Information briefs for the week check out Squishy Robotics and its soft-landing robots that went from NASA Moon undertaking to first responder aids on Earth; then how Locus Robotics upgraded its product line of LocusBots to supply new-age options to ever-accelerating warehouse calls for; then China’s newly developed, robot-assisted, laparoscopic surgical system scheduled to compete with business chief Intuitive Robotics utilizing 3D glasses as an alternative of a conventional monitor and hood; and at last, why is it that robots have been so gradual to disrupt the garment business?
“What’s occurring?” Ask Squishy Robotics
In catastrophe situations, situational consciousness, or “What’s occurring?” inside the catastrophe space, is many instances info that may be very onerous or inconceivable to return by.
Squishy Robotics (primarily based in Berkeley, CA), a derivative from a undertaking initially funded by NASA (2014) to develop new methods of touchdown 
rovers and different varieties of gear on the Moon, has provide you with a robotic for first responders to make use of in catastrophe conditions that gives situational consciousness, the place nobody must be put in danger. It additionally supplies very important on-the-ground info a lot before first responders may.
Berkeley researcher, Alice Agogino’s first concept for her $500,000 NASA grant requested the query: Why not make the robotic itself the touchdown system? In that approach, there can be no want for a separate lander to deliver a rover right down to the floor. Answering that fundamental query is how she developed her startup firm Squishy Robotics.
As Agogino remembers it: “We thought, wow, if we are able to do that on the Moon, we should always be capable of do it on planet Earth and avoid wasting lives.”
Her concept was to create a sphere-shaped skeleton of rods and elastic cables, primarily based on the design precept of stress integrity, or “tensegrity”. The time period itself was coined by Buckminster Fuller as a portmanteau of “stress” and “integrity” in 1955.
Functionally, the sphere-shaped robotic skeleton is dropped from a drone right into a catastrophe state of affairs or perhaps a rescue state of affairs that’s troublesome to entry by first responders. The robotic’s sensors and different information-gathering devices would reside within the heart of the robotic, and when dropped, the pressure of the impression can be unfold throughout the skeleton, maintaining the very important payload protected.
Locus Robotics upgrades AMR fleet
Suppliers of AMRs for the logistics and e-commerce industries have been transferring quick to develop their cell robotic platforms and operational software program to accommodate the accelerating churn and number of warehouse logistics.
To not improve dangers being bypassed by an business that’s already in excessive gear and accelerating ever extra to satisfy the mega calls for of e-commerce.
Massachusetts-based Locus Robotics, extremely profitable provider of its LocusBots, has been constructing out to satisfy these wants since 2021 when it acquired Waypoint Robotics. Heavyweight chassis, bigger kind components and enhanced capabilities of the Locus Vector and Max (rebranded from Waypoint) together with the beforehand launched Locus Origin, make up the corporate’s new product line, just lately launched for the EU at Amsterdam’s Deliver 2023 conference held June 7-8.
Clever AMRs are the wave of the longer term and Locus now has three. Locus buyer DHL Provide Chain will see Locus Origin deployed to its 1,500 warehouses and distribution facilities by the top of 2023, claims Locus.
« We’re excited to showcase our newest expertise improvements at Ship 2023 to our world and European prospects, » mentioned Rick Faulk, CEO of Locus Robotics. “Along with our superior LocusONE warehouse Automation Platform, we’re remodeling the best way warehouses function.”
3D glasses for China’s newly-launched surgical robotic
The world is headed towards minimally-invasive surgical procedures. And surgical robots are forecast to be the platform of option to ship a safer, minimally-invasive operation with far much less post-operative trauma.
Though over a dozen builders have marketed, or are within the course of of selling a surgical robotic, U.S.-based Intuitive Surgical’s da Vinci robotic has been the surgical crown jewel since its debut in 2009, even at over $2.5 million a system, plus over 1,000,000 {dollars} in elements and provides yearly. Now, nonetheless, rivals from the EU (the Versius Surgical Robotic System) and, most just lately, China are difficult Intuitive’s dominance.
Weigao Group, headquartered in Weihai, Shandong province, has develop into the first Chinese developer for a robot-assisted laparoscopic surgical system (2021). « We presently have 20 models at hospitals for scientific analysis which are concerned in quite a lot of surgical procedures, akin to urological, liver, and thoracic procedures, » mentioned Wang Bingqiang, common supervisor of Weigao Group’s medical instrument division. « Our robotic system will likely be on the market for common surgical use from June (2023). »
With 20 programs in use, Weigao nonetheless has an extended method to go to even start to contest Intuitive’s over 6,000 deployed da Vinci programs worldwide. In keeping with Fosun Worldwide Securities, of the 189 robot-assisted laparoscopic surgical programs presently in use in China (barely 5% of the world market), Intuitive has nearly a 100% share.
Distinctive amongst robotic surgical programs, Weigao’s surgical robotic is operated utilizing 3D glasses—somewhat than the usual monitor and hood utilized by all others—which the corporate says reduces physician fatigue. « Medical doctors may also talk extra simply with different medical doctors and nurses within the working room, » added Wang.
Robots gradual to disrupt garment business
There aren’t too many industries lately that robotics has had a tough time disrupting, however the garment business appears to be one which’s been significantly elusive.
Nevertheless, there’s a fortune awaiting those who succeed. Income within the attire/garment marketplace for 2023 is $343 billion! Automating even a small a part of the business may save billions in productiveness beneficial properties and make use of tens of hundreds of robots, particularly in stitching items of attire collectively.
There are 10-20 completely different steps wanted to make a easy T-shirt; 70-80 for a long-sleeve gown shirt.
Though laser slicing of material has unfold all through garment making, the laser-cut items nonetheless have to be joined right into a completed piece, and therein sits the issue for robots. Human palms are nonetheless relied upon for ending.
Germany-based Robotextile is certainly one of a number of firms making an attempt to deliver extra automation to garment making.
“Textile researchers at Germany’s RWTH Aachen University estimate that in manufacturing a chunk of clothes, dealing with time — as distinct from the slicing or stitching steps — accounts for about 80% of manufacturing time and roughly 80% of manufacturing unit prices.”
The Robotextile fabric-sorting work cell makes use of a normal KUKA Scara robotic with a working diameter of 1600mm and 5kg payload (cobot can be used). Relying on the structure and common situations, cycle instances of two to 4 seconds per material layer are attainable.
However let’s make no mistake, the bell is tolling for handbook labor within the garment biz. Nevertheless, for now, Asian palms nonetheless gown most everybody worldwide.
The video under amply shows the daunting problem going through automation.
