical robots coupled with the resources and capabilities to deploy these platforms.

Moreover, rise in investments in the hospital sector, particularly in developing countries, is projected to increase the number of hospitals in countries such as China, India, and Brazil, thereby boosting the need to procure surgical robotic systems.

Prominent regions

North America held the largest share of the global surgical robots market in 2018. The market in the region is driven by the presence of key players, large number of research activities, and highly structured health care industry.

In terms of revenue, the US is likely to dominate the surgical robots market in North America during the forecast period, owing to early adoption of technologies such as the da Vinci Surgical System, Navio Surgical System, Mazor X, and increase in the geriatric population.

The country is projected to be the most attractive market for surgical robots, with high attractiveness index.

The market in the US is anticipated to expand at annual growth rates of approximately 12 percent during the forecast period.

Increase in adoption of surgical robots by hospitals, technological advancements, rise in research & development of surgical robots for new applications, and surge in demand for rapid and safe minimally invasive surgery procedures are driving the surgical robots market in the US.

Asia Pacific accounted for a significant share of the surgical robots market in 2018.

The market in the region is expected to grow at a rapid pace during the forecast period.

Increase in investment by key players in Asia Pacific and rise in surgical procedures are likely to propel the surgical robots market in Asia Pacific.

Emerging economy, government funding for research, improving healthcare infrastructure, and rise in presence of major global players in countries, such as China and India, are projected to augment the surgical robots market in the region during the forecast period.

Key players

Key players are expanding their footprint to strengthen their positions in the surgical robots market.

These players are collaborating with other companies to secure and strengthen their positions in the market.

Additionally, regulatory approvals is expected to be a key trend going forward, leading to an increase in competition in the market.

For instance, in January 2018, Medrobotics received the FDA regulatory clearance to market its Flex Robotic System for robot-assisted visualization in general surgery, gynecological, and thoracic procedures in the US.

Leading players in the surgical robots market include:

Main image courtesy of ValueConnected.com

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Surgical robots market driven by technological advancements and increase in purchasing power of hospitals - Robotics and Automation News