Information briefs for the week check out Squishy Robotics and its soft-landing robots that went from NASA Moon mission 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 sluggish to disrupt the garment business?
“What’s happening?” Ask Squishy Robotics
In catastrophe eventualities, situational consciousness, or “What’s happening?” throughout the catastrophe space, is many occasions data that may be very exhausting or unimaginable to return by.
Squishy Robotics (based mostly in Berkeley, CA), a derivative from a mission initially funded by NASA (2014) to develop new methods of touchdown 
rovers and different forms of gear on the Moon, has give you 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 gives important on-the-ground data a lot ahead of 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 gadget? In that method, there could be no want for a separate lander to convey a rover all the way down to the floor. Answering that primary query is how she developed her startup firm Squishy Robotics.
As Agogino remembers it: “We thought, wow, if we will do that on the Moon, we should always be capable to do it on planet Earth and avoid wasting lives.”
Her concept was to create a sphere-shaped skeleton of rods and elastic cables, based mostly 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 scenario or perhaps a rescue scenario 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 influence could be unfold throughout the skeleton, retaining the important payload protected.
Locus Robotics upgrades AMR fleet
Suppliers of AMRs for the logistics and e-commerce industries have been transferring quick to increase their cellular 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 fulfill the mega calls for of e-commerce.
Massachusetts-based Locus Robotics, extremely profitable provider of its LocusBots, has been constructing out to fulfill these wants since 2021 when it acquired Waypoint Robotics. Heavyweight chassis, bigger kind elements 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, lately launched for the EU at Amsterdam’s Ship 2023 convention 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 tip of 2023, claims Locus.
“We’re excited to showcase our newest expertise improvements at Ship 2023 to our world and European clients,” mentioned Rick Faulk, CEO of Locus Robotics. “Along with our superior LocusONE warehouse Automation Platform, we’re remodeling the way in which 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 one million {dollars} in components and provides yearly. Now, nevertheless, rivals from the EU (the Versius Surgical Robotic System) and, most lately, China are difficult Intuitive’s dominance.
Weigao Group, headquartered in Weihai, Shandong province, has change into the first Chinese language developer for a robot-assisted laparoscopic surgical system (2021). “We presently have 20 models at hospitals for medical analysis which can be concerned in a wide range of surgical procedures, comparable 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 techniques in use, Weigao nonetheless has an extended approach to go to even start to contest Intuitive’s over 6,000 deployed da Vinci techniques worldwide. In response to Fosun Worldwide Securities, of the 189 robot-assisted laparoscopic surgical techniques presently in use in China (barely 5% of the world market), Intuitive has practically a 100% share.
Distinctive amongst robotic surgical techniques, Weigao’s surgical robotic is operated utilizing 3D glasses—fairly than the usual monitor and hood utilized by all others—which the corporate says reduces physician fatigue. “Medical doctors can even talk extra simply with different docs and nurses within the working room,” added Wang.
Robots sluggish to disrupt garment business
There aren’t too many industries today that robotics has had a tough time disrupting, however the garment business appears to be one which’s been notably elusive.
Nonetheless, there’s a fortune awaiting people 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 good points 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 chopping 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 arms are nonetheless relied upon for ending.
Germany-based Robotextile is one among a number of firms trying to convey extra automation to garment making.
“Textile researchers at Germany’s RWTH Aachen College estimate that in manufacturing a chunk of clothes, dealing with time — as distinct from the chopping or stitching steps — accounts for about 80% of manufacturing time and roughly 80% of manufacturing facility prices.”
The Robotextile fabric-sorting work cell makes use of a regular KUKA Scara robotic with a working diameter of 1600mm and 5kg payload (cobot can be used). Relying on the format and common situations, cycle occasions of two to 4 seconds per material layer are doable.
However let’s make no mistake, the bell is tolling for guide labor within the garment biz. Nonetheless, for now, Asian arms nonetheless gown most everybody worldwide.
The video beneath amply shows the daunting problem going through automation.
