Following a successful launch of the company’s new product portfolio at the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in Chicago, Rethink Robotics Inc., the United States pioneer of collaborative robots, recently named a new all-female leadership team. Effective immediately, Julia Astrid Riemenschneider has been appointed chief executive officer and Franziska Lorenz chief operations officer. With these appointments, Rethink Robotics becomes the first and only player in the field of collaborative robotics with two women at the helm.

Orbex Group, a U.S.-based supplier of slip rings and electric motors, introduces a new family of compact wheel drives (CWD), increasing its offering of precision motion solutions. The CWD-500 and CWD-1000 are integrated motor, gearbox, encoder and wheel combination units, designed to facilitate easy application in compact robotic applications like autonomous mobile robots (AMR) and automated guided vehicles (AGV).

KUKA now offers a mobile platform that is particularly suitable for confined production environments: the KMP 600P. As one of the world's leading specialists for automation solutions, KUKA is expanding its portfolio in the field of autonomous mobile robots (AMR) with an attractive option for payloads of up to 600 kilograms.

ABB Robotics has announced its first Flexley Tug T702 autonomous mobile robot equipped with AI-based Visual SLAM navigation technology and the new AMR Studio software, enabling first-time robot users to easily program and operate entire fleets of mobile robots. The new capabilities simplify configuration and can reduce commissioning time by up to 20 percent, paving the way for a workplace where intelligent robots operate autonomously, amid a critical shortage of skilled labor. 

LexxPluss is investing heavily in the US to provide its autonomous mobile robots (AMR) technology. The Japanese automation solutions provider has recently announced a new US demo space to showcase the capabilities of its flexible robotic fleet solutions and the flagship 30x30 ft facility is located in the Indiana IoT Lab, in Fishers, Indiana.

ABB has acquired Swiss start-up Sevensense, a provider of AI-enabled 3D vision navigation technology for autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). Sevensense was founded in 2018 as a spin-off from Swiss technical University, ETH Zurich.

A growing number of companies are adopting robotic solutions in their logistics processes. They provide far greater flexibility than conventional automated handling systems, and can seriously boost productivity, throughput and operational accuracy, even in ‘steady state’ operations. Pallet and bin shuttle systems for automated storage and retrieval are a prime example. With modular design, acting as a set of building blocks to minimize complexity and cost of upgrading, these systems are highly scalable installations can start small and then expand or, if needed, they can downsize just as easily. 

Tompkins Robotics announced its 2022 annual revenue increased by 93 percent from the prior year. The company launched key technological advancements, including the tSort3D, the xChange system, and their new tSort Induction Lift, as well as subscription financing models. The company also experienced 23 percent employee growth for the same period.

DENSO, a leading mobility supplier, has increased efficiencies, improved employee morale and ergonomics, and managed a tight labor market by deploying six MiR250 autonomous mobile robots to transport materials in its 800,000 square foot powertrain component production facility in Athens, Tennessee.

Drive technology that meets the requirements for robots and AMRs is very popular. The Bonfiglioli Group, which operates worldwide, has a wealth of know-how, experience and comprehensive manufacturing options for customer and machine-specific solutions, serving the industry with competitive gearboxes and gearmotors.